Zaghlul, Sa'd

Zaghlul, Sa'd

(born July 1857, Ibyanah, Egypt—died Aug. 23, 1927, Cairo) Egyptian statesman. He initially cooperated with the British occupation of Egypt, but his attitude changed on his election to the Legislative Assembly in 1912. Britain declared martial law, established a protectorate, and dissolved the assembly during World War I (1914–18), after which he led a delegation (Arabic: wafd) that demanded recognition as the people's representatives and called for abolition of the British protectorate. When these requests were turned down, widespread disorder broke out that was not quelled even when Zaghlul, who had been deported to Malta, was brought back and was elected prime minister at the head of the Wafd party in 1924. He resigned after a year of violent unrest but later served as president of the Chamber of Deputies, where he was able to exercise some control over his more extreme followers.