Abd al-Rahman al-Mahdi

Sayyid Abd al-Rahman al-Mahdi KBE
Sayyid Abd al-Rahman al-Mahdi with Winston Churchill, Downing Street (October 1952)
Imam of the Ansar
In office 1885–1959
Preceded by	Muhammad Ahmad bin Abd Allah
Succeeded by	Sayyid al-Saddiq al-Mahdi
1st Prime Minister of Sudan
In office 22 October 1952 – November 1953
Preceded by	Office Established
Succeeded by	Ismail al-Azhari
Personal details
Born	15 July 1885 Omdurman, Mahdist Sudan
Died	1959 (aged 74) Omdurman, Sudan
Nationality	Sudanese
Profession	Politician
Religion	Islam

Sayyid Abd al-Rahman al-Mahdi, KBE (Arabic: عبد الرحمن المهدي‎‎) (1885–1959) was one of the leading religious and political figures during the colonial era in the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan (1898–1955), and continued to exert great authority as leader of the Neo-Mahdists after Sudan became independent. The British tried to exploit his influence over the Sudanese people while at the same time profoundly distrusting his motives. Throughout most of the colonial era of the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan the British saw Sayyid Abd al-Rahman al-Mahdi as important as a moderate leader of the Mahdists. However, the British would not support him in his ambition to become King of Sudan when the country gained independence.

Abd al-Rahman was the posthumous son of Muhammad Ahmad bin Abd Allah, who had proclaimed himself the Mahdi or messianic redeemer of the Islamic faith in 1881, and died in 1885 a few months after his forces had captured Khartoum. A joint British and Egyptian force recaptured Sudan in 1898. At first, the British severely restricted Abd al-Rahman's movement and activity. However, he soon emerged as the Sayyid (leader) of the Ansar religious sect, supporters of the Mahdist movement.

Abd al-Rahman helped the British to retain Sudanese support during the First World War, when they were opposed to the Turkish Empire, despite his being a Muslim leader. He lent his support again during a crisis in 1924 when there were anti-British riots in Egypt and the British Governor-General of the Sudan was assassinated. Meanwhile, he grew wealthy from cotton production, for which his supporters provided labor, and influential among the intelligentsia. The British administration distrusted him. When Governor General Sir Geoffrey Archer paid a formal and friendly visit to Abd al-Rahman in March 1926, Archer was dismissed and Abd al-Rahman was placed under travel restriction.

In the 1930s Abd al-Rahman spoke out against a treaty between Egypt and Britain that recognized Egyptian claims of sovereignty in Sudan, although no Sudanese had been consulted, travelling to London to make his case. His Ansar followers became an influential faction in the General Congress established in 1938, and in the successor Advisory Council set up in 1944. Abd al-Rahman was patron of the nationalist Ummah (Nation) political Party in the period before and just after Sudan became independent in 1956. In 1958 the Umma party won the most seats in the first parliamentary elections after independence. In November 1958 the army staged a coup, which Abd al-Rahman supported. He died shortly afterwards.