Kordofan

Kababish, Misseriya, Hawazma, Jawama'a, Hamar, Bederia, Dar Hamid, Shanabla, Baggara groups

Kordofan and the Mahdist Breakthrough

1881 CE – 1899 CE4 events

Kordofan was the decisive breakthrough zone of the Mahdist revolution. El Obeid, Shaykan, and the Nuba-Kordofan frontier turned a regional revolt into a state that could challenge Khartoum and the wider empire.

Key Events

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Battle of Jabal Qadir
1881 CE

Mahdi defeats larger Egyptian force; victory convinces thousands to join; momentum builds

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Mahdi Goes to Kordofan
1881 CE

Mahdi retreats to Nuba Mountains in Kordofan; movement grows rapidly among oppressed populations

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Siege of El Obeid
1882 CE

Mahdi besieges El Obeid, capital of Kordofan; city falls after months of starvation; thousands of deaths

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Hicks Expedition
1883 CE

British Colonel William Hicks leads 10,000 Egyptian troops into Kordofan; entire army annihilated at Shaykan; only 500 s...