The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1883-12-20
THE FALSE PROPHET.
The New Ruler Of the Soudan. His
People and the War with
Egypt:

out in February last by the Egyp
tan government to suppress the in
surrection in the Soudan, which
was led by Ell Mahdi, the False
Prophet. The Arabs had flocked
to the standard of the prophet from
all quarters, and there was grave
danger that the Soudan would be
wrested from Egypt by the follow
ers of Ell Mahdi. Gen. Hicks pushed
up the White Nile to Khartoum
and on April % he had an engage
ment with the prophet, defeating
him, and killing 500 of his men.
He followed up his victory by
pushing forward after the re
treating rebels and during the sum
mer succeeded in clearing the en-
tire province of SEMINAR of the in
surgents, and forcing Ell Mahdi to
retreat into Kordofan, where he raj
lied around him, as reported, nearly
100000 fanatics, who believed fully
in his claims to be the successor
of Mohammed and expected to see
his enemies swept away by the di-
vine army, as he assured them they
would be. Hicks Pasha, in the
meantime, having forced Seminar to
return to its allegiance to Egypt,
went back to Khartoum to await
reinforcements before pushing on to
attack the prophet in his strong
hold in Kordofan.
Five years ago the Arab chief
now known as Ell Mahdi, who was
petty prince of the tribes below
Kordofan, withdrew himself from
his followers and became a hermit,
thus seeking to involve his very ex-
istence in mystery. This proceed
ing at once increased his fame.
From Zaonia to Zaouia of the Sen
oussia, and consequently from
Mecca to Morocco, the attention of
the faithful was assiduously called
to the following prophecy:
''On the 1st of the month of Ma
harrem, in the year 1900 (Novem-
Der II, 1882, will appear Ell Mahdi
or Messiah. He will be exactly
forty years of age, and of noble
bearing. One arm will be longer
than the other His fathers
name will be Mohammed and his
mothers name Fatima, and he will
be hidden for a time prior to his
manifestation.
Ell Nahdi's father was the found
er of a sect of semi-religious fra
ternities which seem destined to
cover the whole of North Africa
with a web of Moslem Freemasonry.
His name was Mohammed, and per-
sons who have seen the younger
say that his right hand reached as
far as his knee, thus fulfilling all
the requirments of the prophecy.
Ell Mahdi came forth from his re
tirement and stationed himself on
the Island of Abba. During the
next ten months repeated attempts
were made to arrest the false proph
ct, but owing to bad management
and the employment cf insufficient
forces, always wiGh the same result
complete failure. During this
time the Egyptians have lost at
one place or another 1900 men and
an equal number of rifles. Find
ing that the insurrection was spread
ing rapidly it was at length judged
to make serious effort.
Accordingly, in the beginning of
June, 1882, Yusef Pasha left FS-
shoda at the head of 4, 400 men,
with four mountain guns and a
rocket, for Ghepel Gadir, where
Acmet was then resid-
ing. On the way he met the rebels,
and thanks to his neglect of the
most elementary rules of warfare,
he was completely defeated, with |
the loss of $500 men and all his
guns. OF the 500 men who escaped |
at the time the greater part were
captured and sold in
to slavery. City after city capitu
lated to the false prophet, the
greatest of his successes being the
capture of FL Obeid.
When Ell Mahdi, the false proph-
ct, appeared in the Soudan, an
nouncing his divine mission after
the fashion Of Mohammed, trav
elers in that country we're a unit in
their belief that the
campaign of Sir Garnet
Wolseley would be child's play |
with the religious
iprising in the valley of the White
Nile. The reasons for this belief
we're very simple; and they have
been justified by the overwhelm
ing defeat of Hicks Pasha. The |
and restlessness among
The Arab tribes date back many
years, and may be said to have be
gun when Khartoum was founded |
by Mohammed Ali as military
post; and being at the confluence of
the Blue and White Niles, was a |
strategic point commanding the wa
ter courses to Central Africa This |
city, the largest in Nothern Central
Africa, contains a mixed population !
of 10000, embracing as goddess a
set of ruffians of all shades of col
or, moral and physical, as were ev-
er brought together.
Khartoum became not only the
capital of the slave trade, but was
also the penal colony where murder
ers, highwaymeD and every species
of scoundrels-Turkish, Frank,
Arab and native-were
permitted to roam at will, and OBJ
tain high place in the government.
The region now in successful re-
bellion extends from the first cata-
ract of the Nile, in about latitude
90 degrees, to the equator. This
whole region of northern and east
ern Africa, with the exception of
is nothing but desert,
by. mountain ranges, al
though there are lofty hills on the
camel route from Berber to Suakim.
The only cultivation is found on the
banks of the Main Nile, the Blue
and White Niles and the Atabora,
all making up the grand Nile sys-
tenn.