Siege of Khartoum

Overview

The siege of Khartoum took place from 13 March 1884 to 26 January 1885. Sudanese Mahdist forces captured the city of Khartoum, Sudan, from its Egyptian garrison, thereby gaining control over the whole of Turco-Egyptian Sudan.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The siege of Khartoum lasted from March 1884 to January 1885, ending with Mahdist forces under Muhammad Ahmad capturing the city from Charles Gordon's Egyptian garrison. The fall of Khartoum delivered control of the whole of Turco-Egyptian Sudan to the Mahdist State, representing the decisive territorial consolidation of the Mahdist movement in the region. The Egyptian garrison of roughly 7,000 was entirely lost. The outcome effectively ended Egyptian administrative authority over Sudan and marked the Mahdist State's emergence as the dominant power across the territory, a position it would hold for over a decade until the later stages of the Mahdist War.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (2)