Although the defeat of Arabi was complete, another and much more serious
danger to Egyptian civilisation soon after arose in the Soudan. An Arab
of Dongola, a Moslem fanatic, who had been accepted by many of the Arabs
as the Mahdi or prophet, the expected Messiah of Islam, had, as far back
as 1881, resisted and defeated the Egyptian forces, and during 1882, by
repeated successes, had largely increased his power and the number of
his adherents. In 1883 serious preparations were made by the Egyptian
Government for a campaign against these rebels; and in August an army of
over 10,000 men of all arms was collected and despatched against the
Mahdi under the command of Colonel Hicks, a retired Indian officer, and
at this time a Pasha in the Egyptian service; and with him were many
other English officers. For some weeks nothing was heard in lower Egypt
of the expedition, but at last news reached Khartoum that the whole
force had become entangled in a defile in which an ambuscade had been
prepared by the enemy, and that after three days' fighting, the
ammunition being exhausted, the army had been annihilated by the
superior numbers of the Mahdi's followers. In this awful slaughter
there fell with Hicks Pasha, the Governor of the Soudan, and more than
1000 officers; while all the guns, munitions of war, and transport
animals fell into the hands of the Mahdi.
This and other victories of the Mahdi and his lieutenants added greatly
to his prestige as prophet, and to the number of his fanatic followers,
who now overran the whole of the Soudan. The British Government urged
upon the Egyptian Ministry the necessity of relieving the various
invested garrisons, and withdrawing from the country without delay. To
this plan the Egyptians reluctantly agreed, but they found themselves
unable to accomplish it. The British Government then applied to General
Gordon, who had formerly acted as Governor-General of the Soudan, and
who had more influence over the Arabs than any other European, to
undertake the task of the evacuation of Khartoum, the civil population
of which was about 11,000, an operation which, as they could only hope
to retire by the Nile, would require months of preparation. General
Gordon set out at once for his post, and, reaching Cairo on the 24th
January 1884, left for Khartoum on the 26th, with General Stewart as his
sole companion. Travelling up the Nile, these two reached Korosko on
1st February, and then mounting camels rode for six days across the
desert, and eventually reached Khartoum on 16th February, where they
were hailed with the greatest enthusiasm by the people. At first all
seemed well, the country was fairly quiet, and Gordon hoped to be able
to send the garrison back, and indeed did send in safety some 2500
widows and children to Korosko, but events soon occurred which destroyed
all hopes of a peaceful retreat.
After the defeat of Hicks Pasha, Baker Pasha, another quondam British
officer, had been collecting a force of Egyptians at Suakin, and while
Gordon was still on the road to Khartoum came into contact with the
Mahdi's men. Baker's force consisted of some 3000 or 4000 Egyptians,
who proved of such miserable quality that at the first attack of the
enemy they were seized by wild panic, and notwithstanding the heroic
effort and example of their European officers, could not be prevailed
upon to stand, but broke and fled in all directions, followed by the
relentless Mahdists, who massacred them without pity, 2300 men being
slaughtered like sheep, and with no more show of resistance, in fifteen
minutes. Nearly all the European officers were killed fighting, and
only a few, among whom was Colonel Baker, succeeded in cutting their way
through, and returning to Suakin. Soon after this disaster Sincat fell;
its gallant garrison, under Tewfik Pasha, refusing to surrender, blew up
the forts, and then marched out and fell fighting to the last; and Tokar
also fell into the Mahdists' hands, its garrison agreeing to terms of
surrender, thus leaving Osman Digna, the Mahdist leader, free to attack
Suakin itself.