Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1885-03-05
THE MAHDI.
Biographical Sketch of the Man who Is
Causing England So Much Trou lie

Causing England So Much Trou ile.
The following account or the Mahdi was
drawn up by the late Lieut.. Col Stewart, who
was killed at Merawi on his way down the Nile
Mahomet Achmet, the Mahdi, is Qongolawi,
or native Of the Province of Dongola His
grandfather was called Fahil, and lived on the
Island of Matt Arti ArI is Dongolawi for
"island"). This island lies east of and opposite
Ordi, the native name for the capital OF Dom
COLA. His father was Abdullahi, by trade car
penter. In 1852 this man lett and went to
Shindi. town on the Nile south of Berber.
. At that time his family consisted of three
sons and one daughter, called respect
lively Mahomed, Hamid, Mahomet Achmet
1.-THE MahdD, and Nur-el-Sham Light of
syrial. At shindi another, son was born
called Abdullah. As a boy Mahomet Achmet
was apprenticed to Sherif-en- deem, his uncle,
boat n, residing at Shakabeh, an island OPP
posite SEMINAR. Having one day received
beating from his uncle, he ran away to Khartoum
and joined the free school or "Medressu" of
faki Learned man, head of a sect OF dervishes),
who resided at Hoghali, a village east of and
close to Khartoum. This school is attached TO
the tomb of Sheik Hoghali. the patron saint OF
Khartoum. and who Is greatly revered by the
inhabitants OF that town and district The
sheik OF this tomb or shrine. although he keeps
a free school and feeds the POOR derives n very
handsome revenue from the gifts of the pious.
original Hoghali, and through him OF Ma
homet.l Here he remained for some time
studying religion, the tenets OF his Sheik, etc,
but did not make much progress in the more
worldly accomplishments of reading and writ
ing. After time he left and went to Berber
where he joined another free school kept by a
Sheik Ghubush ut village of that name situ-
ated nearly opposite to Mekherref Berberl.
This school IL also attached to a shrine greatly
venerated by the natives. Here M4homet Ach-
met remained six months. completing his re-
ligious education. Thence he went to Aradup
lTamarind Tree village, south OF Kama. Here in
1870 he became a disciple of another faki---
Sheik Nur-el-Datm Continuous Light.
Nur.el-Daim subsequently ordained him
q Sheik or fsh, and H. then left TO
take mp his home In the Island of Abba,
near Kana, on the White Milo. Here he began
by making n subterranean excavation (khaliya
-retreatl into which he made practice OF re-
firing to repeat for hours one of the names Of
the Diety. and this accompanied by fasting, in
concentrating, End prayers. His fame and
sanctity by degrees spread far and wide, and
Mahomet Achmet became wealthy, collected
disciples, and married several wives, all of whom
he was careful to select from among the daugli-
ters OF the most influential Baggara Sheiks
CBaggara-trlbes owning cattle and horses)
and other notables. To keep within the
lecalized number -four he was in the
habit of divorcng the surplus and taking
them on again according 10 his fancy,
gan TO write TO his brother fakis (rcllgious
foretOld by Mahomet and that ne had divine
mission TO reform Islam, 70 establish universal
equality a universal law, universal religion,
and community OF goods i"beyt- uI -mal"). also
that all who did not b slieve In him should be
destroyed. be thoy Christian. Mohammedan. or
pagan. Among others he wrote to Mahomet
Saleh, very learned and influential faki OF
Dongola, directing him TO collect HIS ilervishes
followersD and friends ana 70 join him at Abba