The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-02-28

Island of Matt Arti (Arti is Dongolawi for 'isl-
and.") This island lies east of and opposite Or
di, the native name for the Capital of Dongola
His father was Abdullahi, by trade carpenter.
In 1852 this man left and went to Shindi. atown
on the Nile south of Berber. At that time his
family consisted Of three sons and one daughter.
called respectively Mahomed, Hamid, Mahomet
Achmet lthe Mahdi), and Nur el-Sham hight
of Syria). At Shindi another son was born
called Abdullah. AS boy. Mahomet Achmet
was apprenticed to Sheriff eddeen, his uncle q
boat-builder, residing at Shakabeh, an island
opposite SEMINAR. Having one day received
beating from his uncle, he ran away to hhar.
toum and joined the free school or 'Medressu"
of faki learned man, head of sect of der
vishes), who resided at Hoghali, village east
Of and close to Khartoum. This school is at
tached to the tomb of Sheik Hoghali the patron
saint of khartoum, and who is greatly revered
by the inhabitants of that town and district
1.-THE sheik of this tomb or shrine, although he
keeps free school and feeds the poor, derives
very handsome revenue from the gifts OF the
pious He claims to be descendant OF the
original Hoghali, and through him of Mahomet. |
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 writing
After a time he left and went
to Berber where he Joined another free school
kept by a Sheik Ghubush, at a village of that
name, situated nearly opposite to Mekherref
(Berber). This school is also attached to a
shrine greatly venerated by the natives. Here
Mahomet Achmet remained six months, COM
pleting his religious education. Thence he went
to Aradup (Tamarind Tree) village, south of
Kama. Here, in 1870, he became disciple of
another faki-Sheik Nur el-Daim Continuous
Light Nur-el-Daim subsequently, ordained him
sheik or faki, and he then left to take up his
home in the island Of Abba near Kama, on the
White Nile. Here he began by making subter-
ranean excavation (khaliva-retreat) into which
he made practice of retreating to repeat for
hours one of the names of the Deity, and this
accompanied by fasting, incense-burning and
prayers. His fame and sanctity by degrees
spread far and wide, and Mahomet Achmet be-
came wealthy, collected disciples and married
several wives all Of whom he was careful to
select from among the daughters of the most in
fuential Baggara sheiks (Baggara-tribes own
ing cattle and horses) and other notables. To
keep within the iegalized number -four he was
in the habit of divorcing the surplus and taking
them on again, according to his fancy. About
the end of May 1884, he began to write to his
brother faks (religiouS chiefS, and to teach that
he was the Mahdi foretold by Mahomet, and that
he had divine mission to reform Islam, to es-
tabllsh universal equality, a universal law, a
universal religion and community of goods
('beyt uimal"l; also that all who did not believe
in him should be destroyed, be they Christian,
Mohammedan or pagan. Among others he wrote
to Mahomet Saleh, very learned and influential
faki OF Dongola, directing him to collect his
dervishes (followers) ard friends and to join him
at Abba. This sheik, instead of complying with
his request, informed the government, declaring
the man must be mad. This information, along
with that collected from other quarters, alarmed
his Excellency Reouf Pasha, and the result was
the expedition of Aug. 3, 1881. In person the
Mahdi is tall, slim, with black beard and light
brown complexion. Like most Dongolawis, he
reads and writes with difficulty He is local
head of the Gheelan or Kadrige order of
dervishes, school originated by Abdul Kader-
elGhulami, whose tomb is, believe, at Bagdad.
Judging from his conduct of affairs and policy,
should say he had considerable natural ability
The manner in which he has managed to merge
tie usually discordant tribes together denotes
great tact He had probably been preparing the
movement for some time back.