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Khalwa Education in the Funj Sultanate, c. 1500–1820

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  Khalwa Education in the Funj Sultanate, c. 1500–1820 @Caspoid  Image: Hilliard Atteridge, Towards Khartoum  (1897), 221. Although the Nile Valley came under the tutelage of the Muslim Funj sultanate in the early 16th century, it would be until the 17th century that Muslim holymen began to make their mark upon the region under Sultan ʿAdlān I. [1] Further, it was not until midway through the 17th century that Sudan saw the birth of its mythical “folk heroes” in the homegrown holymen. [2] The Sudanese holyman, or fakī , came in two forms: the Sufi mystic, and the orthodox. The Sufis organized themselves into ṭarīqa (s), whilst the orthodox tended to emerge from the urbanites and provided judges for towns such as Sinnār, ʿArbajī, etc. [3] It was also the responsibility of the holy man to educate their pupils. Islamic education in the Funj Sultanate came in three prominent forms: the Qurʾānic khalwa [or kuttab ], the orthodox madrasa , and the Sufi khalwa . [4]  ...
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R.S. O'Fahey, (1970) States and State Formation in the Eastern Sudan

R.S. O'Fahey, States and State Formation in the Eastern Sudan (Khartoum: Sudan Research Unit, 1970).  In discussing state formation in the eastern Sudanic region, O'Fahey focuses upon the kingdoms of Wadāy and Dār Fūr, the border states between them, and Sinnār (2). O'Fahey singles out environmental, commercial, and political aspects as being of key importance (3).  Though the states of the eastern Sudan were multi-tribal, the dynasties ruling them tended to originate in the central sedentary zone. This leads to the suggestion that such societies may have tribal origins (3–5). O'Fahey postulates that the origin of the 'Wise-Stranger' myth, which characterizes these states, may be a remembrance of the arrival of long-distance trade in the regions discussed. It is also suggested that trade acted as a stimulant to state formation, as imported arms increased the power of the sultans, and trade spurred encroachments into the northern (for camels) and southern (for s...
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Introduction to Mahdist Military Organisation

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Introduction to Mahdist Military Organisation In June, 1881, a Sufi shaykh, or holyman, named Muḥammad Aḥmad residing on a small island in the White Nile publicly proclaimed himself to be the Mahdī, the redeemer of Islam. An act which drew the ire of the incumbent Turco-Egyptian regime. The government authorities attempted and failed to summon Muḥammad Aḥmad to the capital, Khartoum, whereupon it was decided to send a military expedition to arrest him. The Mahdī, however, had anticipated this [1].  Exhibit in the Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium.    https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Display_of_unidentified_contents_-_Royal_Museum_for_Central_Africa_-_DSC06706.JPG He first set about summoning the surrounding tribes to come to his aid, which they did until his forces numbered from 313–350 men. It is here that we get the first instance of Mahdist military organisation, with the Mahdī taking inspiration from that of a Sufi ṭarīqa (or brotherhood). He ...
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Muhammad Ahmad ibn al-Sayyid Abdallah (outdated)

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Muhammad Ahmad From 1844-1881     Much has been written of Muhammad Ahmad the Mahdi, but few have followed the life of Muhammad Ahmad the man, the boat builder's son, the dedicated student, or the respected shaykh. Thus, the following will be a brief description of the life of Muhammad Ahmad from his birth in 1844 to his manifestation as al-Mahdi al-Muntazar on Aba Island in 1881.  Muhammad Ahmad. Illustration by Giha / Musa Qism al-Din       Muhammad Ahmad Ibn al-Sayyid Abdallahi was born on August 12th, 1844, on Labab Island in just south of the town of New Dongola (Holt 45. Nicoll 12. Qadal 37). The son of a Dongolawi shipbuilder who claimed to be a member of the Ashraf (to be descended from the Prophet Muhammad), a legacy which was drilled into the mind of the young boy, whom, it is said, could recite his full lineage back to Ali ibn Abi Talib (cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet), a full list of which can be found in Nu'am -Shoucair's Tarikh al-S...
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