eminent victorians-第57章

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being　led　by　the　hand　of　God。



Gordon's　last　great　adventure；　like　his　first；　was　occasioned　by　

a　religious　revolt。　At　the　very　moment　when；　apparently　forever；　

he　was　shaking　the　dust　of　Egypt　from　his　feet；　Mahommed　Ahmed　

was　starting　upon　his　extraordinary　career　in　the　Sudan。　The　time



was　propitious　for　revolutions。　The　effete　Egyptian　Empire　was　

hovering　upon　the　verge　of　collapse。　The　enormous　territories　of　

the　Sudan　were　seething　with　discontent。　Gordon's　administration　

had；　by　its　very　vigour；　only　helped　to　precipitate　the　

inevitable　disaster。　His　attacks　upon　the　slave…trade；　his　

establishment　of　a　government　monopoly　in　ivory；　his　hostility　to



the　Egyptian　officials；　had　been　so　many　shocks；　shaking　to　its　

foundations　the　whole　rickety　machine。　The　result　of　all　his　

efforts　had　been；　on　the　one　hand；　to　fill　the　most　powerful　

classes　in　the　community　the　dealers　in　slaves　and；　ivory

with　

a　hatred　of　the　government；　and　on　the　other　to　awaken　among　the　

mass　of　the　inhabitants　a　new　perception　of　the　dishonesty　and　

incompetence　of　their　Egyptian　masters。　



When；　after　Gordon's　removal；　the　rule　of　the　Pashas　once　more

asserted　

itself　over　the　Sudan；　a　general　combustion　became　inevitable：

the　first　

spark　would　set　off　the　blaze。　Just　then　it　happened　that

Mahommed　Ahmed；　

the　son　of　an　insignificant　priest　in　Dongola；　having　quarrelled

with　the　

Sheikh　from　whom　he　was　receiving　religious　instruction；　set　up

as　an　

independent　preacher；　with　his　headquarters　at　Abba　Island；　on

the　Nile；　

150　miles　above　Khartoum。　Like　Hong…siu…tsuen；　he　began　as　a

religious　

reformer；　and　ended　as　a　rebel　king。　It　was　his　mission；　he

declared；　to　

purge　the　true　Faith　of　its　worldliness　and　corruptions；　to　lead　

the　followers　of　the　prophet　into　the　paths　of　chastity；　

simplicity；　and　holiness；　with　the　puritanical　zeal　of　a　Calvin；　

be　denounced　junketings　and　merrymakings；　songs　and　dances；　lewd　

living　and　all　the　delights　of　the　flesh。　He　fell　into　trances；　

he　saw　visions；　he　saw　the　prophet　and　Jesus；　and　the　Angel　

Izrail　accompanying　him　and　watching　over　him　forever。　He　

prophesied　and　performed　miracles；　and　his　fame　spread　through　

the　land。



There　is　an　ancient　tradition　in　the　Mohammedan　world；　telling　of



a　mysterious　being；　the　last　in　succession　of　the　twelve　holy　

Imams；　who；　untouched　by　death　and　withdrawn　into　the　recesses　of



a　mountain；　was　destined；　at　the　appointted　hour；　to　come　forth　

again　among　men。　His　title　was　the　Mahdi；　the　guide；　some　

believed　that　he　would　be　the　forerunner　of　the　Messiah；　others

believed　that　he　would　be　Christ　himself。　Already　　various　Mahdis



had　made　their　appearance；　several　had　been　highly　successful；

and　

two；　in　medieval　times；　had　founded　dynasties　in　Egypt。　But　who

could　

tell　whether　ail　these　were　not　impostors？　Might　not　the　twelfth　

Imam　be　still　waiting；　in　mystical　concealment；　ready　to　emerge；　

at　any　moment；　at　the　bidding　of　God？　There　were　signs　by　which　

the　true　Mahdi　might　be　recognised　unmistakable　signs；　if　one　

could　but　read　them　aright。　He　must　be　of　the　family　of　the　

prophet；　he　must　possess　miraculous　powers　of　no　common　kind；　and



his　person　must　be　overflowing　with　a　peculiar　sanctity。　The　

pious　dwellers　beside　those　distant　waters；　where　holy　men　by　

dint　of　a　constant　repetition　of　one　of　the　ninety…nine　names　of　

God；　secured　the　protection　of　guardian　angels；　and　where　groups　

of　devotees；　shaking　their　heads　with　a　violence　which　would　

unseat　the　reason　of　less　athletic　worshippers；　attained　to　an　

extraordinary　beatitude；　heard　with　awe　of　the　young　preacher　

whose　saintliness　was　almost　more　than　mortal　and　whose　miracles　

brought　amazement　to　the　mind。　Was　he　not　also　of　the　family　of　

the　prophet？　He　himself　had　said　so；　and　who　would　disbelieve　the



holy　man？　When　he　appeared　in　person；　every　doubt　was　swept　away。





