Battle of Sheikan

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Battle of Sheikan
Part of: Mahdi uprising
Hicks Pasha's army on the march
Hicks Pasha's army on the march
date November 3rd to 5th, 1883
place Sheikan forest near the village of Kashgil, south of al-Ubayyid in Sudan
output Victory of the Mahdists
Parties to the conflict

Flag of Egypt (1882-1922) .svg Khedivat Egypt

Ansar (Mahdists)

Commander

William Hicks †

Hamdan abu Anja
Wad al-Najumi

Troop strength
10,000 men, including 2,000 civilians approx. 40,000 to 50,000 men
losses

approx. 9,700 dead
approx. 300 prisoners

around 500 dead

Battles of the
Mahdi Rising
(1881 to 1899)

In the Battle of Scheikan (also: Massacre of Scheikan or Battle of Kashgil ) from November 3rd to 5th, 1883, an army of Mahdists destroyed an Egyptian army under the command of William Hicks Pascha , resulting in the Egyptian campaign ( Kordofan Expedition ), with the goal of retaking the city of al-Ubayyid and the province of Kordofan failed early on. In non-fiction , the term Battle of El Obeid is occasionally used, which actually refers to the battle of September 8, 1882 .

prehistory

William Hicks (seated 3rd from left), since July 1883 Commander-in-Chief of the Egyptian Expeditionary Army to Sudan, with some of his European companions. No European survived the battle

In dealing with the Mahdi uprising that broke out in the summer of 1881 under the leadership of Muhammad Ahmad , the Egyptian administration of Sudan, with its approx. 26,000-strong garrison consisting mostly of untrained or irregular soldiers, was left on its own. All expeditions that were sent against Muhammad Ahmad's camp were crushed. As a result, weapons and ammunition ended up in the hands of the Mahdists, who were otherwise only armed with stones, throwing sticks and clubs. In addition, the influx of followers into Muhammad Ahmad's camp on the Jebel Gedir increased enormously due to the victories. Thus Muhammad Ahmad was enabled to go on the offensive. In July 1882 he captured Kordofan except for the cities of al-Ubayyid and Bara , which he besieged after the failed attempt on September 8, 1882 to conquer al-Ubayyid ( Battle of al-Ubayyid ). This cut off the provinces of Darfur and Bahr al-Ghazal . A rescue expedition from Khartoum under the command of Ali Bey Lufti was intercepted and defeated by a Mahdist army led by Rahma Muhammad Manufal near Kawa. Bara had to capitulate on January 5th, al-Ubayyid on January 17th, 1883.

The Governor General of Sudan, Abd al-Qadir Pasha , has repeatedly requested military reinforcements from the Egyptian government since he took office in May 1882. However, due to the turmoil of the Urabi uprising, it was not possible for her to do without soldiers, and in September 1882 the Egyptian army was disbanded. Due to the threatening situation, the Egyptian government reactivated some soldiers to set up an expedition army. These were gathered near Cairo , where from the end of 1882 they were gradually transported in small contingents to Khartoum (via Suez , Suakin and Berber ). In Omdurman one was Fort built where the army encamped and was trained.

Originally the Egyptian government planned to appoint the former Governor General of Sudan, Ismail Ayyub Pasha , as Commander-in-Chief and the Chief of Staff of the Egyptian Army, General Charles Stone , as Chief of Staff of the Expeditionary Army . However, this plan was dropped. Instead, Ala al-Din Pasha should now be appointed Commander-in-Chief and a British officer as Chief of Staff. However, the British government refused to agree to the latter, but allowed inactive British officers to be commissioned. Probably through the mediation of Valentine Baker , who was entrusted with the reorganization of the Egyptian gendarmerie , William Hicks , who was released from the Bombay Army as an honorary colonel in 1880 , was won over as chief of staff. Instead of Ala al-Din Pasha, who was appointed Governor General of Sudan, replacing Abd al-Qadir Pasha, Sulayman Pasha Nyazi was appointed Commander-in-Chief. He was instructed to follow Hick's recommendations. Since Hicks was a Christian , it was decided not to officially transfer him to the post of Commander-in-Chief in order to avoid unnecessary provocation.

Together with another contingent for the expeditionary army, Hicks and his staff, consisting entirely of Europeans, left Cairo for Suakin on February 7, 1883, to reach Khartoum via Berber, where they arrived on March 7. First, in April, Hicks pacified the Jazira , the area between the White and Blue Nile, where some tribes rose in the name of Muhammad Ahmad under the leadership of Ahmad al-Makashfi . Then he began planning to retake Kordofan. For this he demanded, due to constant differences of opinion with the actually only nominal commander-in-chief Sulayman Pascha Nyazi, the appointment of the Egyptian government as commander-in-chief of the expeditionary army and 6,000 men reinforcement. The Egyptian government sent only 3,000 men, most of whom were found unfit for the reorganization of the Egyptian gendarmerie. Hicks was appointed commander in chief in late July after threatening to resign. On September 9, 1883, Hicks left Khartoum with the expeditionary army to retake al-Ubayyid and the province of Kordofan.

