The Egyptian Order of Agriculture

Owain Raw-Rees

This Order consists of two distinct phases - the first a two class order that was later reconstituted into a distinctly different three-class order in 1932. In both instances the Order was established as a reward to those rendering eminent services to agriculture and was open to both Egyptians and foreigners.

Figure 2: Member, Order of Agriculture, obverse.

Figure 1: Commander, Order of Agriculture.

The order originally came in two classes - Commander (57mm diameter) (Figure 1) and Member (35mm) (Figure 2.) The decoration had to be returned on death or upon promotion from Member to Commander. Examples of these two badges from the Fahmy Tewfiq Bichay collection were offered for sale in Sotheby’s Auction of December 1, 1998 and were erroneously described as 3rd and 4th class badges. Miniature badges also exist that are 15nnn in diameter but lack the crown suspension. The ribbon is of five stripes of bright green alternating with four stripes of golden yellowand for the Commander’s badge is 40mm in width.

The silver gilt badge of the first type (Figure 3) consists of a white enameled five pointed star bearing the central inscription Wissam ul Filaha (Order of Agriculture). A variant of the commander’s badge includes the date 1333. Between the rays of the star are cotton plants in

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Figure 3: Member, Order of Agriculture, reverse.

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flower and seed representing a key crop of the country. Above the uppermost arm of the star is the Arabic inscription Min Falah Faqad Aflah (roughly translated as "He who labors will be successful. ") The badge is suspended by a crown, with enameled highlights for the senior grade, affixed to the badge by means of a white enameledfleur de lys. The reverse of the badge is blank.

also the reconstitution of the Order of Agriculture, but reference is made to only one earlier decree of January 4, 1923. However the order is referred to in the 1919 Second Edition of Commander Taprell Dorling’s Book Ribbons and Medals. He states that it was instituted in 1915. It is likely that its institution may have been at the same time as the three aforementioned orders.

Figure 4: Sultan Hussein Kamil.

With regard to the institution of the order, I have not been able to establish an exact date but it would appear from the Hejira date 1333 (corresponds to the Gregorian period November 19, 1914 to November 8, 1915) on the Commander’s badge to have been instituted during the reign of Sultan Hussein Kamil (Figure 4.) (Hussein succeeded Abbas Hilmi, his nephew, upon his deposition, by the British, on December 19, 1914.) A short lived ruler - he died in October 1917 after a banquet and was succeeded by his cousin Fouad who was proclaimed King of Egypt on March 15, 1922. Hussein was known as "le pete desfellahs" (father of the peasants) because of his interest in agriculture.

Sultan Hussein was also greatly interested in honors and awards and instituted by a royal decree of April 14, 1915 the Orders of Mohammed Ali, the Nile and A1 Kamal. The Official Resume of Egyptian Orders and Medals of 1932, notes the decrees instituting these three orders and

Figure 5: Commander of the Order of Agriculture,

(1932 reorganization.)

The regulations of the order were amended initially by Royal Decree No. 6 of January 4, 1923, however the order was totally reorganized by Decree No. 6 of 1932. The key elements of this latter decree are:

The Arabic name of the Order "Nichan ul- Filaha" was to be replaced by "Nichan ul- Zira’a" ( "Filaha" literally is a peasant who works on the land whilst "zira’a" translates as agriculture or farming. )

The Order was to reward distinction in the field of agriculture or services to agriculture.

The order was to consist of three classes Commander (60mm diameter) (Figure 5), Officer (50ram) (Figure 6) and Knight (40ram), with the first

two classes surmounted by a crown. The ribbon pattern was changed to 45mm light

green with, inset 2ram from each edge a lmm stripe of carmine, 2mm light green, 2ram yellow, 2mm light green and lmm carmine.

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Figure 6: Officer of the Order of Agriculture, 1932 reorganization, obverse.

The design of the order is a five-pointed gold star (Figure 6) with white, yellow and red enameled arms. Inset at the end of each arm is a silver crescent and three silver stars - the badge of the Kingdom of Egypt. The star is superimposed upon a wreath of, to the left, cotton and to the right, maize plants. The reverse of the order in my collection (Figure 7) is blank except for the marks for 900 silver Cairo 1933/4. There is a gold mark on the suspension loop, which appears to indicate 18 carat gold. I believe that the original award was manufactured by the Cairo firm ofJ. Lattes. From 1928 onwards Egyptian awards were manufactured by Tewfiq Bichay, who had become the official manufacture of royal Egyptian orders.

In addition to the re-designation and re-design of this Order, on the same date, two further orders were instituted:

¯ Decree No. 62 Order of Culture (Figure 8) as

reward for distinguished services in the fields of

science, intellect and art.

¯ Decree No. 63 Order of Industry and Commerce

(Figure 9) as a reward for service in these fields.

Figure 7: Officer of the Order of Agriculture, 1932 reorganization, reverse.

Figure 8: Order of Culture.

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