The Portland daily press., 1897-10-02
hat quarter, and hence the military op-

revival of religion. A religious revival
thing from the same article among Chris
tiens. The first symptom of religion in
white man is shown by his making
peace with those whom be hates; the first
sign of religious awakening with a Mo
hammedan is manifested by his trying to
kill somebody whom he hated before, and
by the spread Of his hatred in new direc
tions In 1881 Mohammed Ahmed, an ex-
slave dealer Of Dongola, announced him
self as the Mahdi, or Messiah foretold by
Mohammedan prophets, and headed an
instruction against the Anglo. Egyptian
authority. His rebellion came at time
when Egypt was in confusion owing to
domestic disturbances excited by polltl-
cal leaders, and troops could not be
spared for the suppression of the Mahdist
movement. 1t, therefore, spread until 1t
nnaily covered most of the Upper Nile
Valley and the Anglo Egyptian forces
were restricted to a few fortified towns.
FINALLY, realizing the seriousness of the
rebellion, English and Egyptian troops
were forwarded and active operations
began. Then came the war with varying
successes OF both sides, but the total de
struction of the army of Hicks Pacha,
over eleven Thousand men being slain or
taken, the fall of Khartoum and the
death OF Gordon, convinced the English
that further attempts at that time would
result in useless sacrifice of life, SO Sou
dan and Equatoria were given up, and
the empire of the Mahdi was established.
The success Of the Mahdi was due to
the fanaticism with which he was able
to inspire his men. While the negroes
form the majority of the population in
this district, they are not the dominant
race, the African Arabs composing the
ruling class. As ignorant as the blacks,
whom in many respects they greatly re-
semble, they are far more warlike. AL
ways fanatical, their fanaticism is fire.
quently excited to madness by the
harangues of half-crazy dervish. Their
Mohamlnedanism is mixed with many
pagan rites, and their feasts are cele-
gesticulation, which makes them reseIn-
BILE mob of madmen. At the Bairman,
or great feast Of the Mohammedan year,
the celebrants appear like mob of luna
tics, number jumping in the air, clash
ing their swords against their shields,
When thus excited by religious frenzy
they fear nothing. As was shown dur
ing the war of 1882, they rush to certain
death without a thought of the conse-
quences, relying on the promises of their
preachers that if successful they will have
booty, if they fall Paradise is theirs.
The religious spirit was at its height
among them during the war, and al
though absolutely devoid of discipline
being merely a mob of crazy fanatics. by
sheer force of numbers they repeatedly
broke the EBritish squares and finally
triumphed, compelling the British TO re-
treat.
The Mahdi did not long survive his
success, dying in 1885, few weeks after
the assassination of Gordon and the cap
oulCJ ny ulOdSiClyS VI AAAoA ooAA11s AAAo
successor, Kalipha Abdullah, a kinsman,
resigned in his stead, and the despotism
of this savage Arab soon brought about
revulsion of feeling among his followers.
The accounts given of his wanton cruelty
recall the tales told by ancient histor-
ians of the Persian kings. He butohered
from mere love of slaughter. Men were
put to death from whim, from caprice.
for reasons entirely inadequate, for no
reason at all but the fact that the Kali
pha happened to be in a bad humor. A
year ago, when Firket was taken by the
English, special messenger was dis
patched to the Kalipha with the intelli-
gence He ordered the messenger to be
crucif1ed. In one Of his provinces Their 9
was some trouble about taxation. A force
the population was exterminated. In
another province dissatisfaction was re-
ported. He ordered sixty of the leading
men to come to Obdurman, his capital,
just across the river from Khartoum.
They came, not anticipating any serious
trouble. Twenty OF them were hanged,
twenty were beheaded and the remainder
had the right hand and the left foot cut
off, and in this terrible plight were al
lowed to go home, to bear the news of
the manner in which the Kalipha pun
ished characterization. No wonder there
were instructions against the Mahdi's
successor, and If the latest intelligence
from Khartoum and Obdurman be relia-
BILE, the empire Of the Mahdi is now
practically in state of disintegration.
The death Of the Mahdi dispelled the
hope of the fanatics that he was to be the
conqueror of the earth, and the Kalipha
has never been able to inspire among his
followers the religious enthusiasm that
was aroused by his predecessor.
The fact, however, that the Mahdists
were in state OF dissension did not sig
Nifty that the Anglo Egyptian army
would not have bloody work before it ere
Khartoum and Kassala were taken.
Sleeping fanaticism may readily be
reused by the presence Of an enemy. The
commanders of previous expeditions made
the grave mistake, in several cases pro-