Muhammad Ibn al-Sayed
Muhammad Ahmed or simply referred to as the “Mahdi” (divinely guided), was the first Islamic leader to cry out against the British occupation of Egypt and Sudan. With his excellent oratory skills, he preached for Sudanese independence and the creation of a pure Islamic state. He called himself as the descendent of Prophet Muhammad and led a holy war against the British and their Egyptian puppets. At his headquarters in Omdurman, Ahmad attacked British forts in Sudan and challenged the European slave-trade in the region. Britain sent a small army to garrison Khartoum, the capital of the country. However, Mahdi and his Mahdists led a slaughter of every non-Muslim and Egyptian official in the country and removed the British from power after conquering Khartoum. His brutal and gruesome tactics against his enemies gave him a notorious reputation. He died shortly after conquering the city. He is considered today to be the father of Sudanese independence, and is remembered for leading one of the earliest opposition forces against the British protectorate in Egypt and Sudan.