The Sudan under the Mahdi

In 1881 a Sudanese Muslim holy man named Mohammed Ahmed declared himself the Messiah of Islam, the "Mahdi."

Mohammed Ahmed was the son of a boatbuilder from Dongola. When he was very young, his family moved to a village near Khartoum. He became devoted to his religion, studied hard to learn everything he could about it, and became a religious teacher.

When he grew up, Mohammed became convinced that the Egyptians were not loyal to Islam, so he began to preach sermons about driving them out of the Sudan. Many people believed in him and he raised an army of revolt. He ordered his army to attack the Egyptians, and defeated them easily in every battle. After seeing his success, many people believed that he had performed miracles, so his army grew.

After conquering most of the Sudan, the Mahdi attacked the capital, Khartoum. The siege of Khartoum began in March, 1884. The Egyptian troops, under the command of British General C.G. Gordon, managed to fight off the Mahdi's army for 10 long months. Finally, the city fell in January 1885. General Gordon, his men, and most of the city's inhabitants were killed.

	Photograph of British General Charles G. Gordon in his uniform as Governor-General of the Sudan. When the Mahdi's forces cut off Khartoum and surrounded it, Gordon successfully defended the city for ten months. Eventually, in January, 1885, the Mahdi's troops overran the city and Gordon was killed.
	Photo: courtesy of Lew Eatherton

The Mahdi declared himself the ruler of the Sudan. He only ruled a short time, though, dying only 5 months later (probably of typhus). Before he died, the Mahdi chose the Khalifa Abdullahi to rule the Sudan in his place. The Khalifa moved the capital across the river to Omdurman and ruled from there for the next thirteen years. This period in Sudanese history is known as the "Mahdiya."

Sketch of the Mahdi's attack on the British army sent to try to rescue General Gordon in Khartoum, January, 1885. The battle took place at the Abu Klea wells in the Bayuda Desert.

Drawing by Captain Willoughby Vernor, in Sketches in the Soudan. London: 1886.

	Photograph of an officer in the Mahdist army of the Khalifa Abdullahi, captured by the British at the Battle of Toshka in Lower Nubia, 1889. He wears the unique patched costume of the Mahdi's followers. Known as the jibba, it was meant to symbolize one's devotion to God and the Mahdi as the Messiah of God.
	Photo: Major F. R. Wingate.

Battle flag of the Mahdi's forces. The Arabic inscription reads: "Oh Allah! Oh Merciful! Oh Compassionate! Oh Living! Oh Unchanging! Oh Lord of Majesty and Liberality! There is no God but Allah, and Mohammed is the Prophet of Allah. Mohammed the Mahdi is the Successor of the Prophet of Allah. Upon him be Blessings and Peace of Allah!.

Photo: T. Kendall.

War drum used by the Mahdi's forces.

Photo: T. Kendall.