Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-03-21
Ell MAHDI.
The M0hammedan Messiah,s History
and Description.

ShftStidu AuNOcdlc
The Mahdi's name is Mohammed
Achmet. He is native of the Pro
vince of Dongola, fortified town on
the Nile, between the third and fourth
cataracts, and bordering upon the
great Nubian Desert He is said to be
of pure Arab blood, and this is for
tanate for him, since none but an Arab
could ever hope to impose a prophetic
authority upon Islam. His grand
father was Moslem priest. His father,
Abdullah, was carpenter. Early in
to place called Shindi. not far from
Berber. Here young Achmet was ap
prenticed to his uncle, a boatman.
This uncle having one day beaten him,
the boy ran away to Khartoum, where
ne entered free school kept by a
fakir Learned man, head of sect of
dervishes) Achmet studied hard, and
especially absorbed himself in learn
ing the doctrines of Mohammedanism,
as taught by the Sheik of the Shrine
of Hoghali He then removed to a
similar school near Berber. attached
to another shrine much reverenced by
the natives. After passing some time
at this and other schools, Achmet was
himself ordained as sheik, at vii
lage called Aradup, in the year 1870,
and he at once took up his abode in
this sacred capacity on the island of
Abba, in the White Nile.
1t was at Abba that Achmet entered
upon those practices, and began, no
doubt, to prepare himself for that
mission which has since attracted to
him the allegiance of such formidable
numbers of Mohammedans. He exca-
waited a deep cave on the island, and
made it habit to retire, for prayer
and contemplation, into its darkest
recesses. There he would repeat. for
hours together, one of the names of
the Deity, which exercises were &C
companied by fasting, the burning of
incense, and attitudes of abject humili
ty. His renOwn as a man of sanity
character spread far and WIDE. He
grew rich on the offerings of the pious,
aud married several wives, being al
ways careful to choose them in in
fuential and wealthy Arab families.
At last, in the year 1881, he openly
announced himself to be the Mahdi
foretold by Mohammet, and whose adj
vent had been predicted for that very
year.
Those who have seen this remark
able man, who seems yet destined TO
play stormy, if not conquering,
part in the history of Eastern super
stition, describe him as tall, slim,
straight. with the true Arab creamy
complexion, black hair cut close to
the scull, and beard descending to a
point, after the Arab fashion. His
eyes are dark and piercing, one eye
being black and the other brown. His
manner is stern, serious and often
absent and distraught, as if in deep
contemplation. He is very reticent,
giving his orders in few words, and
evidently alert in all his proceedings.
He maintains rigldly his devotional
exercises, and at each crisis of action
processes to hold communication with
Allah, from whom he derives the in
spiration to guide him to successful
issue. But in battle he is said to become
true Oriental warrior, klndlIng to
an intense ardor, and becoming
savagcly intoxicated by the din and
fury of the conflict. His latter opera
tions indicate, indeed, that he is sol
der of no mean order, and that he
well understands the conditions of
warfare in the desert regions and diff
cult steppes of the Soudan He seems
to have maintained wonderful eff
cheney of organization among the
semi-barbarians who so enthusiastic
ally follow his standard, aHd to have
Of
of the most unpromising of materials.
His exploits have made him, for the
time at least, the absolute master of
the Soudan, and he now advances to
yet more audacious conquests. Such
is the man who has cast his shadow
over Constantinople itself, and whose
name is ringing in the ears of the Mo
hammedans of three continents.