Jirjis al-Jawhari (, ) was an

Egyptian Egyptian describes something of, from, or related to Egypt. Egyptian or Egyptians may refer to: Nations and ethnic groups * Egyptians, a national group in North Africa ** Egyptian culture, a complex and stable culture with thousands of years of ...

Coptic Coptic may refer to: Afro-Asia * Copts, an ethnoreligious group mainly in the area of modern Egypt but also in Sudan and Libya * Coptic language, a Northern Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Egypt until at least the 17th century * Coptic alphabet ...

minister of finance and chief archon of the Copts in 1795-1801 during the reign of the

Mamluk Mamluk ( ar, مملوك, mamlūk (singular), , ''mamālīk'' (plural), translated as "one who is owned", meaning " slave", also transliterated as ''Mameluke'', ''mamluq'', ''mamluke'', ''mameluk'', ''mameluke'', ''mamaluke'', or ''marmeluke'') ...

Murad Bey Murad Bey Mohammed ( 1750 – 22 April 1801) was an Egyptian Mamluk chieftain ( Bey), cavalry commander and joint ruler of Egypt with Ibrahim Bey. He is often remembered as being a cruel and extortionate ruler, but an energetic courageous fighter ...

and a General Steward of Egypt () during the French administration.

Biography

Jirjis inherited his title from his brother, Ibrahim al-Jawhari, after his death in 1795. His position can be described as "gray eminence", in whose hands all threads of the Egyptian administration converged. After the conquest of Egypt by

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

al-Jawhari started cooperating with the French and was given a position of a General Steward of Egypt. Collecting taxes and providing French army with supplies were among his responsibilities. During the

revolt of Cairo The Revolt of Cairo was a revolt that occurred on 21–22 October 1798 by the citizens of Cairo against the French occupation of Egypt led by Napoleon Bonaparte.Chandler, p. 230. The revolt In 1798, Napoleon led the French army into Egypt, swi ...

al-Jawhari's house was set on fire and he almost got killed, but saved by the French troops. Nonetheless after the suppression of the revolt he was replaced by another Coptic general Yaqub bin Hena. With the reorganization of the financial administration, al-Jawhari was relieved of responsibility for the collection of public revenues, which was given to a Frenchman named Estève. However, he continued to work as one of the five leading provincial general intendants. al-Jawhari's willingness to support the French was motivated by the belief that the Coptic community would have a better future under a Christian government than under Muslim rule. And indeed, Napoleon granted some of his requests concerning the status of

Dhimmis ' ( ar, ذمي ', , collectively ''/'' "the people of the covenant") or () is a historical term for non-Muslims living in an Islamic state with legal protection. The word literally means "protected person", referring to the state's obligatio ...

immediately, in anticipation of earning further Coptic support.{{Cite web , last=Motzki , first=Harald , title=Claremont Coptic Encyclopedia , url=https://ccdl.claremont.edu/digital/collection/cce/id/1081/ After the departure of the French in 1801 he decided to immigrate to

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

but later returned to Egypt gaining a favour of the Ottoman governor Mehmed Hüsrev Pasha. Under

Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, a ...

, who seized power in Cairo in July 1805, al-Jawhari fell into disgrace and had to flee to the Mamluk beys in

Upper Egypt Upper Egypt ( ar, صعيد مصر ', shortened to , , locally: ; ) is the southern portion of Egypt and is composed of the lands on both sides of the Nile that extend upriver from Lower Egypt in the north to Nubia in the south. In ancient ...

. He was pardoned after four years of exile. Ten months after his return to Cairo, he became ill and died in September 1810.

References

Egyptian people of Coptic descent Coptic politicians