Siege of Khartoum Ends

Date: January 26, 1885 • Location: Khartoum, Sudan

This milestone marked the outbreak and beginning of this historic period, which spanned 1881–1899.

Mahdist War: The siege of Khartoum ended as Mahdist forces defeated the Egyptian garrison and captured the city.

The Mahdist War was fought between the Mahdist Sudanese, led by Muhammad Ahmad bin Abdullah, who had proclaimed himself the "Mahdi" of Islam, and the forces of the Khedivate of Egypt, initially, and later the forces of Britain. After four years, the Mahdist rebels overthrew the Ottoman-Egyptian administration with the fall of Khartoum and gained control over Sudan. The Mahdist State launched several unsuccessful invasions of their neighbours, expanding the scale of the conflict to also include the Italian Empire, the Congo Free State and the Ethiopian Empire. They also faced significant internal rebellion, and a major famine.