The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-11-24
THE FALSE PROPHET.
Sketch of the Career of Mohammed Achmet
''The Blood-Drinker"

Sketch of the Career of Mohammed Achmet,
| 'The Blood-Drinker."
| Mohammed Achmet the False Prophet of the
| Soudan, is the product at once of an intense re-
!igious fanaticism and an oppressive system
of government. His aim is thus religious ami
political, while his religious pretensions are
probably assumed only as a means to gain po-
| htical end. He has posed as savior Of the peo-
| pie at time when Moslem fanaticism has be-
come greatly revived, and when the country was
ripe for an insurrection. The worst element of a
discontented and naturally turbulent population
have gathered around him. Circumstances have
favored him in the Soudan. After again and
| again defeating the troops sent against him, he
| is at last complete master of the situation.
| Egypt has for the present, at least, nearly lost
| her hardly-wOn possessions in the Soudan,
which, if they ever belong to her again, or if
| they are even again opened to commerce, or to
any civilizing and religious influence, must be
reconguered with large army and much eX-
penditure of life and money.
The False Prophet was born in the region of
DongOla, on the western bank of the Nile, here
II makes great bend He was poor man, a
| carpenter and boat-builder by trade He first
came into nOtoriety on the island Of Abbas, Ritu-
ated about 200 miles south of Khartoum. Here,
| after the fashion of the fakirs and the holy men,
| he withdrew from society and devoted himself
| to prayer and meditation. He soon had large
| following, and proclaimed himself the expected
| letters all over the country announcing himself
| and his mission. He was recognized at once as
| a leader. While many of the more intelligent
Moslems repudated him. others, moved both by
| religious and political motives, and who, above
| all, hoped that he would allow them some way to
escape the payment of their taxes, flOcked
around his standard He was secretly encour-
| aged and abetted by enemies of the govern
| ment residing at Khartoum. His presence
in so commanding a position on the Nile
| soon became obnoxious to the authorities
| at KhartOum, and an expedition was organized
i n 6rnh m A nf MAJ -
| the regular army was sent against him the
| island. These men were badly managed, and
| although they were armed with the best make
| of Remins ton rifles, while Mohammed Achmet
and his band had only their spears, they were
killed one after the other as fast they landed,
! till not one of the 120 was left Not shot was
| fired II was a slaughter like tho sticking OF SO
many pigs. The steamer with its crew and one
| or two officers escaped back to Khartoum with
| the news.
| OF course, after This exploit Mohammed
| Achmet knew that it would not do for him with
| his present forces to remain where he was He
| therefore gathered together all his following
men, women and children, cattle and provisions
crossed the Nile to the west bank, and fled to
| wild mountain called Gebel Gedir, 200 miles
| southwest of the Island of Abbas and about
ninety miles northwest of the penal colony and
military station of Fashoda Here, in an easily
defended and almost inaccessible mountain, he
| took up his abode. The Baggara Arabs
| now began to flock to his standard in
| great numbers This large tribe is noted
| for It's restless awless, unruly spirit. The Bag
garas were the former slave-hunters of the
of the old times of murder and bloodshed were
not wanting. The present, at least, was an OPP
portunity that suited them, and they determined
| to take advantage of it.
A war of conquest began, which has lasted,
| with several intermissions and with varying for
| tunes, to the present day. The armies sent out
| against the Pretender met defeat occasionally
| or achieved victories. In the summer and fall
of last year hOstllities were at their llVeliest,
| KhartOum and Ell Obeid, the chief points at the
| seat of the war, were held now by the Egyptian
| troops and then again by the rebels; taken by
/ 1o,x flnn a1,na
| in and around the strongly-fortified place, two
| brothers of the Prophet among them. Up to
that time the total losses of the rebels were al
| ready estimated at 10000. Since that time,
| though, Ell Mahdi again collected his forces,
| and, with innumerable additions from
all parts of Mohammedan Africa he has waged
| anew fierce and relentless war against all the
armies sent to destroy him and his followers, 1t
has been calculated that during the last few
| years he has destroyed over 1000 villages and
| has sold nearly $4,000 human beings to the only
| toO-ready purchasers who always frequent the
| African coast of the Red sea with their dhOws,
| which they load with the men, women and chill
| dren which they buy.
| BY his ferocity aud greed for slaughter he has
| gained the name of the "Blood-drinker."
| Mohammed Achmet is now almost complete
| master OF the Egyptian Soudan- He is flushed
| with victory. He is at the head of an immense
horde of fierce fanatcal, and bood-thirsty Arabs.
True, their method OF warfare is primitive. They
even beat the rifles they have taken into lances;
but the impetuous charge of the Arab horsemen
| armed with only these weapons is rather demOr-
aliZng to Unframed army. Egypt is in no
cOnquering the Soudan. Unless it is reconquered
| and the False Prophet subdued that vast region
must for some time to come remain closed to the
outside world.