Help to translate Mahdi Flag (1897)

Jim McDougall · 17th December 2022, 06:48 PM

This is amazing, and I must say I had never heard of this battle, nor the Belgian presence in the Sudan (from 1894 in agreement with British to acquire Lado enclave) .
While I was going to ask how we know this is Mahdist and from this battle, I found this painting online (Wiki) and among the Mahdist forces far to the right what appears to be a red and white flag appears.

What research on this is at hand? what sort of provenance?

Battle of Rejaf (Battle of Bedden) 17 Feb. 1897. LADO near Nile at center of map, is where Rejaf is situated.

It must be kept in mind, this area was extremely to the south in Sudan, and of course near the Congo regions as well as Uganda.
In the regions of Sudan farther up the Nile were the Mamluk descended population in areas where slaving was in place and where Mahdist forces conscripted the numbers of men who had been among the potential slaves. This explains the number of weapon forms seen in Mahdist context (with thuluth motif) which are not indiginous to Sudan, but to these southern regions.

17th December 2022, 06:48 PM	#2
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,189	This is amazing, and I must say I had never heard of this battle, nor the Belgian presence in the Sudan (from 1894 in agreement with British to acquire Lado enclave) . While I was going to ask how we know this is Mahdist and from this battle, I found this painting online (Wiki) and among the Mahdist forces far to the right what appears to be a red and white flag appears. What research on this is at hand? what sort of provenance? Battle of Rejaf (Battle of Bedden) 17 Feb. 1897. LADO near Nile at center of map, is where Rejaf is situated. It must be kept in mind, this area was extremely to the south in Sudan, and of course near the Congo regions as well as Uganda. In the regions of Sudan farther up the Nile were the Mamluk descended population in areas where slaving was in place and where Mahdist forces conscripted the numbers of men who had been among the potential slaves. This explains the number of weapon forms seen in Mahdist context (with thuluth motif) which are not indiginous to Sudan, but to these southern regions. Attached Images Last edited by Jim McDougall; 17th December 2022 at 06:59 PM.