Muhammad Ahmad

Muhammad Ahmad ibn as Sayyid Abd Allah (otherwise known as The Mahdi or Muhammad Ahmed Al Mahdi Arabic:محمد أحمد المهدي) (b. 12 August, 1845 - June 22, 1885) was a Muslim religious leader, in Sudan. Under his religious authority the divided clans of the Baggara and their subject Fur tribesmen were united into an aggressive alliance dedicated to establishing an Islamic Republic as the first step in the global Islamic state. Believing himself to be the long awaited Mahdi, Muhammad Ahmed Al Mahdi declared a jihad, raised an army, and led a successful religious war to topple the secular Ottoman-Egyptian-British military occupation. His principal opponent was the British general Charles George Gordon who was eventually killed after the fall of Khartoum. Without the religious certainty of Muhammad, Mahdism lost much of its momentum and never spread beyond the frontiers of Sudan. Seeking to avenge the massacre of Khartoum and the execution of General Gordon, the British launched another invasion which met the Mahdi's army at the gates of Khartoum and destroyed it at the battle of Omdurman in 1898. The state he founded was doomed to reconquest by the militarily superior British Empire. Image File history File links Muhammad_Ahmad_al-Mahdi. ... Image File history File links Muhammad_Ahmad_al-Mahdi. ... Arabic can mean: From or related to Arabia From or related to the Arabs The Arabic language; see also Arabic grammar The Arabic alphabet, used for expressing the languages of Arabic, Persian, Malay ( Jawi), Kurdish, Panjabi, Pashto, Sindhi and Urdu, among others. ... There is also a collection of Hadith called Sahih Muslim A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Persian: Mosalman or Mosalmon Urdu: مسلمان, Turkish: Müslüman, Albanian: Mysliman, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of the religion of Islam. ... The Baggara or Baqqarah (Arabic: البقارة) are a nomadic Bedouin people inhabiting Africa from between Lake Chad and the Nile, in the states of Sudan (particularly Darfur), Niger, Chad, Cameroon, Nigeria, and the Central African Republic. ... Flag of the Fur national movement The Fur (fòòrà in Fur, فور in Arabic) are a people of the western Sudan, numbering about 0. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Muhammad al-Mahdi. ... Flag used by Muslims Army during early Islam Jihad, sometimes spelled Jahad, Jehad, Jihaad, Jiaad, or Cihad, (Arabic: IPA: ) as an Islamic term, is sometimes referred to as the sixth pillar of Islam, although it occupies no official status as such in Sunni Islam. ... Chinese Gordon as Governor of Sudan Major-General Charles George Gordon, CB (28 January 1833 – 26 January 1885), known as Chinese Gordon, Gordon Pasha, and Gordon of Khartoum, was a British army officer and administrator. ... The Battle of Khartoum was fought in 1884 and 1885 between Sudanese Muslim forces and British forces. ... Combatants Great Britain Sudan Commanders Horatio Kitchener Abdullah al-Taashi Strength 8,000 British, 17,000 Sudanese and Egyptian 50,000 Casualties 48 dead 382 wounded Total: 430 10,000 dead 15,000 wounded 5,000 captured {{{notes}}} At the Battle of Omdurman (September 2, 1898) an army commanded by... The British Empire in 1897, marked in pink, the traditional colour for Imperial British dominions on maps. ...

Early life

Muhammad Ahmad, the Mahdi, was born in 1845 on Dirar Island off Dongola, the son of an indigent boat-builder and a member of a Sudanese Arabic family from Dongola. After moving to Khartoum, all of Muhammad's brothers entered the boatbuilding business, following their father. Muhammad instead focused on religious studies like his great-grandfather, a respected sharif. Dongola (also spelled Dunqulah or Dunqula and formerly sometimes known as Al Urdi) is the capital of the state of Northern in Sudan, on the banks of the Nile. ... Arabic can mean: From or related to Arabia From or related to the Arabs The Arabic language; see also Arabic grammar The Arabic alphabet, used for expressing the languages of Arabic, Persian, Malay ( Jawi), Kurdish, Panjabi, Pashto, Sindhi and Urdu, among others. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Sayyid. ...

