In Sudan in 1882 Mohammed Ahmed proclaimed himself 'Mahdi,' a messaiha who would lead the moslems until the end of the world. Religous revolt spread across the Sudan. General Gordan was dispatched to help evacuate the Egyptian garrisons in the Sudan. In khartoum, Gordan and his force were surrounded and annihilated. The other forts in Sudan surrendered and a Mahdist victory was won. The Mahdi died and the Khalifa took over and placed the Sudan under his tyrannical rule.
In 1890 Major General Sir Horatio Kitchner came to the position of 'Sidar' of the Anglo-Egyptian army. He set about reforming the Egyptian army and preparing to invade the Sudan. He set up an elaborate plan of supply which called for troops to advance while rail lines were laid in back of them. With a combination of tracks and steam boats he would keep his lines open. By 1898 his plan was underway and he was advancing on the Khalifa's stronghold. The army camped on a large plain in and around the town of Agraipa on September first. Here the Devish forces were concentrated on the other side of the plain. The next day 50,000 Dervishs attacked, they advanced in great masses against Kithner's 20,000 man force. They were devided into three columns, one assaulted the town, one blocking the road to Omdurman(only 7 miles away) and the other sought to occupy the hights on the British right. The first attacking column was destroyed before Agraipa. The third,gained possesion of the hill, then under the command of the Khalifa himself, advanced as another Dervish devision under Ali Wad Helu also attacked. They hit the british center and their combined forces of 12,000 swooped down upon 3,000 Egyptians. British re-enforcments arrived and plugged up the gaps in the line. The English forces received the Dervishs with intense fire from their magazine rifles. when the smoke cleared, nearly 11,000 lay dead, 16,000 wounded and 4000 taken prisoner. A scant 387 lay wounded or deaed under England's banner. The army advanced and took Ombdurman and Khartoum.
The Khalifa was overthrown. Egypt and Britain agreed to joint rule of the recently captured Sudan. The Sudan would remain the Anglo-Egyptain Sudan until 1953. |
