TYPES OE SUDANESE SOLDIERS—THE RAW MATERIAL.
Death of the Mahdi.Meanwhile the Mahdi had died of typhus fever on the 22nd June. On proclaiming himself Mahdi he had nominated four Khalifas to succeed him in order, and had also sketched out a broad plan for the invasion of Egypt.
The Khalifas.The first of the Khalifas, Abdalla Ibn el Sayid Hamadalla el Taaishi, a Baggara of the Taaisha tribe (as his name implies), succeeded the Mahdi, and consolidated his position by tyranny, cunning, and crime.
TYPES OF SUDANESE SOLDIERS—THE FINISHED ARTICLE.
The second Khalifa, Ali wad Helu, was a Sheikh of the Degheim and Kenana Arabs.[170] He was fanatical and religious, but his quarrels with Abdalla did not dispose him in his favour.
The third Khalifaship, which was offered to and refused by the Sheikh el Senussi, was filled[171] by one Adam wad el Wazir, but appears to have lapsed. The fourth Khalifa was Mohammed el Sherif, son-in-law of the Mahdi. His men having been mostly killed under Wad el Nejumi, at Toski (1889), he was thereafter often imprisoned by Abdalla, and was of comparatively small account. He was, however, considered to be, strictly speaking, next in succession to Abdulla.
1886.During 1886 the frontier of Egypt was withdrawn to Wadi Halfa, and the enemy, checked but not daunted by the fight at Ginnis, worried and raided, and tore up the railway to their hearts’ content. Numerous small skirmishes occurred, but no serious fighting was destined to take place for another three years.
Although the Khalifa was anxious to carry out at once his plans for the invasion of Egypt, he was prevented by three causes: firstly, a revolt in Darfur and Kordofan (v. [p. 255]); secondly, attacks by the Abyssinians (v. [p. 258]); thirdly, attacks by the Kababish.