Composition of the Egyptian expeditionary army

The Egyptian army for the Kordofan Expedition ( Sudan Field Force ) was composed as follows:

Ala al-Din Pasha , the Governor General of Sudan and as such Hicks' superior, as well as the British war correspondents Frank Vizetelly ( Illustrated London News ) and Edmund O'Donovan ( Daily News ) joined the expedition. The journalist Frank Power ( The Times ) decided to stay in Khartoum due to illness . Approx. 2,000 civilians (e.g. officials for the administration to be set up) and sutlers accompanied the expedition.

In addition to Hicks, 10 other European officers (6 British, 2 German, 2 Austrians) accompanied the expeditionary army either as part of his staff or as military observers . The morale of the common soldier was low. With the exception of the few Sudanese tribal warriors, this came from the Egyptian army, which had previously been defeated by the British and which now saw the occupation of their country by the enemy. While the Egyptian officers welcomed the return to service, the draft was unwelcome to the common soldiers. Already on the way to Khartoum desertions occurred again and again . In some cases, self-mutilation took place in order to evade an obligation. Sudan was unknown to almost all officers. Neither of them had experience in such expeditions. There were often differences of opinion between the Egyptian and European officers and, due to a lack of language skills, coordination problems and misunderstandings occurred.

course

The planned route of Hicks' expeditionary army from Khartoum to Obeid

Ala al-Din Pasha had already preceded Hicks for preparatory measures and was awaiting the arrival of the army in al-Duwaim , which reached the place on September 20 without contact with the enemy. There he and Hicks discussed the next route. Since both were unfamiliar with the country and no maps existed, locals were hired as travel guides and educators. The water supply was a key problem. The army could only transport water supplies for a few days and was therefore dependent on the local water sources. The dry season had started in Kordofan and there were only a few wells there. Sufficient water sources were only provided by the water beds ( khor ), where the rainwater from the rainy season collected for a few months. Instead of the shorter north route via Bara (220 km), they opted for the longer south route (400 km) via Rahad along the Khor Abu Habl and then via Kashgil , as it was assumed that there was a better water supply. In addition, Hicks hoped that Adam Dabbalu , the king ( mak ) of Taqali , would join the army with Rahad as announced with his warriors. In order to secure supplies from al-Duwaim, each station reached was to be fortified by a 200-man garrison and a depot was to be built.

Muhammad Ahmad was informed about the expedition and its goal and sent his emirs Abd al-Halim Musad and Muhammad Uthman abu Qarja with 3,000 men to demoralize the Egyptian army through skirmishes on its march and to cut it off from its line of retreat, but forbade them to do one open battle . The residents on the route were called to resist. Many then left their villages and dried up the wells. Muhammad Ahmad's intention was to first weaken the Egyptian army and then bring it close to al-Ubayyid. In the meantime, for the looming battle, he called on the surrounding tribes to join him.

On September 27, the Egyptian army marched on Shat after the place had been secured by an advance guard. Part of the army continued the march to Zuraiqa on September 29 and reached it on the same day. The other part was busy building the fort for the garrison and the depot and therefore followed a day later. On October 1st the army broke up and passed Khanfaria (October 1st), Um Sadena (October 4th), Rahad al-Abid (October 5th), Serakna (October 6th), Khor al-Sag (October 7th ) and Nawarbi (October 8th). Along the way, the leaders noticed the abandoned villages and destroyed wells, which made it clear to them that the local population was not friendly to them. For this reason it was decided to abandon the original plan to build forts on the route to secure the supply and communication line, as this would have weakened the main army and the strength of the individual forts would have been too small to offer resistance can.

The first activity of the Mahdists in Nawarbi occurred when they ambushed guides who were sent out to search for water. The army continued its march and passed through Aigella (October 11), Sohan (October 15), Balashik (October 17), Abli (October 19) and Khor Belian (October 21). At Khor Belian , the Egyptian army was shot at by snipers, resulting in few dead and wounded. On October 24th, Rahad , where there was a large rainwater basin, was reached. The army stayed there for six days, waiting in vain for the support of the ruler of Taqali. During this time there were frequent skirmishes with the Mahdists. Gustav Klotz, servant of the Prussian officer Alfred von Seckendorff, went over to the Mahdists and informed Muhammad Ahmad about the strength and condition of the army. On October 30, Muhammad Ahmad sent Hamdan abu Anja , commander of the jihadiyya, to support Rahad. However, Hicks army had meanwhile left for Alloba , which was reached on November 1st.

Muhammad Ahmad moved with his warriors from al-Ubayyid to Birka on November 2nd, suspecting that Hicks would pass this place because of the water basin. When it became clear that Hicks intended to march on via Kashgil, Muhammad Ahmad sent his main force to a clear section in the Sheikan forest to intercept Hicks' army. He entrusted Wad al-Najumi with the supreme command . Due to the dense thorn bushes and the constant skirmishes on November 3rd and 4th, Hicks' march was delayed considerably. Abu Anja's army kept Hicks' army busy even during the night, thus preventing necessary breaks.

