Help to translate Mahdi Flag (1897)

Peter Hudson · 1st January 2023, 12:35 AM

In addition I think Wiki makes a further statement
thus I QUOTE"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Rejaf

The Lado Enclave
Main article: Battle of Rejaf

Francis Dhanis, ca. 1900
In 1894, King Leopold II signed a treaty with the United Kingdom which conceded a strip of land on the Free State's eastern border in exchange for the Lado Enclave, which provided access to the navigable Nile and extended the Free State's sphere of influence northward into Sudan. After rubber profits soared in 1895, Leopold ordered the organization of an expedition into the Lado Enclave, which had been overrun by Mahdist rebels since the outbreak of the Mahdist War in 1881.[44] The expedition was composed of two columns: the first, under Belgian war hero Baron Dhanis, consisted of a sizable force, numbering around three-thousand, and was to strike north through the jungle and attack the rebels at their base at Rejaf. The second, a much smaller force of only eight-hundred, was led by Louis-Napoléon Chaltin and took the main road towards Rejaf. Both expeditions set out in December 1896.[45]

Although Leopold II had initially planned for the expedition to carry on much farther than the Lado Enclave, hoping indeed to take Fashoda and then Khartoum, Dhanis' column mutinied in February 1897, resulting in the death of several Belgian officers and the loss of his entire force.[46] Nonetheless, Chaltin continued his advance, and on 17 February 1897, his outnumbered forces defeated the rebels in the Battle of Rejaf, securing the Lado Enclave as a Belgian territory until Leopold's death in 1909.[47] Leopold's conquest of the Lado Enclave met with approval from the British government, at least initially, which welcomed any aid in their ongoing war with Mahdist Sudan. But frequent raids outside of Lado territory by Belgian Congolese forces based in Rejaf caused alarm and suspicion among British and French officials wary of Leopold's imperial ambitions.[48] In 1910, following the Belgian annexation of the Congo Free State as the Belgian Congo in 1908 and the death of the Belgian King in December 1909, British authorities reclaimed the Lado Enclave as per the Anglo-Congolese treaty signed in 1894, and added the territory to Anglo-Egyptian Sudan.[49]"UNQUOTE.

Jim McDougall · 1st January 2023, 08:59 PM

Peter, thank you SO much for these thorough accounts of these campaigns which really add dimension on this fascinating flag!

Ah yes!! BUNYORO!!! its amazing how small this African world and its history becomes as we learn more

and as always, it is the weapons, and items related to these peoples are what compels us to keep going, and learning.

ShakaAmaZulu · 12th June 2023, 08:33 AM

Thanks to my friend, translation is done in french & english !

Texte central (Central text):

Nabī allah / prophete de Dieu / Prophet of God
Yā allah yā allah / O Dieu O Dieu / O God O God
lā al-wajl la-ka / ne crains rien / Don’t fear anything
Kalb abyaḍ / chien (sic) blanc / White dog
Taghallaba / que [Dieu nous] donne la victoireThat / [God] gives us victory

Marge gauche (Left margin):

Allah yuÂ‘āfī-ka / Dieu te garde en bonne sante / God keeps you healthy
Allah yuhannīÂ’-ka / Dieu te felicite / God congratulate you

Marge droite (Right margin):

[--] allah / [--] Dieu / [--] God
Lā yajī-ka sharr / aucun mal ne t’atteindra / No harm will reach you
Allah yarwī-nā wajha-k bi-khayr / Dieu t’assure le bien / God assures you of good

Just one word [--] is missing.

Next work is to restore the flag

12th June 2023, 08:33 AM	#3
ShakaAmaZulu Member Join Date: Dec 2021 Location: Paris, France Posts: 15	Translation done ! Thanks to my friend, translation is done in french & english ! Texte central (Central text): Nabī allah / prophete de Dieu / Prophet of God Yā allah yā allah / O Dieu O Dieu / O God O God lā al-wajl la-ka / ne crains rien / Don’t fear anything Kalb abyaḍ / chien (sic) blanc / White dog Taghallaba / que [Dieu nous] donne la victoireThat / [God] gives us victory Marge gauche (Left margin): Allah yuÂ‘āfī-ka / Dieu te garde en bonne sante / God keeps you healthy Allah yuhannīÂ’-ka / Dieu te felicite / God congratulate you Marge droite (Right margin): [--] allah / [--] Dieu / [--] God Lā yajī-ka sharr / aucun mal ne t’atteindra / No harm will reach you Allah yarwī-nā wajha-k bi-khayr / Dieu t’assure le bien / God assures you of good Just one word [--] is missing. Next work is to restore the flag

1st January 2023, 12:35 AM	#1
Peter Hudson Member Join Date: Jul 2020 Posts: 320	In addition I think Wiki makes a further statement thus I QUOTE"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Rejaf The Lado Enclave Main article: Battle of Rejaf Francis Dhanis, ca. 1900 In 1894, King Leopold II signed a treaty with the United Kingdom which conceded a strip of land on the Free State's eastern border in exchange for the Lado Enclave, which provided access to the navigable Nile and extended the Free State's sphere of influence northward into Sudan. After rubber profits soared in 1895, Leopold ordered the organization of an expedition into the Lado Enclave, which had been overrun by Mahdist rebels since the outbreak of the Mahdist War in 1881.[44] The expedition was composed of two columns: the first, under Belgian war hero Baron Dhanis, consisted of a sizable force, numbering around three-thousand, and was to strike north through the jungle and attack the rebels at their base at Rejaf. The second, a much smaller force of only eight-hundred, was led by Louis-Napoléon Chaltin and took the main road towards Rejaf. Both expeditions set out in December 1896.[45] Although Leopold II had initially planned for the expedition to carry on much farther than the Lado Enclave, hoping indeed to take Fashoda and then Khartoum, Dhanis' column mutinied in February 1897, resulting in the death of several Belgian officers and the loss of his entire force.[46] Nonetheless, Chaltin continued his advance, and on 17 February 1897, his outnumbered forces defeated the rebels in the Battle of Rejaf, securing the Lado Enclave as a Belgian territory until Leopold's death in 1909.[47] Leopold's conquest of the Lado Enclave met with approval from the British government, at least initially, which welcomed any aid in their ongoing war with Mahdist Sudan. But frequent raids outside of Lado territory by Belgian Congolese forces based in Rejaf caused alarm and suspicion among British and French officials wary of Leopold's imperial ambitions.[48] In 1910, following the Belgian annexation of the Congo Free State as the Belgian Congo in 1908 and the death of the Belgian King in December 1909, British authorities reclaimed the Lado Enclave as per the Anglo-Congolese treaty signed in 1894, and added the territory to Anglo-Egyptian Sudan.[49]"UNQUOTE.

1st January 2023, 08:59 PM	#2
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,454	Peter, thank you SO much for these thorough accounts of these campaigns which really add dimension on this fascinating flag! Ah yes!! BUNYORO!!! its amazing how small this African world and its history becomes as we learn more and as always, it is the weapons, and items related to these peoples are what compels us to keep going, and learning.