BATTLE // November 3, 1883
Battle of El Obeid
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Overview
The Battle of Shaykan was fought between Egyptian forces under the command of Hicks Pasha and the forces of Muhammad Ahmad, the self-proclaimed Mahdi, in the woods of Shaykan near Kashgil near the town of El-Obeid during 3–5 November 1883.
Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Significance
The destruction of Hicks Pasha's Egyptian force at Shaykan near El Obeid was a decisive blow to Egyptian authority in Sudan. Of the approximately 8,000 Egyptian troops engaged, around 7,000 became casualties, effectively annihilating the expeditionary column sent to suppress the Mahdist uprising. The defeat left the Mahdist State in control of much of Sudan's interior and demonstrated that Egyptian forces alone could not contain Muhammad Ahmad's movement. The scale of the loss accelerated British reconsideration of Egypt's position in Sudan and contributed directly to the crisis that would lead to the siege of Khartoum and Gordon's mission the following year.
Tactics
The battle was fought in wooded terrain at Shaykan near Kashgil, where the Mahdist forces of approximately 40,000 engaged the Egyptian column under Hicks Pasha over three days from 3 to 5 November 1883. The overview does not provide further detail on maneuvers, dispositions, or the sequence of fighting beyond the woodland setting.
Forces & casualties
Troop strength
- Mahdist State40,000medium
- Egypt8,000medium
Mahdist State fielded a 5.0 : 1 numerical advantage
Casualties
- Egypt7,000medium88% loss rate
Commanders (2)
Egypt
Hicks Pashacolonel
Mahdist State
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6 sibling battles · 3 factions