(a.) DARFUR, KORDOFAN, AND DAR FERTIT.
The flame of the Mahdi’s rebellion quickly reached Darfur in 1882, and the prophet lost no time in attacking the Government posts, which were at that time, it will be remembered, under Slatin Bey. Madibbo, the insurgent Sheikh of the Rizeigat, attacked and occupied Shakka in July, but on following up his success was met by Slatin at Injeleila, near Dara, and was twice heavily beaten by him. Slatin then retired to El Fasher to concentrate, and succeeded in repulsing the enemy from Um Shanga.
Early in 1883 a message was sent to Slatin from Khartoum, ordering him to nominate a local Sultan as King of Darfur, and to retire on Dongola viâ Kaja. The tide of Mahdism gradually flooded Darfur, in spite of Slatin’s gallant efforts to stem it. He fought 27 battles in various parts of his province, but his own troops by degrees fell away from him, themselves infected with the new faith. After certain proof had been adduced of the disaster to Hicks’s expedition, the last remnant of loyalty flickered out from Slatin’s troops, Surrender of Slatin.and the Bey found himself obliged to surrender at Dara in December. He was sent to El Obeid, under the name of the Abd el Gader, and thence to Omdurman, where he remained a prisoner until his escape in 1895.
Zogal made Emir.Zogal,[181] formerly Mudir of Dara, was now appointed Dervish Emir of the province. His first act was to take El Fasher, a garrison of 1,000 men and 10 guns, still holding out under Said Bey Guma, and, this accomplished[182] (15th January, 1884), he devoted his time to reducing Jebel Marra, where the loyal hill population gave him considerable trouble.
On the death of the Mahdi in June, 1885, Madibbo and his Rizeigat revolted against the authority of the Khalifa. Karamalla, Emir of Bahr el Ghazal, thereupon advanced against him and defeated him. Madibbo fled to the Beni Helba Arabs, who protected him, but he was eventually caught, taken to El Obeid, and executed.
Zogal had several times been suspected of too great independence, and he was often summoned to Omdurman. At first he refused, but in the end he went, and was imprisoned on his arrival, being liberated shortly afterwards. He did not return to Darfur until after the defeat of the Khalifa at Omdurman.
Yusef, Emir of Darfur.Sultan Yusef succeeded him as Emir of Darfur, but on Karamalla and Katambura (Waterbuck), the latter being Karamalla’s trusted General, raiding from Bahr el Ghazal into Darfur territory, Yusef protested strongly, and the quarrel developed rapidly into war.
1887.In May, 1887, Zayid, the temporary ruler of Jebel Marra and former slave of Sultan Mohammed Fadl, came to Yusef’s assistance, and beat Katambura, with great slaughter, near El Taweisha. Karamalla then withdrew to Injeleila, entrenched himself there, and sent to Omdurman for reinforcements. Osman wad Adam (Ganu), sent to his assistance with a large force, reached Shakka, encountered the Darfurians near Dara, and forced them back (26th December). A second battle was even more disastrous, for Osman Ganu routed Zayid completely and entered El Fasher. Death of Yusef and Zayid.The two Sultans fled to the hills, but were shortly killed. Hereupon the brothers of Yusef appealed to the Sultan of Wadai for help against Osman. The Sultan applied to the Senussi for advice; but the Sheikh refused to interest himself in the matter unless he were attacked by the Mahdists, so the Sultan of Wadai declined. 1888. Abu Gemmeiza.The Darfur chiefs, however, found a ready ally in the shape of Abu Gemmeiza, Sheikh of the Masalat tribe, and the rising against the Mahdists began to swell in numbers. Wild rumours spread over the Sudan of the advent to power of a great Anti-Mahdi, but although the latter destroyed nearly half of Osman Adam’s force (October, 1888) at Kebkebia, his forces were themselves destroyed in a fierce battle fought close to El Fasher on the 1889.22nd February, 1889. Abu Gemmeiza died next day, and the movement, which had at one time threatened to assume immense proportions expired by itself. Thus for some time to come the Dervish power was again supreme in Darfur.
During these years Kordofan had been, more from necessity than from choice, passively Mahdist, and submitted peacefully to the Dervish yoke.