Siege of Khartoum
1884 · Khartoum (capital of present-day Sudan) · World · Modern
On January 26, 1885, Khartoum fell and Gordon was killed; the steamers of the British relief force arrived outside the city only two days later.
Belligerents
Mahdist army
- Commanders
- Muhammad Ahmad al-Mahdi
- Strength
- Tens of thousands
Egyptian garrison
- Commanders
- Charles Gordon
- Strength
- c. 7,000
Background
After the Battle of Shaykan, the United Kingdom decided to withdraw from Sudan and sent Gordon, a former governor-general of Sudan, to organize the evacuation. Once Gordon arrived in Khartoum, however, he decided to hold out and demanded reinforcements, setting off endless debate in Britain.
Course of the battle
- Gordon arrivesIn February 1884 Gordon entered Khartoum and evacuated some of the women and children and the sick and infirm.
- EncirclementIn March the Mahdist army cut the telegraph and communications to the north; the siege began, and food in the city grew steadily scarcer.
- The relief force arrives lateNot until August did Britain approve sending an army south under Wolseley; in January 1885 the Desert Column drove back the Mahdist army at Abu Klea.
- The city fallsThe falling level of the Nile exposed a gap in the defenses; the Mahdist army stormed the town at dawn on January 26, and Gordon was killed.
Outcome at a glance
| Date | 1884 |
|---|---|
| Place | Khartoum (capital of present-day Sudan) |
| Result | On January 26, 1885, Khartoum fell and Gordon was killed; the steamers of the British relief force arrived outside the city only two days later. |
| Winner | Mahdist army |
| Casualties | Almost the entire garrison was killed; civilian deaths in the city are estimated at several thousand to over ten thousand |
| Territorial change | The Mahdist State controlled all of Sudan (except Suakin on the coast), with Omdurman as its capital, and ruled until 1898. |
Impact
The fall of Khartoum shocked Britain and badly damaged the prestige of Gladstone's government; Gordon was cast as a "martyred hero," which also became a driver of public support for the British reconquest of Sudan more than a decade later.
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