Abd al-Rahman al-Mahdi

Sir Sayyid Abd al-Rahman al-Mahdi KBE
عبد الرحمن المهدي
Al-Mahdi in 1958
Imam of the Ansar
In office June 1885 – 24 March 1959
Preceded by	Muhammad Ahmad
Succeeded by	Hadi al-Mahdi
1st Chief Minister of Sudan
In office 22 October 1952 – November 1953
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Governor‑General	Robert George Howe
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Ismail al-Azhari
Personal details
Born	June 1885 (1885-06) Omdurman, Mahdist Sudan
Died	24 March 1959 (1959-03-25) (aged 73) Omdurman, Sudan
Children	Siddick Sayed el-Mahdi Hadi al-Mahdi
Parent	Muhammad Ahmad

Sir Sayyid Abd al-Rahman al-Mahdi, KBE (Arabic: عبد الرحمن المهدي; June 1885 – 24 March 1959^[1]) was one of the leading religious and political figures during the colonial era in Anglo-Egyptian Sudan (1898–1955), and continued to exert great authority as leader of the Neo-Mahdists after Sudan became independent. The British tried to exploit his influence over the Sudanese people while at the same time profoundly distrusting his motives. Throughout most of the colonial era of Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, the British saw Sayyid Abd al-Rahman al-Mahdi as important as a moderate leader of the Mahdists.^[2]

Abd al-Rahman was the posthumous son of Muhammad Ahmad bin Abd Allah, who had proclaimed himself the Mahdi or redeemer of the Islamic faith in 1881, and died in 1885 a few months after his forces had captured Khartoum. A joint British and Egyptian force recaptured Sudan in 1898. At first, the British severely restricted Abd al-Rahman's movement and activity. However, he soon emerged as the Imam (leader) of the Ansar religious sect, supporters of the Mahdist movement.^[2]

The British maintained a close political relationship with Abd al-Rahman.^[3] Meanwhile, he grew wealthy from cotton production, for which his supporters provided labour since he was a child exiled to Aba Island, and was influential and well loved among his people.^[4] The British administration distrusted him because they could not control him or use him to exert influence in Sudan.

In the 1930s, Abd al-Rahman spoke out against a treaty between Egypt and Britain that recognized Egyptian claims of sovereignty in Sudan, although no Sudanese had been consulted. He travelled to London to make his case.^[5] His Ansar followers became an influential faction in the General Congress established in 1938, and in the successor Advisory Council set up in 1944.^[6][7] Abd al-Rahman was patron of the nationalist Umma (Nation) political party in the period before and just after Sudan became independent in 1956.^[8] In 1958 the Umma party won the most seats in the first parliamentary elections after independence.^[9] In November 1958 the army staged a coup, which Abd al-Rahman supported. He died on 24 March 1959, aged 73.^[10]