Hussein Refki Pasha

Hussein Refki
War and Marine Minister of Egypt
In office
December 1937 – April 1938
MonarchFarouk
Prime MinisterMuhammad Mahmoud Pasha
Preceded byAhmed Hamdi Seif al-Nasr Pasha
Succeeded byHassan Sabry Pasha
Member of the Senate
In office
1939–1941
MonarchFarouk
Chief ADC to the King of Egypt
MonarchsFuad I
Farouk
Succeeded byOmar Fathi Pasha
Personal details
Born1876
Died1950 (aged 73–74)
SpouseZeinab Khanum Said Agha
ChildrenHafez
Royal Military School
Military service
Allegiance Kingdom of Egypt
Sultanate of Egypt
Khedivate of Egypt
Branch/service Egyptian Army
Rank Lieutenant-General
CommandsKing's Military Household (Egypt)

Hussein Refki Pasha (Arabic: حسين رفقي باشا; 1876–1950) was an Egyptian military general and politician who served as Egypt's Minister of War and Marine.

Early life and career

Hussein Refki ibn Ahmed Hafez ibn Mohammed Hafez was born in Cairo, Egypt, to an aristocratic Turco-Egyptian family of statesmen and military officers.[1] Refki's father and brother also both served as career officers in the Egyptian Army.[1]

Refki entered the Egyptian infantry after graduating from the Egyptian Royal Military Academy. He was initially stationed in Sudan for several years, principally in Kordofan and Khartoum, and steadily rose through the infantry ranks until his transfer to King's military household. [2] [3] [4]

Later career and political roles

Refki transferred to the King's royal court and became an aide-de-camp to King Fouad I in the late-1920s, ultimately becoming Chief Aide-de-Camp (Arabic: كبير الياوران; Kebeer-al-Yawaran) to both kings Fouad and Farouk. As Chief Aide-de-Camp, Refki commanded the King's Military Household (predecessor to the Republican Guard of Egypt), which included the royal guard and other elite military formations.[1]

Refki became Egypt's Minister of War and Marine in December 1937, during the early reign of King Farouk of Egypt.[5] King Farouk appointed Refki to the Egyptian Senate (Arabic: مجلس الشيوخ; Majlis-al-Shuyukh), the upper-house of the Egyptian Parliament, in 1939.[6]

A street is named for Refki in the Sarayat El-Quba neighbourhood of Heliopolis, Cairo.[7]

Personal life and family

Refki's only child, Chancellor Hafez Refky, was Vice-President of Egypt's Court of Cassation (Arabic: محكمة النقض; Mahkamat-al-Naqd), Egypt's highest appellate court, and a member of Egypt's Supreme Judicial Council (Arabic: مجلس القضاء الاعلى; Majlis al-Qada' al-A'la). Refki's nephew, Chancellor Fouad Hafez, was President of the Egyptian Court of Appeals in Cairo (Arabic: محكمة استئناف القاهرة; Mahkamat Isti'naf al-Qahirah).

Hussein Refki Pasha is related to the Muhammad Ali dynasty of Egypt through his mother, who is directly descended from the dynasty's founder, Muhammad Ali of Egypt. Since the 1930s Refki and his patrilineal descendants have used the surname "Refky" or "Refki."

Awards and honours

References

  1. ^ a b c Soria, L. Blattner, E.J. Le Mondain Egyptien (The Egyptian Who's Who): L'Annuaire De L'Elite D'Egypte. 1936. Cairo: Thuilot Vincent & Cie.
  2. ^ The Egyptian Directory 1924 L'Annuaire Egyptian (Egypte et Soudan). 1923. Cairo: Societie Orientale de Publicité.
  3. ^ The Egyptian Directory 1908 L'Annuaire Egyptian du Commerce de L'Industrie, L'Administration et la Magistrature de L'Egypte et du Soudan. 1908. Cairo: The Egyptian Directory & Advertising Cy., Ltd.
  4. ^ The Egyptian Directory 1913 L'Annuaire Egyptian L'Annuaire Egyptien et L'Indicateur Egyptien. 1913. Cairo: Societie Orientale de Publicité.
  5. ^ Preston, Paul. Partridge, Michael. Woodward, Peter. British Documents on Foreign Affairs: Reports and Papers from the Foreign Office Confidential Print. 1999. Great Britain. Foreign Office.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h Soria, L. Blattner, E.J. Le Mondain Egyptien (The Egyptian Who's Who): L'Annuaire De L'Elite D'Egypte. 1941. Cairo: [s.n.]
  7. ^ El-Lewa Hussein Refki Street. Sarayat El Koba, Cairo, Egypt. Map of El-Koba, Cairo. 2009. Google Maps.