Muhammad Ahmad learned the Qur'ān in Khartoum and Karari and later studied fiqh under Shaykh Muhammad Khayr. He was interested mostly in Sufi teachings. In 1861, he approached Shaykh Muhammad ash-Sharif, the leader of the Sammaniyya, to join his students and learn more about Sufism. When Shaykh Muhammad ash-Sharif realized Muhammad Ahmad's dedication, he appointed Muhammad Ahmad shaykh and permitted him to give tariqa and Uhūd to new followers. This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Nickname: Khartoums location in Sudan Coordinates: Government  - Governor Abdul Halim al Mutafi Population (2005)  - Urban Over 1 Million For other uses, see Khartoum (disambiguation). ... Karari is a town and a nagar panchayat in Kaushambi district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Sufism (Arabic تصوف taṣawwuf) is a system of esoteric philosophy commonly associated with Islam. ... Shaikh (Arabic: شيخ ),(also rendered as Sheik, Shaykh or Sheikh) is a word in the Arabic language meaning elder of tribe, lord or a revered old man. ... This article is in need of attention. ... view of Mt. ...

In 1871 his family moved again to Aba Island on the White Nile, where he built a mosque and started to teach the Qur'ān. He soon gained a notable reputation among the local population as an excellent speaker and mystic. The broad thrust of his teaching followed that of other reformers, his Islam was one devoted to the words of Muhammad and based on a return to the virtues of strict devotion, prayer and simplicity as laid down in the Qur'ān. Any deviation from the Qur'ān was therefore heresy. The White Nile is a river of Africa, one of the two main tributaries of the Nile, the other being the Blue Nile. ... Look up Heresy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Over the next ten years, Muhammad Ahmad travelled widely to Dongola, Kordofan and Sinnar. During his travels, he was struck by the hatred for the Ottoman-Egyptian rulers and found that as soon as anyone educated and well-spoken appeared, the local populations would declare him Mahdi "Saviour" and hope for deliverance. Kordofan is a former province of central Sudan. ... Sennar is a town on the Blue Nile in Sudan that is the capital of the state of Sennar. ... Motto دولت ابد مدت Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (The Eternal State) Anthem Ottoman imperial anthem Borders in 1680, see: list of territories Capital Söğüt (1299–1326) Bursa (1326–65) Edirne (1365–1453) Constantinople (Ä°stanbul, 1453–1922) Language(s) Ottoman Turkish Government Monarchy Sultans  - 1281–1326 Osman I  - 1918–22 Mehmed VI... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Muhammad al-Mahdi. ...

Muhammad Ahmad was joined on his travels by Abdallahi ibn Muhammad, a Baqqara tribesman from southern Darfur, whose organizational capabilities proved invaluable. On his return to Aba Island in 1881 Muhammad Ahmad proclaimed himself al-Mahdi al-Muntazar or "the Expected Saviour" and began raising an army. Muhammad Ahmad used a V-shaped gap in his teeth to prove he was the Mahdi. Abdullah Ibn-Mohammed or Abdullah et Taaisha ( 1846 – November 24, 1899), also known as The Khalifa was a Sudanese Dervish General and ruler. ... The Baggara or Baqqarah are a nomadic Bedouin people inhabiting the Darfur region of western Sudan and Chad. ... Darfur (Arabic: , lit. ...

In Egypt

An understanding of the British role in these events is important. By the middle 19th century the Ottoman Imperial subject administration in Egypt was in the hands of the Albanian born Khedive Ismail. Although not a competent or devoted leader, Khedive Ismail had grandiose schemes about Egypt. His spending had put Egypt into huge debt and when his financing of the the Suez Canal started to crumble, Great Britain stepped in and repaid his loans in return for controlling shares in the canal. As the canal took on a vast strategic importance as a control point for British trade with India, the need to ensure its security and stability became paramount. Thus, control of the canal required an ever increasing role in Egyptian affairs. With Khedive Ismail's spending and corruption causing instability, in 1873 the British government supported a program where an Anglo-French debt commission assumed responsibility for managing Egypt's fiscal affairs. This commission eventually forced Khedive Ismail to abdicate in favor of his son Tawfiq in 1877, leading to a period of political turmoil. Ismail Pasha, known as Ismail the Magnificent (December 31, 1830–March 2, 1895) was khedive of Egypt from 1863 until he was removed at the behest of the British in 1879. ... Suez Canal, seen from Earth orbit, NASA. Ships moored at El Ballah during transit The Suez Canal (Arabic: , transliteration: ), is a large artificial canal in Egypt west of the Sinai Peninsula. ... Ismail Pasha, known as Ismail the Magnificent (December 31, 1830–March 2, 1895) was khedive of Egypt from 1863 until he was removed at the behest of the British in 1879. ...