There　was　a　strange　splendour　in　his　presence；　an　overpowering　

passion　in　the　torrent　of　his　speech。　Great　was　the　wickedness　of



the　people；　and　great　was　their　punishment！　Surely　their　miseries



were　a　visible　sign　of　the　wrath　of　the　Lord。　They　had　sinned；　

and　the　cruel　tax　gatherers　had　come　among　them；　and　the　corrupt　

governors；　and　all　the　oppressions　of　the　Egyptians。　Yet　these　

things；　'Too；　should　have　an　end。　The　Lord　would　raise　up　his　

chosen　deliverer；　the　hearts　of　the　people　would　be　purified；　and



their　enemies　would　be　laid　low。　The　accursed　Egyptian　would　be　

driven　from　the　land。　Let　the　faithful　take　heart　and　make　ready。



How　soon　might　not　the　long…predestined　hour　strike；　when　the　

twelfth　Imam；　the　guide；　the　Mahdi；　would　reveal　himself　to　the　

world？'　In　that　hour；　the　righteous　'Would　triumph　and　the　guilty



be　laid　low　forever。'　Such　was　the　teaching　of　Mohammed　Ahmed。　A　

band　of　enthusiastic　disciples　gathered　round　him；　eagerly　

waiting　for　the　revelation　which　would　crown　their　hopes。　At　

last；　the　moment　came。　One　evening；　at　Abba　Island；　taking　aside　

the　foremost　of　his　followers；　the　Master　whispered　the　

portentous　news。　He　was　the　Mahdi。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　



The　Egyptian　Governor…General　at　Khartoum；　hearing　that　a　

religious　movement　was　afoot；　grew　disquieted；　and　dispatched　

an　emissary　to　Abba　Island　to　summon　the　impostor　to　his　

presence。　The　emissary　was　courteously　received。　Mohammed　Ahmed；　

he　said；　must　come　at　once　to　Khartoum。　'Must！'　exclaimed　the　

Mahdi；　starting　to　his　feet；　with　a　strange　look　in　his　eyes。　The



look　was　so　strange　that　the　emissary　thought　it　advisable　to　cut



short　the　interview　and　to　return　to　Khartoum　empty…handed。　

Thereupon；　the　Governor…General　sent　200　soldiers　to　seize　the　

audacious　rebel　by　force。　With　his　handful　of　friends；　the　Mahdi

fell　upon　the　soldiers　and　cut　them　to　pieces。　The　news　spread　

like　wild…fire　through　the　country：　the　Mahdi　had　arisen；　the　

Egyptians　were　destroyed。　But　it　was　clear　to　the　little　band　of　

enthusiasts　at　Abba　Island　that　their　position　on　the　river　was　

no　longer　tenable。　The　Mahdi；　deciding　upon　a　second　Hegira；　

retreated　south…westward；　into　the　depths　of　Kordofan。



The　retreat　was　a　triumphal　progress。　The　country；　groaning　under



alien　misgovernment　and　vibrating　with　religious　excitement；　

suddenly　found　in　this　rebellious　prophet　a　rallying…point；　a　

hero；　a　deliverer。　And　now　another　element　was　added　to　the　

forces　of　insurrection。　The　Baggara　tribes　of　Kordofan；　cattle…

owners　and　slave…traders；　the　most　warlike　and　vigorous　of　the　

inhabitants　of　the　Sudan；　threw　in　their　lot　with　the　Mahdi。　

Their　powerful　Emirs；　still　smarting　from　the　blows　of　Gordon；　

saw　that　the　opportunity　for　revenge　had　come。　A　holy　war　was　

proclaimed　against　the　Egyptian　misbelievers。　The　followers　of　

the　Mahdi；　dressed；　in　token　of　a　new　austerity　of　living；　in　the



'jibbeh'；　or　white　smock　of　coarse　cloth；　patched　with　variously　

shaped　and　coloured　patches；　were　rapidly　organised　into　a　

formidable　army。　Several　attacks　from　Khartoum　were　repulsed；　and



at　last；　the　Mahdi　felt　strong　enough　to　advance　against　the　

enemy。　While　his　lieutenants　led　detachments　into　the　vast　

provinces　lying　to　the　west　and　the　southDarfur　and　Bahr…el…

Ghazalhe　himself　marched　upon　El　Obeid；　the　capital　of　

Kordofan。　It　was　in　vain　that　reinforcements　were　hurried　from　

Khartoum　to　the　assistance　of　the　garrison：　there　was　some　severe



fighting；　the　town　was　completely　cut　off；　and；　after　a　six　

months'　siege；　it　surrendered。　A　great　quantity　of　guns　and　

ammunition　and　￡100；000　in　spices　fell　into　the　hands　of　the　

Mahdi。　He　was　master　of　Kordofan：　he　was　at　the　head　of　a　great　

army；　he　was　rich；　he　was　worshipped。　A　dazzling　future　opened　

before　him。　No　possibility　seemed　too　remote；　no　fortune　too　

magnificent。　A　vision　of　universal　empire　hovered　before　his