TIMELINE OF... MAHDIST WAR

Muhammad Ahmad transforms Sudan into a militant Islamic state and directly clashes with Egyptian and European colonial armies

29 June 1881

THE 'GUIDED ONE'

Sudanese anger against the religious and economic policies of Ottoman-Egyptian officials leads a Muslim cleric called Muhammad Ahmad to proclaim himself the 'Mahdi' ('Guided One') - the promised redeemer of the Islamic world.

His 'Mahdist' followers revolt against the Egyptians.

12 August 1881

BATTLE OF ABA 01

The first battle of the war sees the Mahdists defeat Egyptian soldiers who have landed on Aba Island on the River Nile south of Khartoum. The Mahdi himself is wounded but his force only loses 12 men compared to 120 Egyptian dead.

July - September 1882

ANGLOEGYPTIAN WAR 02

The British occupy Egypt to firmly establish their interests in the region, particularly to protect control of the Suez Canal. This de-facto occupation (known as the 'veiled protectorate') drags Britain into the Egyptians' war against the Mahdists.

3-5 November 1883

BATTLE OF SHAYKAN 03

Mohammad Ahmed leads approximately 40,000 Mahdist warriors to victory against an Anglo-Egyptian force commanded by Colonel William Hicks. Seven-thousand soldiers of Hicks' 11,000-strong army (including Hicks) are killed, with a further 2,000 captured.

13 March 1884

BATTLE OF TAMAI 04

A British force of 4,500 men commanded by Sir Gerald Graham defeats 10,000 Mahdists led by Osman Digna. After displaying the "utmost steadiness" during a desperate hand-to-hand battle, the British inflict 4,000 casualties on the Mahdists.