Somalis in the Mahdist army of Sudan

[Riftvalley]

I came across something the other day which talked about Muhammad Al Mahdi correspondence with East African groups. It said he wrote a letter to “Somali Muslims of Harar” to join the war effort of the Sudanese dervishes. Haven’t been able to verify such a letter ever existing. Interestingly, there is a document by a traveller which lists the many languages being spoken in Suakin:


“It was curious to count up the number of
different languages one heard spoken in and about Suakin at this time. Besides English, French, Portuguese, and Italian, there were amongst others the following : Turkish, Arabic, Somali, Greek, Armenian, Hindustani, Punjabi, Gujarati, Bengali, Mahrathi, and Pukhtu”.

Somalis have always had a notable presence in the east of Sudan as traders and scholars. They intermarried into some of the Sudanese ethnic groups. I wonder if Somalis fought in the Mahdist army? Anyone encountered evidence to show that?

 

[Mohamedamiin120]

Somalis fought in the war but uhhh not for the Mahdi
https://www.heritage-history.com/in... 1904, between,British losses were very small.

 

[The Oponian Guild]

Somalis fought in the war but uhhh not for the Mahdi
https://www.heritage-history.com/index.php?c=resources&s=war-dir&f=wars_soudan#:~:text=Fought January 10, 1904, between,British losses were very small.

Battle of Jidballi occurred between the Darawiish and British in deep Sool, some way between lascanood and xudun. not in Sudan. It was a heavy darawiish defeat.

 

[Mohamedamiin120]

Battle of Jidballi occurred between the Darawiish and British in deep Sool, some way between lascanood and xudun. not in Sudan. It was a heavy darawiish defeat.

oh mb

 

[The Oponian Guild]

oh mb

No worries.

 

[moosaid]

Battle of Jidballi occurred between the Darawiish and British in deep Sool, some way between lascanood and xudun. not in Sudan. It was a heavy darawiish defeat.

Most Somalis believe that the Dervishes were achieving victories, but in reality the Dervishes were fleeing to Italian territory.

 

[The Oponian Guild]

Most Somalis believe that the Dervishes were achieving victories, but in reality the Dervishes were fleeing to Italian territory.

Yes it was a failed movement, you can’t build a country on a failed movement, which explains the current state of Somalia, the Sayid pitted clans against each other and killed more Somalis than he did gaal, and you can never unite through mass bloodletting, he nearly exterminated a couple of Somali clans who have only now recovered in numbers. All because they refused his political overtures.

Still there are some positives we can take from the sayid, away from politics he led a religious revival which put Islam at the forefront of Somali social life, he was a prolific poet, a warrior regardless etc etc

 

[Riftvalley]

Somalis fought in the war but uhhh not for the Mahdi
https://www.heritage-history.com/index.php?c=resources&s=war-dir&f=wars_soudan#:~:text=Fought January 10, 1904, between,British losses were very small.

I believe some Somalis most likely fought with the Mahdi. I am searching for documentation of it.