Benjamin Disraeli
British statesman, Conservative politician and writer who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
Benjamin Disraeli, later the 1st Earl of Beaconsfield, was born Benjamin D'Israeli in December 1804 and died in April 1881. A British statesman, Conservative politician, and novelist, he served two terms as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He was instrumental in shaping the modern Conservative Party, crafting its policies and broadening its appeal. He is best known for his strong presence on the world stage, his fierce rivalry with Liberal leader William Gladstone, and his philosophy of "one-nation conservatism" or "Tory democracy." Under his leadership, the Conservatives became the party most linked to the British Empire and its military expansion—positions that resonated with many voters. He remains the only British prime minister of Jewish birth.
Disraeli first entered the House of Commons in 1837 after several failed attempts. In 1846, when Prime Minister Robert Peel split the Conservative Party by proposing to repeal the Corn Laws—ending tariffs on imported grain—Disraeli opposed Peel in Parliament, rising to prominence within the party. During the 1850s and 1860s, as party leader Lord Derby formed three governments, Disraeli served as Chancellor of the Exchequer and Leader of the House of Commons. When Derby retired in 1868, Disraeli briefly became prime minister but lost the general election that same year. He returned to opposition until leading his party to a majority in the 1874 election. Queen Victoria, a close friend, made him Earl of Beaconsfield in 1876.
His second term focused on the Eastern question—the Ottoman Empire's decline and the ambitions of powers like Russia. Disraeli arranged for Britain to buy a major stake in the Suez Canal Company in Egypt. In 1878, after Russian victories over the Ottomans, he helped negotiate the Congress of Berlin, securing peace in the Balkans on terms favorable to Britain and unfavorable to Russia. This diplomatic success made him a leading figure in Europe. However, later events turned against him. Controversial wars in Afghanistan and South Africa hurt his public support, and he angered farmers by refusing to reinstate the Corn Laws during poor harvests and cheap grain imports. Gladstone's massive speaking campaign helped the Liberals defeat Disraeli's Conservatives in the 1880 election. Disraeli led the opposition in his final months. He wrote novels throughout his life, starting in 1826, and published his last completed novel, *Endymion*, shortly before his death at 76.
Disraeli was born in Bloomsbury, then part of Middlesex, on 21 December 1804, the second child and eldest son of Isaac D'Israeli, a literary critic and historian, and Maria Basevi. His family had Sephardic Jewish mercantile roots, with some Ashkenazi ancestors as well. He later romanticized his origins, claiming his father's family was of grand Spanish and Venetian descent, though in reality they were undistinguished. On his mother's side, however, there were notable figures like Isaac Cardoso and members of the Goldsmid, Mocatta, and Montefiore families—though Disraeli showed little interest in them. Historians disagree on why he rewrote his family history: Bernard Glassman suggests it was to gain status comparable to England's ruling elite, while Sarah Bradford believes his dislike of the commonplace made him reject his middle-class, undramatic origins.
Disraeli had siblings: Sarah, Naphtali (who died in infancy), Ralph, and James. He was close to his sister but more distant with his brothers. His early education is unclear. Around age six, he attended a dame school in Islington, described by one biographer as a high-class establishment for its time. About two years later, he became a boarder at Rev John Potticary's school in Blackheath. After a quarrel in 1813 with the Bevis Marks Synagogue, his father Isaac renounced Judaism and had all four children baptized into the Church of England in July and August 1817. Isaac had never been deeply religious but had stayed in the synagogue out of respect for his own father, Benjamin, a devout member. After Benjamin senior died in 1816, Isaac left following a second dispute. His friend Sharon Turner, a solicitor, argued that while Isaac could remain unaffiliated, it would harm the children not to have a formal religion. Turner became godfather when Benjamin was baptized at age twelve on 31 July 1817. This conversion allowed Disraeli to pursue a political career, as MPs were required to swear an oath "on the true faith of a Christian" until the Jews Relief Act of 1858. Whether he already had parliamentary ambitions at the time of his baptism is unknown.
