Emin Pasha's role in Africa

By Mustafa EFE

Mehmet Emin Pasha (March 28, 1840 - October 23, 1892), born Eduard Carl Oscar Theodor Schnitzer, was a doctor, naturalist and The Governor of Hattı Ustüva / Equatorial Province of Ottoman State in Africa. (Although "Pasha" was a title conferred on him only in 1886, he was also invariably referred to as "Emin Pasha".) (The title "Pasha" used for a provincial governor or other high official of the Ottoman State or a former title placed after the name of high officials in countries under Turkish rule.)

Emin Pasha (1840-1892) Prussian descent Ottoman Statesman and scholar. Ottoman social structure, represents a mosaic of many different colors and shades that create the whole. Ottoman society, more traditional social structure of "locality" and "very colorful" as it is said to contain the distinctive features of the site.

Ottoman society composed of different nationalities that the six hundred years of historical, language, religion, race, tradition and culture of the organization within the same political organization. Here Emin Pasha was a "True Ottoman Citizen" and served as an Ottoman Statesman and scholar from multinational and multicultural society and the state revealed the structure of both the Ottoman State and the Balkans, and especially in history of the Ottoman Empire invaluable services to the African continent.

He was born in Oppeln, Silesia into a middle-class Jewish family, which moved to Neisse when he was two years of age. He studied at the universities at Breslau, Königsberg, and Berlin, qualifying as a doctor in 1864. However, he was disqualified from practice, and left Germany for Constantinople, with the intention of entering Ottoman service. He applied to the Embassy of The Ottoman State in Vienna and joined the Ottoman service.

Travelling via Vienna and Trieste, he stopped at Antivari in Albania, found himself welcomed by the European community there and was soon in medical practice. He put his linguistic talent to good use as well, adding Turkish, Albanian, and Greek to his repertoire of European languages. He became the quarantine officer of the port, leaving only in 1870 to join the staff of Ismail Hakki Pasha, governor of northern Albania, in the service he travelled throughout the Ottoman Empire.

Mr Schnitzer embraced Islam and named himself Mehmed Emin. He joined Ottoman Secret Service in 1869 and played very important roles to deal with riots. He went to Trabzon city with Hakkı Pasha. He opened surgery in Trabzon and became very famous as Hayrullah Doctor. As a result of his various trips to Istanbul managed to abolish the deportation warrant for Ismail Hakki Pasha in 1872.

İsmail Hakki Pasha Governor of Ioannina appointed Emin Efendi was brought to the Chief Doctor and counsel of Province Governor. In 1873 Ismail Hakki Pasha died in Istanbul, then Emin went back to Neisse with Pasha's widow and children, where he passed them off as his own family. He went to Germany for a short time and 1875 he went to Egypt; then he opened private clinics in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan.

In the 1876, Emin Efendi went to the southern end of the Ottoman Empire Hattı Ustüva / Equatorial Province, and he became Chief Doctor to Gordon Pasha who was the governor of Lado. He improved the provinces with health services, made zoology and the definition of the hundreds of animal and plant species found in agonizing botanical knowledge gained fame in the world environment.

In the 1878, assigned to the Governor General to the Hattı Ustüva / Equatorial Province instead of the Ibrahim Fevzi Bey. At the same time he was promoted to mirlivalıg. Emin Bey accomplish great things as governor. Improved trade and agriculture in the provinces, the balance between Cairo and Khartoum, and with financial help from the province was not correct that deficit budget of 750,000 francs. Expanding the number of bases around the south towards the Eastern Provinces of the soil brought from eight to fifty; also signed a protectorate treaty with indigenous African rulers.

After 1876, Emin made Lado his base for collecting expeditions throughout the region. In 1878, he received the title of Bey.

The revolt of Mahdi Muhammad Ahmad that began in 1881 had cut Hattı Ustüva / Equatorial Province off from the outside world by 1883 and Mahdi formed large armies and seized all the other Sudan provinces. Emin Bey as Hattı Ustüva / Equatorial Province resisted with strong politics for years. But links of Emin Bey cut with Egypt and was forced to transfer to the centre of his government provinces south of the town Vadelay in May 1885. He was promoted to "Pasha" title while there he reached in March 1886.

