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History of Mahdist Sudan

Mahdist State
الدولة المهدية
Al-Dawla al-Mahdiyah
Unrecognized state
1885–1899
Extreme limits of Mahdist-controlled territory (1891)
Capital Omdurman
Languages Arabic and other languages of Sudan
Religion Messianic Islam
Government Islamic state
Mahdi
 •  1881–1885 Muhammad Ahmad
Khalifa
 •  1885–1899 Abdallahi ibn Muhammad
Legislature State Council (advisory)
Historical era Scramble for Africa
 •  Mahdist revolt 1881–1885
 •  Fall of Khartoum 26 January 1885
 •  Sudan Convention 18 January 1899
 •  Battle of Umm Diwaykarat 24 November 1899
Population
 •  Pre-Mahdist est. 7,000,000 
 •  Post-Mahdist est. 2,000,000–3,000,000 
Currency Legal tender:
Riyal maqbul (silver)
De facto currencies:
Ottoman riyal majidi, Spanish dollar, Maria Theresa thaler
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Khedivate of Egypt
Anglo-Egyptian Sudan
Today part of  Sudan
 South Sudan
 Ethiopia
 Eritrea
 Uganda
 Democratic Republic of the Congo

Mahdist Sudan was an unrecognized state that attempted unsuccessfully to break Egyptian rule in the Sudan. Developments in Sudan during the late 19th century were heavily influenced by the British position in Egypt. In 1869, the Suez Canal opened and quickly became Britain's economic lifeline to India and the Far East. To defend this waterway, Britain sought a greater role in Egyptian affairs. In 1873, the British government therefore supported a programme whereby 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 more politically acceptable son, Tawfiq (1877–1892).

After the removal in 1877 of Ismail, who had appointed him to the post, Charles George Gordon resigned as governor general of Sudan in 1880. His successors lacked direction from Cairo and feared the political turmoil that had engulfed Egypt. As a result, they failed to continue the policies Gordon had put in place. The illegal slave trade revived, although not enough to satisfy the merchants whom Gordon had put out of business. The Sudanese army suffered from a lack of resources, and unemployed soldiers from disbanded units troubled garrison towns. Tax collectors arbitrarily increased taxation.

In this troubled atmosphere, Muhammad Ahmad ibn as Sayyid Abd Allah, a fakir, or holy man, who combined personal magnetism with religious zealotry, emerged, determined to expel the Turks and restore Islam to its primitive purity. The son of a Dongola boatbuilder, Muhammad Ahmad had become the disciple of Muhammad ash Sharif, the head of the Sammaniyah order. Later, as a sheikh of the order, Muhammad Ahmad spent several years in seclusion and gained a reputation as a mystic and teacher. In 1880, he became a Sammaniyah.

In 1881, Muhammad Ahmad proclaimed himself the Mahdi or expected one. Some of his most dedicated followers regarded him as directly inspired by Allah. He wanted Muslims to reclaim the Quran and hadith as the foundational sources of Islam, creating a just society. Specifically relating to Sudan, he claimed its poverty was a virtue and denounced worldly wealth and luxury. For Muhammad Ahmad, Egypt was an example of wealth leading to impious behavior.


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