Ismail had appointed General Charles "Chinese" Gordon Governor of the Equatorial Provinces of Sudan in 1873. For the next three years, General Gordon fought against a native chieftain of Darfur, Zobeir, who had erected, on the basis of slave-traffic, a dangerous military power. Zobeir's organisation was eventually dismantled. Although unsuccessful at total pacification, Gordon was successful in limiting the power of the slave traders. Thus, he was made Governor-General of the Sudan in 1877. Soon after he arrived at his new post he started to end the slave trade, which at that point dominated the economy and was controlled by the tiny minority of Arabs. Before his arrival some 7 out of 8 blacks in the Sudan were enslaved by the tiny minority of Arabs; the native Africans formed well over 80% of the overall population. Gordon's policies were effective, but the effects on the economy were disastrous, and soon the Arab Social Ascendancy came to see this not a liberation from slavery, but a modern-day European Christian crusade and a threat to Muslim and Arab social dominance. It was this anger that fed the Ansars' ranks. Chinese Gordon as Governor of Sudan Major-General Charles George Gordon, CB (28 January 1833 – 26 January 1885), known as Chinese Gordon, Gordon Pasha, and Gordon of Khartoum, was a British army officer and administrator. ... Rhama Zobeir (born 1830), was an Egyptian pasha and Sudanese governor Zobeir came from the Gemaab section of the Jaalin, and was a member of a family that claims descent from the Koreish tribe through Abbas, uncle of Muhammad. ... This article is about the medieval crusades. ...

Upon Ismail's abdication Gordon found himself with dramatically decreased support. He eventually resigned his post in 1880, exhausted by years of work, and left early the next year. His policies were soon abandoned by the new governors, but the anger and discontent of the dominant Arab minority was left unaddressed.

Although the Egyptians were fearful of the deteriorating conditions, the British refused to get involved, "Her Majesty’s Government are in no way responsible for operations in the Sudan", the Foreign Secretary Earl Granville noted. The Earldom of Granville has been created twice: once in the Peerage of Great Britain and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. ...

The Rebellion

The Mahdist State (1881 - 1898)

Even after the Mahdi proclaimed a jihād or holy war against the secular Ottomans, British, and Egyptians in order to restore a fundamentalist Islam and prepare the way for the second coming of the Prophet Isa (Jesus), Muhammad Ahmad was dismissed as a religious fanatic. The government paid more attention when his religious zeal turned to denunciation of tax collectors. A military expedition was sent to reassert the government's authority on Aba Island, but the government's forces were ambushed and nearly annihilated by the Mahdi's followers. To avoid arrest, the Mahdi and a party of his followers, the Ansār "Helpers" (known in the West as "the Dervishes"), made a long march to Kurdufan. There he gained a large number of recruits, especially from the Baqqara. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (835x1044, 21 KB) Source: http://lcweb2. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (835x1044, 21 KB) Source: http://lcweb2. ... Flag used by Muslims Army during early Islam Jihad, sometimes spelled Jahad, Jehad, Jihaad, Jiaad, or Cihad, (Arabic: IPA: ) as an Islamic term, is sometimes referred to as the sixth pillar of Islam, although it occupies no official status as such in Sunni Islam. ... Look up Ottoman, ottoman in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The phrase Islamic fundamentalism is primarily used in the West to describe Islamist groups. ... This article is about Jesus of Nazareth. ... Ansar (Arabic: الأنصار, meaning aiders, or patrons) refer to a class of warriors who are renouned for there arsenal of weapons and the speed and mobility of there arabian horse. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Location of Kurdufan in Sudan Kurdufan (sometimes Kordofan) is a former province of central Sudan. ... The Baggara or Baqqarah are a nomadic Bedouin people inhabiting the Darfur region of western Sudan and Chad. ...

Muhammad Ahmad also wrote to many Sudanese tribal leaders and gained their support, or at least neutrality, and he was also supported by the slave traders who were looking to return to power. They were also joined by the Hadendoa Beja, who were rallied to the Mahdi by an Ansār captain, Osman Digna. Hadendoa (from Beja Hada, chief, and endowa, people) is the name of an East African nomadic tribe of Hamitic origin. ... The Beja people are an ethnic group dwelling parts of North-Eastern and Eastern Africa including the area of the Horn of Africa. ... Osman Digna Osman Digna (Arabic: عثمان دقنة )(c. ...

Late in 1883, the Ansār, armed only with spears and swords, overwhelmed an 4000-man Egyptian force not far from Al Ubayyid ("El Obeid"), and seized their rifles and ammunition. The Mahdi followed up this victory by laying siege to al-Ubayyid and starving it into submission after four months. The town remained the headquarters of the Ansar for much of the decade. Al-Ubayyid (also El Obeid) is the capital of the state of North Kurdufan in central Sudan. ...

