Our forces under Sir Garnet Wolseley
defeated the Egyptian army at Tel-el-Kebir, and occupied Cairo, the
capital of the country.
Arabi Pasha was banished for life, and the authority of the Khedive was
restored under British control. We thus maintained peace and order in
Egypt; but a great revolt took place in the provinces of the Soudan, which
had been conquered by Egypt. An Egyptian army commanded by General Hicks
was almost entirely destroyed by the natives under a religious leader
called the Mahdi.
In these circumstances it was decided to send General Gordon to withdraw
the Egyptian garrisons from the Soudan, and to give up that vast country
to its native rulers. Gordon made his way to Khartoum, but he found the
native revolt more formidable than he expected. He was besieged in that
city, and refusing to leave the people to their fate, heroically defended
it against great odds for nearly a year. An expedition sent under Wolseley
to release him did not arrive till Khartoum had fallen and Gordon was
slain (1885).
After being defeated in several battles, the forces of the Mahdi were
taught that, however brave, they were no match for our troops. When it was
determined to reconquer the Soudan the duty was entrusted to Sir Herbert
Kitchener, who routed the Khalifa at Omdurman in 1898.
During recent years there have also been troubles on our Indian frontier.
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