The death of Hicks Pasha

Demoralized, exhausted, and thirsty, Hicks' army continued its advance on November 5th at around 10 a.m. After an hour and a half, it reached that section of the forest where the Mahdists were waiting for it. These left their hiding place and stormed towards the Egyptians. Surprised by the attack, panic spread: the formations broke up and the riflemen shot wildly. The Egyptian army was surrounded and massacred. Hicks, its European staff and his mounted guard managed to break out of this vessel, but were soon in the later than bugler tree known baobab by mounted Baggara asked warriors, surrounded and killed. Legend has it that Hicks fell at the spear of Muhammad al-Sharif , Mahdist caliph and son-in-law of Muhammad Ahmad. Modern weapons - the Egyptians were armed with rifles of the model Remington M1867 - and ammunition including the artillery were captured by the Mahdists. Only a small proportion of the Egyptian soldiers survived the battle and were taken prisoner.

consequences

The provinces of Darfur and Bahr al-Ghazal could not last long on their own. The governor of Darfur, Rudolf Slatin , capitulated on December 23, 1883; the governor of Bahr al-Ghazal, Frank Lupton , on April 28, 1884. Of great significance was the influence of the outcome of the battle on Egyptian politics in Sudan and British politics regarding the occupation of Egypt. Hick's defeat caused the British government to suspend the withdrawal of its occupation troops from Egypt until further notice in order to prevent the Mahdists from invading Egypt. Nevertheless, the British government stuck to its policy of non-interference. Since Egypt was unable to undertake a new expedition, the Egyptian government decided to follow the recommendation of the British government and abandon Sudan except for Suakin . The former Governor General of Sudan, Charles Gordon , was charged with organizing and carrying out the evacuation . The evacuation could not be completed: Khartoum, which functioned as a rallying point, was enclosed by the Mahdists in March 1884 and brought down in January 1885 ( siege of Khartoum ). The Egyptian core area and Suakin remained secured by Anglo-Egyptian troops against the spread of the Mahdi uprising. Mahdist rule in Sudan lasted until it was retaken by Anglo-Egyptian troops under Herbert Kitchener in 1899.

literature

Primary literature

The letters of William Hicks and the diary entries of the adjutant ( muawin ) of Ala al-Din Pasha, Abbas Bey, have survived . Although they do not describe the events of the battle from an Egyptian point of view, they give insight into the previous course of the expedition. The diary of the Austrian major Hertl and the notebook of the correspondent Edmund O'Donovan have been lost. LF Nalder translated an eyewitness account of a Mahdist warrior.

  • M [artin] W [illiam] Daly (ed.): The Road to Shaykan: Letters of General William Hicks Pasha written during the Sennar and Kordofan Campaigns, 1883 . University of Durham, Center for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, Durham, digitized from Durhman University .
  • Abd al-Rahman Zaki (ed.): Yavmiyat 'Abbas Bey' . In: Cahiers d'histoire Egyptienne Vol. VII (1954), pp. 73–156. English translation: The diary of Abbas Bey . In: Sudan Notes and Records Vol. 32, No. 2 (December 1951), pp. 179-196 JSTOR 41719551 .
  • Sheikh Ali Gulla or Nimr Ali Galla, LF Nalder (translator): The Defeat of Hicks Pasha . In: Sudan Notes and Records Vol. 8 (1925), pp. 119-123 JSTOR 41715521 .

Secondary literature

  • P [eter] Clark: Three Sudanese battles . Khartoum: Institute of African and Asian Studies, University of Khartoum, 1977.
  • Edward Francis Aglen: Sheikan Battlefield . In: Sudan Notes and Records, Vol. 20, No. 1 (1937), pp. 138-145. JSTOR 41716378
  • Ronald Wingate : Two African Battles — I: Sheikan: 4th and 5th November, 1883 . In: Journal of the Royal United Service Institution , Volume 109, 1964 - Issue 633, pp. 56-62.
  • Mekki Shibeika: The Independent Sudan . Robert Speller & Sons, New York, 1959.
  • Wilfried Westphal: Storm over the Nile. The Mahdi uprising. From the beginnings of Islamic fundamentalism . Thorbecke, Sigmaringen 1998, ISBN 3-7995-0092-8 .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Ronald Wingate: Two African Battles - I: Sheikan: 4th and 5th November, 1883 . In: Royal United Services Institution. Journal, Volume 109, 1964 - Issue 633, p. 59.
  2. ↑ Mekki Shibeika: The Independent Sudan. Robert Speller & Sons, New York 1959. pp. 59-97.
  3. ↑ Mekki Shibeika: The Independent Sudan. Robert Speller & Sons, New York 1959. pp. 98-114.
  4. ↑ Ronald Wingate: Two African Battles - I: Sheikan: 4th and 5th November, 1883 . In: Royal United Services Institution. Journal, Volume 109, 1964 - Issue 633, p. 59.