The Ansār, now 40,000 strong, then defeated an 8000-man Egyptian relief force led by British officer William Hicks at Sheikan, in the battle of El Obeid. The defeat of Hicks sealed the fate of Darfur, which until then had been effectively defended by Rudolf Carl von Slatin. Jabal Qadir in the south was also taken. The western half of Sudan was now firmly in Ansārī hands. William Hicks (als known as Hicks Pascha, 1830 - 1883), British soldier, entered the Bombay army in 1849, and served through the Indian mutiny, being mentioned in despatches for good conduct at the action of Sitka Ghaut in 1859. ... The Battle of El Obied between Anglo-Egyptian forces under the command of Lietenant-General William Billy Hicks and forces of Mohammed Ahmed, the self-proclaimed Mahdi, on a plain near the town of Al Ubayyid (El Obied) on November 3rd-5th, 1883. ... Sir Rudolf Carl von Slatin (June 27, 1857 - 1932), Anglo-Austrian soldier and administrator in the Sudan, was born Ober St Veit near Vienna. ...

Their success emboldened the Hadendoa, who under the generalship of Osman Digna wiped out a smaller force of Egyptians under the command of Colonel Valentine Baker near the Red Sea port of Suakin. Major-General Gerald Graham was sent with a force of 4000 British soldiers and defeated Digna at El Teb on February 29th, but were themselves hard-hit two weeks later at Tamai. Graham eventually withdrew his forces. Hadendoa (from Beja Hada, chief, and endowa, people) is the name of an East African nomadic tribe of Hamitic origin. ... Osman Digna Osman Digna (Arabic: عثمان دقنة )(c. ... Valentine Baker (1827—1887), British soldier, was a younger brother of Sir Samuel Baker. ... Suakin is a port in north eastern Sudan, on the Red Sea. ... Photo submitted by Gerald Napier - (from the Royal Engineers Library with permission) Sir Gerald Graham, VC GCB GCMG (27 June 1831 - 17 December 1899) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded... The Battles of El Teb (February 4, 1884) and (February 29, 1884) took place during the British Sudan Campaign where a force of Sudanese under Osman Digna won a victory over an 3500 strong Egyptian force under the command of General Valentine Baker which was marching to relieve Tokar on... Combatants Great Britain Mahdist Sudan Commanders Sir Gerald Graham Osman Digna Strength 4,500 troops, 22 guns, 6 machine-guns 10,000 troops Casualties 120 killed 4,000 killed The Battle of Tamai(or Tamanieh) took place on March 13, 1884 between a British force under Sir Gerald Graham and...

Khartoum

Given their general lack of interest in the area, the British decided to abandon the Sudan in December 1883, holding only several northern towns and Red Sea ports, such as Khartoum, Kassala, Sannar, and Sawakin. The evacuation of Egyptian troops and officials and other foreigners from Sudan was assigned to General Gordon, who had been reappointed governor general with orders to return to Khartoum and organize a withdrawal of the Egyptian garrisons there. Nickname: Khartoums location in Sudan Coordinates: Government  - Governor Abdul Halim al Mutafi Population (2005)  - Urban Over 1 Million For other uses, see Khartoum (disambiguation). ... Kassala is the capital of the state of Kassala in northeastern Sudan. ... Sennar is a town on the Blue Nile in Sudan that is the capital of the state of Sennar. ... Suakin is a port in north eastern Sudan, on the Red Sea. ...

Gordon reached Khartoum in February 1884. At first he was greeted with jubilation as many of the tribes in the immediate area were at odds with the Mahdists. Transportation northward was still open and the telegraph lines intact. However, the uprising of the Beja soon after his arrival changed things considerably, reducing communications to runners.

Gordon considered the routes northward to be too dangerous to extricate the garrisons and so pressed for reinforcements to be sent from Cairo to help with the withdrawal. He also suggested that his old enemy Al-Zobeir Pasha Rahma, a fine military commander, be given tacit control of the Sudan in order to provide a counter to the Ansār. London rejected both proposals, and so Gordon prepared for a fight. Nickname: Egypt: Site of Cairo (top center) Coordinates: Government  - Governor Dr. Abdul Azim Wazir Area  - City 214 km²  (82. ... Rhama Zobeir (born 1830), was an Egyptian pasha and Sudanese governor Zobeir came from the Gemaab section of the Jaalin, and was a member of a family that claims descent from the Koreish tribe through Abbas, uncle of Muhammad. ...

In March 1884, Gordon tried a small offensive to clear the road northward to Egypt but a number of the officers in the Egyptian force went over to the enemy and their forces fled the field after firing a single salvo. This convinced him that he could carry out only defensive operations and he returned to Khartoum to construct defensive works.

By April 1884, Gordon had managed to evacuate some 2500 of the foreign population that were able to make the trek northwards. His mobile force under Colonel Stewart then returned to the city after repeated incidents where the 200 or so Egyptian forces under his command would turn and run at the slightest provocation.

