Mahdist flag – a banner of The Ansars
This flag was acquired by the museum in 1913.
It is a standard captured at the battle of Atbara, 8th April 1898, by Corporal W. Pocock (Royal Engineers) of Brighton from the Mahdist opposition, followers of Muhammad Ahmad.
Muhammad Ahmad bin Abd Allah was a religious man pivotal in the attempt to establish a Mahdist state in the Sudan against Turco-Egyptian rule, when Egypt was then under British dominance. The leader of the Samaniyya order, he proclaimed himself the Mahdi on 29 June, 1881.
The Mahdi is a figure renowned as the redeemer of Islam who has yet to come (Sunni) or be re-born (Shia) and whose emergence will occur in tandem with the Second Coming of Isa (Jesus) to defeat the antichrist (Masih ad-Dajjal).
Muhammad Ahmad’s movement was called the Mahdiyya and his disciples became known as The Ansars.
Starting in 1882 they conquered most of the Sudan and continued to make significant gains even after the death of Muhammad Ahmad in 1885.
The Mahdi movement came to an end in September 1898, soon after the capture of this banner. They fought the British forces at Omdurman but lost. The state was replaced by Anglo-Egyptian Sudan.
This flag is made of cotton.
A detailed translation of the characters on the flag has been assumed as:
Line 1. Wonderful Aarahman O merciful,
Line 2. O self O Possessor of Might and Glory ,
Line 3. There is no God but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah ,
Line 4. Mohammed Mahdi Khalifa Messenger of God.
This flag is part of the collection of Brighton Museum & Art Gallery but is not currently on display.
Steve Kisko, Collections Assistant, World Art