- born
- 21 December 1804
- died
- 19 April 1881
- field
- Politics, writing
- nationality
- British
- known_for
- Two-time Prime Minister, creator of modern Conservative Party, one-nation conservatism
Lore & Background
Disraeli was born in Bloomsbury, at that time a part of Middlesex. His father left Judaism after a dispute at his synagogue; Benjamin became an Anglican at the age of 11. After several unsuccessful attempts, Disraeli entered the House of Commons in 1837. In 1846, Prime Minister Robert Peel split the party over his proposal to repeal the Corn Laws, which involved ending the tariff on imported grain. Disraeli clashed with Peel in the House of Commons, becoming a major figure in the party. When Lord Derby, the party leader, thrice formed governments in the 1850s and 1860s, Disraeli served as Chancellor of the Exchequer and Leader of the House of Commons. Upon Derby's retirement in 1868, Disraeli became prime minister briefly before losing that year's general election. He returned to the opposition before leading the party to a majority in the 1874 general election. He maintained a close friendship with Queen Victoria who, in 1876, elevated him to the peerage as Earl of Beaconsfield. Disraeli's second term was dominated by the Eastern question—the slow decay of the Ottoman Empire and the desire of other European powers, such as Russia, to gain at its expense. Disraeli arranged for the British to purchase a major interest in the Suez Canal Company in Egypt. In 1878, faced with Russian victories against the Ottomans, he worked at the Congress of Berlin to obtain peace in the Balkans at terms favourable to Britain and unfavourable to Russia, its longstanding enemy. This diplomatic victory established Disraeli as one of Europe's leading statesmen. World events thereafter moved against the Conservatives. Controversial wars in Afghanistan and South Africa undermined his public support. He angered farmers by refusing to reinstitute the Corn Laws in response to poor harvests and cheap imported grain. With Gladstone conducting a massive speaking campaign, the Liberals defeated Disraeli's Conservatives at the 1880 general election. In his final months, Disraeli led the Conservatives in opposition. Disraeli wrote novels throughout his career, beginning in 1826, and published his last completed novel, Endymion, shortly before he died at the age of 76.
Reader's Guide
Benjamin Disraeli was born on 21 December 1804 at 6 King's Road, Bedford Row, Bloomsbury, London, the second child and eldest son of Isaac D'Israeli and Maria (Miriam), née Basevi. The family was of Sephardic Jewish mercantile background. He also had some Ashkenazi Jewish ancestors. Following a quarrel in 1813 with the Bevis Marks Synagogue, his father renounced Judaism and had the four children baptised into the Church of England in July and August 1817. Benjamin was baptised, aged twelve, on 31 July 1817, but the source states he became an Anglican at the age of 11. Details of his schooling are sketchy. From the age of about six he was a day boy at a dame school in Islington. Two years later or so—the exact date has not been ascertained—he was sent as a boarder to Rev John Potticary's school at Blackheath. In November 1821, shortly before his seventeenth birthday, Disraeli was articled as a clerk to a firm of solicitors—Swain, Stevens, Maples, Pearse and Hunt—in the City of London. The year after joining Maples' firm, Benjamin changed his surname from D'Israeli to Disraeli. Disraeli toured Belgium and the Rhine Valley with his father in the summer of 1824. He later wrote that while travelling on the Rhine he decided to abandon his position: 'I determined when descending those magical waters that I would not be a lawyer.' On their return to England he left the solicitors.
Did You Know?
- Disraeli became an Anglican at age 11, not 12 as sometimes reported.
- He is the only British prime minister to have been born into a Jewish family.
- Disraeli arranged for the British to purchase a major interest in the Suez Canal Company in Egypt.
- He wrote novels throughout his career, beginning in 1826, and published his last completed novel, Endymion, shortly before he died.
Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)
"Cathedral High Mass. Clouds of incense and one of Mozart's sublimest masses by an orchestra before which San Carlo might grow pale. The effect inconceivably grand. The host raised, and I flung myself on the ground." — Benjamin Disraeli "[I]n speaking of Italy, romance has omitted for once to exaggerate." — Benjamin Disraeli "I declare that England, with all her imperfections, is worth all the world together, and I hope it is not misanthropy when I feel that I love lakes and mountains better than courts and cities, and trees better than men." — Benjamin Disraeli "I suppose, to use our national motto, something will turn up." — Benjamin Disraeli
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