That month the Ansār reached Khartoum and Gordon was completely cut off. Nevertheless, his defensive works, consisting mainly of mines, proved so frightening to the Ansār that they were unable to penetrate into the city. Stewart maintained a number of small skirmishes using gunboats on the Nile once the waters rose, and in August managed to recapture Berber for a short time. However, Stewart was killed soon after in another foray from Berber to Dongola, a fact Gordon only learned about in a letter from the Mahdi himself. “Minefield” redirects here. ... A gunboat is literally a boat carrying one or more guns. ...

Under increasing pressure from the public to support him, the British Government under Prime Minister Gladstone eventually ordered Lord Garnet Joseph Wolseley to relieve Gordon. He was already deployed in Egypt due to the attempted coup there earlier, and was able to form up a large force of infantry, moving forward at an extremely slow rate. Realizing they would take some time to arrive, Gordon pressed for him to send forward a "flying column" of camel-borne troops across the Bayyudah Desert from Wadi Halfa under the command of Brigadier-General Sir Herbert Stuart. This force was attacked by the Hadendoa Beja, or "Fuzzy Wuzzies", twice, first at the Battle of Abu Klea and two days later nearer Metemma. Twice the British square held and the Mahdists were repelled with heavy losses. Gladstone is the name of several places: Gladstone, Queensland, Australia Gladstone, South Australia, Australia Gladstone, Michigan, United States of America Gladstone, Missouri, USA Gladstone, New Jersey, USA Gladstone, Oregon, USA Gladstone, Virginia, USA William Ewart Gladstone was repeatedly the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from the 1860s through the... Field Marshal Lord Wolseley The Right Honourable Garnet Joseph Wolseley, 1st Viscount Wolseley (4 June 1833–25 March 1913) was a British Field Marshal. ... A Flying column, in military organization pre-dating World War I, is an independent corps of troops usually composed of all arms, to which a particular task is assigned. ... Wadi Halfa is a town in Northern State, Sudan, on the shores of Lake Nuba (the Sudanese section of Lake Nasser). ... Hadendoa (from Beja Hada, chief, and endowa, people) is the name of an East African nomadic tribe of Hamitic origin. ... The Beja people are an ethnic group dwelling parts of North-Eastern and Eastern Africa including the area of the Horn of Africa. ... The Fuzzy Wuzzies (Arabic Fazi Wazi) were 19th century warriors of the Sudanese Mahdi. ... Abu Klea is a halting-place for caravans in the Bayuda Desert of Sudan. ...

At Metemma, 100 miles north of Khartoum, Wolseley's advance guard met four of Gordon's steamers, sent down to provide speedy transport for the first relieving troops. They gave Wolseley a dispatch from Gordon claiming that the city was about to fall. However, only moments later a runner brought in a message claiming the city could hold out for a year. Deciding to believe the latter, the force stopped while they refit the steamers to hold more troops.

They finally arrived in Khartoum on 28 January 1885 to find the town had fallen during the Battle of Khartoum two days earlier. When the Nile had receded from flood stage, Faraz Pasha had treacherously opened the river gates and let the Ansār in. The garrison was slaughtered, and Gordon was killed fighting the Mahdi's warriors on the steps of the palace, hacked to pieces and beheaded. When Gordon's head was unwrapped at the Mahdi's feet, he ordered the head transfixed between the branches of a tree "....where all who passed it could look in disdain, children could throw stones at it and the hawks of the desert could sweep and circle above." When Wolseley's force arrived, they retreated after attempting to force their way to the center of the town on ships, being met with a hail of fire. The Battle of Khartoum was fought in 1884 and 1885 between Sudanese Muslim forces and British forces. ... The Nile (Arabic: , transliteration: , Ancient Egyptian iteru, Coptic piaro or phiaro) is a major north-flowing river in Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world. ...

The Mahdi Army continued its sweep of victories. Kassala and Sannar fell soon after and by the end of 1885 the Ansār had begun to move into the southern regions of Sudan. In all Sudan, only Suakin, reinforced by Indian troops, and Wadi Halfa on the northern frontier remained in Anglo-Egyptian hands. Kassala is the capital of the state of Kassala in northeastern Sudan. ... Sennar is a town on the Blue Nile in Sudan that is the capital of the state of Sennar. ... Suakin is a port in north eastern Sudan, on the Red Sea. ... Wadi Halfa is a town in Northern State, Sudan, on the shores of Lake Nuba (the Sudanese section of Lake Nasser). ...

