Muhammad Ahmad al-Mahdi

Muhammad Ahmad publicly proclaimed himself the Mahdi, the Islamic redeemer, on June 29, 1881. He called for a jihad against Ottoman-Egyptian rule and British influence, gaining widespread support among Sudanese tribes.

Mahdist forces under Muhammad Ahmad defeated a 10,000-strong Egyptian army commanded by British officer William Hicks at El Obeid. The victory eliminated Egyptian military presence in Kordofan and established Mahdist control over central Sudan.

Mahdist forces besieged Khartoum from March 1884 to January 1885. The city fell on January 26, 1885, resulting in the death of British General Charles Gordon. This victory gave the Mahdi control over Sudan's capital and most of the country.

Following the fall of Khartoum, Muhammad Ahmad established a theocratic state with its capital at Omdurman. He implemented Islamic law, abolished taxes, and organized a centralized administration based on religious principles.