Muhammad Ahmad, a Sudanese religious leader, proclaimed himself the Mahdi, a savior figure in Islamic eschatology, in 1881. He initiated a rebellion against the ruling Turco-Egyptian government, known as the Mahdist War, driven by a desire for religious purification and political independence. The Mahdist forces, fueled by religious fervor and Ahmad's charismatic leadership, achieved early successes, capturing Khartoum and killing the British general Charles George Gordon in 1885. However, their扩张 was eventually halted by British and Egyptian forces in 1898 at the Battle of Omdurman, resulting in the collapse of the Mahdist state and the death of Ahmad. The Mahdist War significantly impacted Sudan's history, shaping its political and religious landscape, and remains a subject of historical and cultural significance in the region.