The Mahdiyah

With Sudan now in Sudanese hands, the Mahdi formed a government. The Mahdiyya (Mahdist regime) imposed traditional Islamic laws which would be implemented by Islamic courts headed by various Islamic imams, in accordance with the view of a barely articulated Islamic Republic. The new Sharia courts enforced Islamic law and the Mahdi's own commands. He also authorized the burning of lists of pedigrees and books of law and theology because of their association with the old regime and because he believed that they accentuated tribalism at the expense of religious unity. Sharia (Arabic: transliteration: ) is the body of Islamic law. ...

In accordance with Islamic dogma The Mahdi modified Islam's five pillars to support the doctrine that loyalty to him was essential to true belief. The Mahdi also added the declaration and Muhammad Ahmad is the Mahdi of God and the representative of His Prophet to the recitation of the shahada. Moreover, service in the jihād replaced the hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) as a duty incumbent on the faithful. Zakat (almsgiving) became the tax paid to the state. The Mahdi justified these reforms as responses to instructions conveyed to him by God in visions. There is also a town called Shāhāda, which is now in Nandurbār district (formerly in Dhule district) in the northwest corner of Maharashtra state in India. ... Flag used by Muslims Army during early Islam Jihad, sometimes spelled Jahad, Jehad, Jihaad, Jiaad, or Cihad, (Arabic: IPA: ) as an Islamic term, is sometimes referred to as the sixth pillar of Islam, although it occupies no official status as such in Sunni Islam. ... The Hajj (Arabic: , transliteration: ; Turkish: ; Ottoman Turkish: حاج, Hāc; Malay: , Bosnian: ) is the Pilgrimage to Mecca in Islam. ... This article needs additional references or sources to facilitate its verification. ... This is a sub-article of Islamic economical jurisprudence. ...

Six months after the capture of Khartoum, Muhammad Ahmad died of typhus. The Mahdi had planned for this eventuality and chosen three deputies to replace him, in emulation of the Prophet Muhammad. This led to a long period of disarray, due to rivalry among the three, each supported by people of his native region. This continued until 1891, when Abdallahi ibn Muhammad, with the help primarily of the Baqqara Arabs, emerged as unchallenged leader. Abdallahi, referred to as the Khalifa (Caliph, lit. "successor"), purged the Mahdiyya of members of the Mahdi's family and many of his early religious disciples. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Epidemic typhus. ... Muhammad in a new genre of Islamic calligraphy started in the 17th century by Hafiz Osman. ... Abdullah Ibn-Mohammed or Abdullah et Taaisha ( 1846 – November 24, 1899), also known as The Khalifa was a Sudanese Dervish General and ruler. ... The Baggara or Baqqarah are a nomadic Bedouin people inhabiting the Darfur region of western Sudan and Chad. ... Omdurman, Sudan. ...

The Khalifa was committed to the Mahdi's vision of extending the Mahdiyah through jihād, which led to strained relations with practically everyone else. For example, the Khalifa rejected an offer of an alliance against the Europeans by Ethiopia's Emperor, Yohannes IV. Instead, in 1887 a 60,000-man Ansar army invaded Ethiopia, penetrated as far as Gonder, and captured prisoners and booty. The Khalifa then refused to conclude peace with Ethiopia. The Emperor (Geez ንጉሠ ነገሥት, , King of Kings) of Ethiopia was the hereditary ruler of Ethiopia until the abolition of the monarchy in 1975. ... Emperor Yohannes IV (c. ... 1887 (MDCCCLXXXVII) is a common year starting on Saturday (click on link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. ... Ansar (Arabic: الأنصار, meaning aiders, or patrons) refer to a class of warriors who are renouned for there arsenal of weapons and the speed and mobility of there arabian horse. ... Gondar (less commonly spelled Gonder) was the old imperial capital of Ethiopia located in Beghemidir province. ...

In March 1889, an Ethiopian force commanded personally by the Nəgusa nagast (Emperor, lit. "King of Kings") marched on Gallabat; however, after Yohannes IV fell in battle, the Ethiopians withdrew. Gallabat is a village in the Sudanese state of Al Qadarif. ...

ˤAbd ar-Raħmān an-Nujumī, the Khalifa's best general, invaded Egypt in 1889, but British-led Egyptian troops defeated the Ansār at Tushkah, the first battle the Mahdiyya lost. Further attacks into Equatoria were stopped by the Belgians and in 1893 the Italians repulsed an Ansār attack at Akordat (in Eritrea) and forced them to withdraw from Ethiopia. Combatants  United Kingdom  Egypt Mahdist Sudan Commanders Francis Grenfell Wad el Nujumi† Strength 6,000 Casualties Light 1,200 dead, 4,000 captured The battle of Toski(Tushkah) took place in Egypt between the Anglo-Egyptian forces and the Mahdist Sudanese. ... Location of Equatoria province in Sudan Equatoria (Al-Istiwaiyah in Arabic) THE OTTOMAN - TURKEY GAVE THE NAME TO REPLACE LADO , began as a province of Egypt, located in the extreme south of present-day Sudan along the upper reaches of the White Nile. ...

