Afghānī And Freemasonry In Egypt

📝 Description

<div>This article is an expanded form of a paper delivered at the 180th meeting of the American Oriental Society held in Baltimore, Maryland, April 14-16, 1970.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>The study is based mainly on recently discovered documents and other primary sources. It traces Afghani's connections with Freemasonry and concludes that he attempted to use the brotherhood as a ready-made agency for political mobilization and agitation against the Khedive Isma'il and the increasing European intervention in the affairs of Egypt. Many of his followers, such as Muhammad 'Abduh, Sa'd Zaghlfl, Ya'qib Sannu' and Adib Ishaq, joined, as did some notables, army officers, and Isma'il's son, Tawfiq Pasha. Disagreement with other Freemasons who wanted to exclude politics from the fraternity resulted in Afghani's formation of a "national" lodge where he continued his agitation until the deposition of Isma'il in June 1879. His anti-European agitation, however, was abruptly ended when the Khedive Tawfiq expelled him in August of that year.</div></div>