Soliman Pasha al-Faransawi
Egyptian commander
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Soliman Pasha al-Faransawi (born Joseph Anthelme Sève; 17 May 1788 – 12 March 1860), was a French-born Egyptian military commander.
17 May 1788[1]
First French Empire (until 1815)
Egypt EyaletSoliman al-Faransawi | |
|---|---|
| |
| Born | Joseph Anthelme Sève 17 May 1788[1] |
| Died | 12 March 1860 (aged 71) |
| Buried | Old Cairo, Egypt |
| Allegiance | First French Empire (until 1815) Egypt Eyalet |
Conflicts | |
| Spouse | Maria Myriam Hanem |
| Children | Asmaa al-Faransawi Nazli al-Faransawi Mohamed Bey al-Mahdy al-Faransawi (Iskander Bey) Zuhra al-Faransawi |
| Relations | Nazli Sabri (great-granddaughter) |
Biography
Joseph Anthelme Sève was born in Lyon to Anthelme Sève and Antoinette Juillet Sève.[2] He became a sailor.[3] Later he joined the army of Napoleon Bonaparte. He fought at the battles of Trafalgar and Waterloo.[3] After the war ended in 1815, he resigned from Napoleon's Army and worked as a merchant.
At this time, Muhammad Ali Pasha, also known as Muhammad Ali of Egypt, was recruiting European officers to train his newly formed military on modern warfare and soldierly discipline. Sève travelled to Egypt, changed his name and converted to Islam.[2] He was placed in charge of the new soldiers' school at Aswan, now the Egyptian Military Academy.
Marriage and children
He married a Greek woman, Maria Myriam Hanem, with whom he had four children:[4][5][6] Asmaa al-Faransawi, Nazli al-Faransawi, Mohamed Bey al-Mahdy al-Faransawi (Iskander Bey), and Zuhra al-Faransawi.[7] One of his great-granddaughters was Queen Nazli,[5] wife of King Fuad, and mother of King Farouk.[6]
Death
Legacy
There is a statue of him in the Egyptian National Military Museum inside the Cairo Citadel and a bust at the Préfecture in Lyon, France.