The Return of the British

Muhammad Ahmad's Grave in Omdourman

By this point British interest in the area was once again growing, due to the interest of the French and Belgians in nearby areas. As each of these forces moved up the Nile, the British felt they required a presence in the Sudan in order to validate their claims to it via Egypt's annexation. In 1892 Field Marshal Horatio Kitchener had been promoted to the post of commander in Egypt, and in 1895 they started plans for the re-conquest of the Sudan. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1200x1600, 133 KB) from German Wikipedia, user de:Benutzer:Viaorange, under PD, with description: Beschreibung: Grab des Mahdi in Omdurman, Sudan selbst fotographiert (self-made) Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Sudan Metadata This file contains additional... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1200x1600, 133 KB) from German Wikipedia, user de:Benutzer:Viaorange, under PD, with description: Beschreibung: Grab des Mahdi in Omdurman, Sudan selbst fotographiert (self-made) Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Sudan Metadata This file contains additional... Horatio Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener of Khartoum (June 24, 1850 - June 5, 1916) was a British Field Marshal and statesman. ...

Kitchener's forces, the Anglo-Egyptian Nile Expeditionary Force, consisted of 25,800 men including 8,600 British regulars, artillery, and a flotilla of river gunboats. They reached and fortified Wadi Halfa in 1895, and started south at a very slow pace the next March. In September Kitchener captured Dongola, and constructed rail lines from Wadi Halfa to Abu Hamad with an extension to Barbar to transport troops and supplies. After small battles at Abu Hamad and Atbara where both times the Ansar were defeated by the massive English firepower which now included Maxim machine guns, there was little resistance. Kitchener then marched on Omdurman. Artillery with Gabion fortification Cannons on display at Fort Point Continental Artillery crew from the American Revolution Firing of an 18-pound gun, Louis-Philippe Crepin, (1772 – 1851) A forge-welded Iron Cannon in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. ... A flotilla (from Spanish, meaning a flota of small ships, and this from French flotte), or naval flotilla, is a formation of small warships that may be part of a larger fleet. ... A gunboat is literally a boat carrying one or more guns. ... Wadi Halfa is a town in Northern State, Sudan, on the shores of Lake Nuba (the Sudanese section of Lake Nasser). ... Dongola (also spelled Dunqulah or Dunqula and formerly sometimes known as Al Urdi) is the capital of the state of Northern in Sudan, on the banks of the Nile. ... Abu Hamad is a town of Sudan on the right bank of the Nile, 345 mi by rail north of Khartoum. ... Berber may refer to: A member of the Berber people Berber languages of the Afroasiatic family Berber, Sudan, a town on the Nile A type of Carpet Category: ... Abu Hamad is a town of Sudan on the right bank of the Nile, 345 mi by rail north of Khartoum. ... Combatants  United Kingdom  Egypt Mahdist Sudan Commanders Horatio Herbert Kitchener Mahmud Osman Digna Strength 14,000 troops 12,000 infantry 3,000 cavalry Casualties British: 26 killed 99 wounded Egyptian: 57 killed 386 wounded 3,000 killed and wounded 2,000 captured The Battle of Atbara was a part of... An early Maxim gun in operation with the Royal Navy 1895 . ... Omdurman is in northern Sudan (upper center). ...

On 2 September 1898, the battle of Omdurman opened with a frontal assault by the Mahdiyya's 52,000-man army. Over the next five hours, some 11,000 Mahdiyya forces would be killed, while the Anglo-Egyptian forces sustained only 48 dead and about 400 wounded. The Mahdiyya ended at this point and the British once again took control of the Sudan. Muhammad Ahmad's tomb was destroyed and his bones thrown into the Nile. Kitchener retained his skull.^[1] The tomb was later rebuilt. Combatants Great Britain Sudan Commanders Horatio Kitchener Abdullah al-Taashi Strength 8,000 British, 17,000 Sudanese and Egyptian 50,000 Casualties 48 dead 382 wounded Total: 430 10,000 dead 15,000 wounded 5,000 captured {{{notes}}} At the Battle of Omdurman (September 2, 1898) an army commanded by...

The Khalifa escaped to Kurdufan and reformed an army, but this was defeated in November 1899 at the battle of Umm Diwaykarat and the Khalifa was killed, effectively marking the end of the Mahdi Army although mopping up operations continued for several years. Location of Kurdufan in Sudan Kurdufan (sometimes Kordofan) is a former province of central Sudan. ... The Battle of Umm Diwaykarat on November 24, 1899 marked the final obliteration of Muhammad Ahmads short-lived Sudanese empire, when Anglo-Egyptian forces under the command of Lord Kitchener wiped out what was left of the Mahdist armies under the command of the Abdallahi ibn Muhammad, known as...

