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26 January in military history: Fall of Khartoum, 1885

Military history · 26 January · Mahdist WarFull calendar

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Engraved full-length portrait of General Charles Gordon in uniform and a heavy cape, holding a book and binoculars, standing on a flat rooftop with palm trees and a flag behind him.
A memorial engraving of 1886 shows Gordon on a rooftop in Khartoum with a book and binoculars. It was made after his death, so the setting is the artists' imagined scene, not a record from the siege. Public domain. Engraving by Samuel Cousins and Thomas Lewis Atkinson after Lowes Cato Dickinson, 1886, Anne S. K. Brown Military Collection.
Quick answer

In the early hours of 26 January 1885 the forces of Muhammad Ahmad, the Mahdi, stormed Khartoum, the capital of Egyptian-ruled Sudan, after a siege of about ten months. The British general Charles Gordon, who had defended the city, was killed. Two days later British relief steamers came within sight of Khartoum and found it already lost.

The fall of Khartoum

26 January 1885 · 141 years ago

In the early hours of 26 January 1885 the forces of Muhammad Ahmad, the Mahdi, broke into Khartoum, the capital of Egyptian-ruled Sudan, after a siege of more than ten months. The British general Charles Gordon, who had been defending the city, died in the assault.

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Frequently asked questions

What happened at Khartoum on 26 January 1885?

The Mahdi's forces stormed the besieged and starving city before dawn and killed many of its soldiers and inhabitants. General Charles Gordon, who had commanded the defense, was killed, ending a siege of 317 days.

How did General Gordon die?

Accounts differ. Rudolf Slatin, a captive in the Mahdi's camp, wrote that he was speared on the palace steps without resisting; informants questioned by Sir Charles Wilson said he was shot near the palace gate. All agree that his head was cut off and taken to the Mahdi.

How late was the relief expedition?

Two days. Steamers carrying a small party under Sir Charles Wilson came within sight of Khartoum on the morning of 28 January 1885, found the city in Mahdist hands and turned back.

How many people died in the fall of Khartoum?

No exact count exists. Many soldiers of the garrison and many inhabitants were killed when the city was stormed.

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