He had been asked to leave the Hattı Ustüva / Equatorial Province but Pasha was determined to remain in Hattı Ustüva / Equatorial Province. However, he was forced to abandon completely Lado which didn't have any garrison in early 1887. From 1886 to 1887 he temporarily stayed in Kibiro which located in the eastern coast of Lake Albert.

Meanwhile the Edinburgh Geographical Society of the enterprise, a company of Scottish financier, apparently went to help Emin Pasha, but in reality to include Hattı Ustüva / Equatorial Province to the UK and to loot ivory and other collections which  was  accumulated by the Emin Pasha. The Emin Pasha Relief Expedition was led by Henry Morton Stanley.

According to intelligence that navigate the main supporter of the British East African Company made sure Pasha's ivory stocks worth 100,000 pounds was 75,000 kg. Other richness of the Hattı Ustüva / Equatorial Province were not included in this figure and costs for the trip was 20,000 pounds.

British adventurer and colonialist Stanley assumed that one of the tasks was to expand the Belgian colony of the Congo's territory. King of Belgium II. Leopold supported Stanley and was planning to have Emin Pasha's richest province by Stanley.

 The Emin Pasha Hotel in Uganda's capital Kampala

Stanley's rescue team lost more than 500 men when they arrived to the Kavallı town which at the southwest end of the Hattı Ustüva / Equatorial Province. The rest of the Stanley's team had come to the needy in the rescue. Emin Pasha met with the Stanley and his delegation with the military ceremony in his capacity as Ottoman Governor-General in 29 April 1888. Stanley offered to Emin Paşha the annexation of the Hattı Ustüva / Equatorial Province to the II.

Leopold's Congo and to govern Hattı Ustüva / Equatorial Province in the name of the Belgian king. He refused the offer to handle the capacity of the governor. Stanley also brought from Egypt Hidivlig in order Emin Pasha with Stanley was asked to retreat to the east coast. Emin Pasha was taken as prisoner in Düfile by his officers when he communicated to them. (August - November 1888) Emin Pasha worked with German Colonial Commissar Von Wissmann for a very short period of time when he didn't get any help from Egypt Khedive.

Emin Pasha fought against Slavery in the region. He tried to ban the slavery in the African local administrations. He was killed by the Arab slave traders in 23 October 1892 at Kinena Station near Nyangwe in the Congo Free State which is today Democratic Republic of Congo. His daughter Feride also had been slaved and taken away.

Hattı Ustüva / Equatorial Province went under the colonialism by the death of Emin Pasha till the independence of Uganda in 9 October 1962.

Mehmet Emin Pasha who served as a sincere Muslim to the Ottoman Empire, has maintained the attitude as long as he remains in service of Egypt. This is why He remained for a long time in the Hattı Ustüva / Equatorial Province.

Emin Pasha was an organizer rather than conqueror. He strongly opposed the black slave trade and requested the removal of Arab slave traders from Africa. He had considerable service to the African natural history, ethnography and language.

Why True Ottoman Statesman Emin Pasha is Very Important Figure for Uganda and Turkey?

1. Emin Pasha is only one of the Ottoman citizens whom indicators of social structure of multicultural and multi-ethnic Ottoman State.

2. Emin Pasha has served as the highest-ranking Ottoman officials as Ottoman Statesman.

3. Emin Pasha's statesman identity and experience in the region with the establishment of the state in the modern sense of the ordinance and laid the basis for the systematized and established.

4. Emin Pasha had showed that how close relations can establish with the people of the region to fight against slave trade.

5. Emin Pasha's statesmanship had showed that scientific studies can be done along with the statesmanship in Africa.

6. Most importantly, Emin Pasha today the strongest historical tie between Uganda and Turkey.

7. Today there are lots of places and as Emin Pasha in Uganda such as Emin Pasha Hotel, Fort Emin Pasha in Wadelai - Nebbi District etc.

The writer is an expert on Africa