During their short reign, the Mahdiyya had destroyed the Sudanese economy and about half of the population died due to famine, disease, persecution and warfare. Their efforts to wipe out the former tribal differences left few loyalties intact, and internecine warfare was common. In general the country welcomed the fall of the Mahdiyya.^[2]. This historical period made a great impression on the British public, leading to several books, such as "The Four Feathers" which was made into several movies, as well as the movie "Khartoum". To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require restructuring. ... Charlton Heston (right) as Gordon with Richard Johnson (left) as Colonel J.D.H. Stewart Khartoum is a 1966 film written by Robert Ardrey and directed by Basil Dearden. ...

Political heritage

In modern-day Sudan, Muhammad Ahmad is sometimes seen as a precursor of Sudanese nationalism. The Umma party claim to be his political descendants^[3]. Their leader Imam Sadiq al-Mahdi, is also the imam of the Ansar, the religious order that pledges allegiance to Muhammad Ahmad. Sadiq al-Mahdi was Prime Minister of Sudan on two occasions: first briefly in 1966-67, and then between 1986 and 1989. The Umma Party (Arabic: حزب الأمة Hizb al-Umma, translated into English as Nation Party) is a secular islamic centrist political party in Sudan. ... Sadiq al Mahdi became Prime Minister of Sudan in 1986, when he formed a coalition government comprised of the Umma party (which he led); the National Islamic Front (led by his brother-in-law, Hassan al-Turabi); the Democratic Unionist Party; and four small Southern parties. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Also, the black colour on the Sudanese flag represents the Mahdi. Flag ratio: 1:2 Former flag (1956-1970) The flag of Sudan was adopted on May 20, 1970, and consists of a red-white-black tricolor with a green triangle next to the hoist. ...

Trivia

In the 1966 movie Khartoum (film), the Mahdi was played by Laurence Olivier. 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ... Nickname: Khartoums location in Sudan Coordinates: Government  - Governor Abdul Halim al Mutafi Population (2005)  - Urban Over 1 Million For other uses, see Khartoum (disambiguation). ... Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM (22 May 1907–11 July 1989) was an Academy Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA and four-time Emmy winning English actor, director, and producer. ...

A 2007 episode of the crime drama Waking the Dead featured an attempt to locate the Mahdi's missing skull, in order to diffuse tensions due to the hunger strike of a Sudanese Mahdist politician. For the L.A. Guns album, see Waking the Dead (album). ... A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt or to achieve a goal such as a policy change. ...

According to the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, the Wolf of Kabul - from the Hotspur comic - once fought the Mad Mahdi. Promotional still for The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is a comic book series written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Kevin ONeill, published under the Americas Best Comics imprint of DC Comics. ... Henry Percy was the name of several nobles in the line that produced the earls of Northumberland. ...

See also

• People claiming to be the Mahdi
• Fuzzy Wuzzies (the Hadendoa Mahdists)
• In Desert and Wilderness

Many people through history have claimed to be the Mahdi, a messianic figure expected in Islam. ... The Fuzzy Wuzzies (Arabic Fazi Wazi) were 19th century warriors of the Sudanese Mahdi. ... In Desert and Wilderness (W pustyni i w puszczy) is a popular novel for young people by Polish author Henryk Sienkiewicz, written in 1912. ...

References

1. ^ [http://marty-center.uchicago.edu/webforum/052004/commentary.shtml "Undoing the Mahdiyya: British Colonialism as Religious Reform in the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, 1898-1914" 1 by Noah Salomon (University of Chicago Divinity School)]
2. ^ US Library of Congress, A Country Study: Sudan
3. ^ Ummah party official website

Bibliography

• David Levering Lewis, "Khalifa, Khedive, and Kitchener" in The Race for Fashoda. New York: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1987. ISBN 1-55584-058-2
• Winston Churchill, "The River War: An Account Of The Reconquest Of The Sudan", 1902, available at Project Gutenberg.
• THE MAHDIYAH, 1884-98, at the Library of Congress-Country Studies[1]

Literature

• Dr. Mohamed H. Fadlalla, Short History of Sudan, iUniverse, 30 April 2004, ISBN 100595314252
• Dr. Mohamed Hassan Fadlalla, The Problem of Dar Fur, iUniverse, Inc. (July 21, 2005), ISBN-13: 978-0595365029
• Dr. Mohamed Hassan Fadlalla, , UN Intervention in Dar Fur, iUniverse, Inc. (February 9, 2007), ISBN 0595429793