Colonial History of Sudan

Early History of Sudan The region known in modern times as the Sudan (short for the Arabic bilad as-sudan, 'land of the blacks') has for much of its history been linked with or influenced by Egypt, its immediate neighbour to the north. Read more: http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/plaintexthistories.asp?historyid=aa86#ixzz26PTTvbPr

1820 -1880: The Sudan under Turko - Egyptian Rule By 1820, Egypt's new ruler, Muhammad Ali, invaded Sudan with an army that had cannons. With these, he easily conquered the country and joined it to Egypt. He founded the city of Khartoum, and established a governor there to rule the Sudanese. Mohammed Ali's empire extended all the way to central Africa and included almost all the Nile Valley. It was the largest Nile empire ever created. Thus began the period of Turko-Egyptian rule in Sudan, which lasted until1885. http://www.dignubia.org/maps/timeline/ce-1820.htm

Who was Mohammed Ali Pasha? He is often referred to as the founder of modern Egypt. Muhammad Ali Pasha (c. 1769–1849) was an Ottoman Turkish military leader who ruled Egypt for much of his adult life. http://www.dignubia.org/maps/timeline/ce-1820.htm

1820 - 1880 : Turko-Egyptian Rule During this time, European explorers and businessmen poured into the Sudan as never before. Explorers mapped many of the remotest parts of the Sudan and even found the sources of the Nile. http://www.dignubia.org/maps/timeline/ce-1820.htm

1820-1880s: Turko-Egyptian Rule This period of Egyptian rule in Sudan is known as the "Turkiya", because officially, Egypt was part of the Turkish Empire. The Egyptians (called "Turks") treated the Sudanese brutally, overtaxed them, and took many slaves. The Sudanese were so unhappy that they were ready to revolt against their Egyptian masters. http://www.dignubia.org/maps/timeline/ce-1820.htm

1820-1880s: Egypt Under Mohammed Pasha’s Rule

1820-1880s: Turko-Egyptian Rule About 1850, the first Christian missionaries arrived in southern Sudan. Generally speaking, the Turko-Egyptian government of the Sudan was doomed to failure. The appointed officials lacked public spirit, were unpopular among the people and were considered as a burden for the country.

1881: The Mahdiya In 1881, a religious leader, Mohamed Ahmed El Mahdi, led a revolt against the Turko-Egyptian government in the Sudan. His rebellion, for both religious and political reform, was widely successful. It triumphed with the capture of Khartoum, where General Gordon, who was the last Turkish governor, was killed in 1885. On the advice of the British, who had occupied Egypt since 1882, the Turko-Egyptian government was withdrawn. Although the Mahdi died in the same year, the Sudan under his successor, the Khalifa Abd Allah remained independent until 1898. Image of the Mahdi from: http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/1999/437/chrncls.htm

1896 – 1898: British – Egyptian Rule British fear of the establishment of French influence over the Upper Nile area, led to the re-conquest of the Sudan. An Anglo-Egyptian force led by General Kitchener, invaded Sudan between 1896 and 1898.

1899: The Condominium Britain ruled the Sudan jointly with the Egyptians and created a “Condominium” government structure.

1900s: British Policy of South Sudan From the beginning of the Anglo-Egyptian condominium, the British sought to modernize Sudan by applying European technology to its underdeveloped economy. However, southern Sudan's remote and undeveloped provinces were largely ignored by the British. The British justified ignoring the south by claiming that the south was not ready for the modern world so the British, therefore, closed the region to outsiders. As a result, the south remained isolated and backward. Christian missionaries, who operated schools and medical clinics, provided limited social services in southern Sudan.

1924 onwards: South Sudan is Isolated From 1924 onwards, the British essentially divided Sudan into two separate territories–a predominantly Muslim Arabic-speaking north, and a predominantly Christian south, where the use of English was encouraged. The British administered northern and southern Sudan as separate colonies; requiring a passport to travel between them and banning the slave trade. The British “closed door” laws expelled northern Arab merchants from the south and discouraged Islamic belief and Arabic customs. They provided money to support Christian Missionary schools and social services in the south but developed roads only in the north.

British – Egyptian Rule The Condominium In 1946, Britain re-evaluated it’s “closed door” policy of the south and decided to open the border between northern and southern Sudan. By 1952 Britain and Egypt agreed to prepare Sudan for independence in 1956 and helped to establish one central government to rule all of Sudan. However, only four of the 800 government officials appointed by the British were from the South. The rest were from the north. The south also strongly resented the decision to use Arabic as the official language as the government because the southerners only knew English and this would prevent them from being able to be apart of the new government. In 1955 southerners, fearing that the new nation would be dominated by the Muslim north, began a revolt that lasted 17 years. (Hyperlink provides images of Anglo-Sudan warrior, policemen, and camel-mounted, British trained soldiers) http://iarchives.nysed.gov/Gallery/gallery.jsp?id=38

Independence for Sudan During 1951-1953, Negotiations regarding the future of Sudan were finally successful in February 1953, when the British and the Egyptian left. There was to have been a three-year period of self-government under international supervision and guidance to foster unity within the Sudanese people. In November 1955, however, Sudan declared complete independence. Civil War between Northern and Southern Sudan began in the same year. What have you learned from this presentation that could have caused a civil war?

Bibliography Sudan Embassy: History of Sudan- The Land and Location http://www.sudan-embassy.co.uk/infobook/history.php http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_AngloEgyptian_condominium (Additional Images available from Dr. Dunbars’ PowerPoint on Sudan)