THE SIEGE OF KHARTOUM

While the Mahdi was making his moves in Sudan, the British were exerting their control over Egypt following the Anglo-Egyptian War of 1882

After Egypt amassed huge debts to European banks and a nationalist uprising led by Ahmed Urabi flared up and threatened Imperial control in the region, the British government decided to act: first with a naval bombardment of Alexandria then a full-scale invasion. Urabi was defeated by British forces under Garnet Wolseley at the Battle of Tell El Kebir in September 1882.

The British initially had little interest in events in Sudan and left the matter to the ruling Khedive. As Michael Asher writes: "[Lord] Baring [the British consul-general of Egypt] did not find the policy of abandoning the Sudan a hard pill to swallow... he felt that the key to success was financial solvency. Jettisoning the vast deserts and swamps to the south would be an immense blow to Egypt's pride, but a great asset to her exchequer."

London urged Egypt to evacuate its troops from Sudan. The Egyptians agreed and appointed General Charles Gordon to oversee matters (Gordon had previously served as governor-general of Sudan from 1876 to 1879.) Unfortunately for London, Gordon had different ideas and saw the Mahdists as something to be defeated rather than appeased.