Sword of the Prophet

the long version

"At dawn on 26 January 1885, an army of Sudanese Islamic revolutionaries entered Khartoum determined to oust the 'infidel' occupiers from their country. This revolution, which led to the first independent Sudanese state, is famous in the west for the death of General Gordon - whose head was cut off and hung in the marketplace. But who was the charismatic spiritual leader at the heart of the revolt? This new book looks at the events leading up to the revolution from the viewpoint of the Mahdi of Sudan, the man who seemingly came from nowhere to lead his people to victory." "Muhammad Ahmed, the son of a humble boat-builder, became the single most influential personality in the history of modern Sudan. The revered sheikh of a Sufi sect by the age of twenty-six, he travelled widely thoughout the county and was appalled by the oppression levied on his countrymen by their Ottoman conquerors. The mandate of occupation was brutally commercial - to acquire slaves and taxes - corruption and extortion were widespread, and the time was ripe for rebellion. Muhammad Ahmed's denunciation of Sudan's colonial rulers and his proclamation that he was al-Mahdi al-Muntazar - the long-awaited last prophet - had unexpected and far-reaching repercussions. Thousands flocked to his banner, and in less than four years his army had sounded the death knell for the entire Ottoman occupation. Yet, unwittingly, the Mahdi had made a new and formidable enemy - Britain. In the scramble for Africa the British had 'acquired' strategically placed Egypt, forcing them to address the problem of the Mahdi's army, which was advancing on Khartoum. They sent Gordon to defend the city." "In this biography, Fergus Nicoll presents for the first time the full story of the Mahdi - the religious leader who roused a nation; the generous enemy who offered General Gordon safe passage to Britain; and the boat-builder's son who claimed to be the divinely chosen 'last prophet'."--BOOK JACKET.