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The seeds of the Mahdist Revolution were sown far before 1898. The Sudan had been under Egyptian administration since 1819, when Muhammad Ali of Egypt conquered the territory. The Egyptians were extremely unpopular because of the taxation system they imposed, one that hurt poor farmers the most. During the Martian War, taxes were raised even higher to supply Egyptian soldiers, causing a famine which lasted until the Martians were driven off-world. Thousands of Sudanese were effectively enslaved by the Egyptians during the construction of the Suez Canal and other modernization efforts during and after the Martian War. By the start of the Great War, most Sudanese were supportive of any attempts to avoid or harass Egyptian authorities. The environment was rife for revolution.

The revolutionary spark came in the figure of Muhammad Ahmad, a Muslim cleric who proclaimed himself the Mahdi, a figure expected to purify Islam before the end of the world. The Mahdi criticized the Egyptians for what he perceives as lax religious standards, as well as their taxation and oppression of the Sudanese. Preaching that the Sudanese need to throw out the Egyptians and create a “pure” Islamic nation, the Mahdi became a popular and notorious figure, but his movement would not gain widespread popularity until the Great War.

The Mahdi used the Great War to boost his popularity throughout Sudan. He preached that the Martians were agents of God, sent down to Earth to purify it and punish it for its transgressions. On a more practical level, the Egyptians sent almost their entire military to invade the Martian Middle East, as the Egyptians desired to take the Middle East before the European powers could. Seeing an opportunity to finally overthrow the Egyptians, the Mahdi declared a jihad against Cairo.

Mahdist forces surprised the entire world with their quick victories over the Egyptian forces left in the Sudan. Even infantry equipped with machine guns and heat-rays were overrun by hordes of Sudanese peasants armed only with primitive weapons. The Egyptians initially underestimated the effectiveness of the Mahdists, and elected to keep most of their military fighting against the Martians. It was only after the fall of Khartoum that the Egyptians moved their armies south to stop the Mahdists. But by then it was too late: the Mahdi’s victories further increased his popularity and the belief that he was an agent of God became more and more widespread. By 1900, all of Sudan was under Mahdist control, and the Mahdi proclaimed that it was his destiny to purify the entire Islamic world. And so he sent his forces north, along the Nile, to “liberate” Egypt.

At first, the Europeans welcomed the Mahdi’s successes. After all, he forced the Egyptians, heathen upstarts, to pull out of the Middle East, allowing the European powers to carve out vast swaths of formerly Martian territory from the battered Martian garrisons. However, as the Mahdi marched into Egypt proper, the European powers feared that Egypt would fall to a fanatic, one who would close off the Suez Canal. The Mahdi’s teachings on the Martian role in the cosmos were also disconcerting, as it was widely believed that the Mahdi would forge an alliance with the Martians against their common enemy. However, nothing could be done to aid the Egyptians, as all of Europe’s resources were required to fight Mars.

Europe and Cairo breathed a collective sigh of relief when the Mahdi passed away in 1902. In emulation of the Prophet Muhammad, the Mahdi had picked three successors, all of whom began to fight amongst themselves for leadership over the new Mahdist state. The Mahdist rebels broke into infighting, which allowed the Egyptians to take back most of Sudan. However, by 1903, one of the successors emerged and took the mantle. Abdallahi ibn Muhammad, also known as the Khalifa, took control of the Mahdist movement.

In a string of victories, the Khalifa retook Sudan from the invading Egyptians. However, to the surprise of the entire world, the Khalifa then directed his forces not against Egypt, but against neighboring Abyssinia. The Khalifa’s forces clashed against the Abyssinians after the Mahdi’s death, as the Mahdists raided the country for supplies. There, the Khalifa found many Muslim Abyssinians willing to take up arms against the throne. Reversing the Mahdi’s edicts against modern and alien weapons, the Khalifa’s forces marched into Abyssinia with machine guns and heat-rays captured from the Egyptians and defeated the Abyssinians in almost every engagement. Yohannes IV, the Emperor of Ethiopia, was even killed by the Mahdists, the last monarch in human history to be slain in battle. The Khalifa established an Islamic theocracy in Abyssinia, much like the one that he ruled over Sudan. He then turned his attention against the old foe: Egypt.

The beginning of the Martian Civil War in 1906 freed up many European forces for fighting elsewhere, and one of the first targets for intervention was Egypt. Citing the Concord’s policy against rebels, the Europeans, primarily the British and the French, sent expeditionary forces to destroy the Mahdist forces. However, these forces were poorly-equipped, typically raw recruits that were intended to be sent to the trenches before the Martian military imploded. In the hostile desert environment, they were regularly defeated by the Mahdists. Many troops refused to fight against fellow humans, with even some officers voicing concern. Fearing being drawn into a conflict immediately after the Great War, the Europeans offered to serve as a peacebroker between Cairo and the Mahdists. Sudan would be granted independence under the Mahdists, while Egypt proper remains under Cairo's government. In exchange for their "aid" to ensure the "protection of the natives from instability and possible Martian aggression" the Europeans asked Egypt to turn the Suez Canal zone and Libya into Concord protectorates - a move which effectively gave those areas to the Europeans. If the Egyptians did not agree to the terms, the Europeans would go relinquish all aid. With the war at a bloody standstill, neither the Egyptians nor the Khalifa wanted to continue the war. Egypt herself was suffering from the strain of fighting against both the Mahdists and the remaining Martian forces in the Sinai. In 1908, just before the official end to the Great War, the Egyptians and the Mahdists signed the Peace of Cairo.

Description
The seeds of the Mahdist Revolution were sown far before 1898. The Sudan had been under Egyptian administration since 1819, when Muhammad Ali of Egypt conquered the territory. The Egyptians were extremely unpopular because of the taxation system they imposed, one that hurt poor farmers the most. During the Martian War, taxes were raised even higher to supply Egyptian soldiers, causing a famine which lasted until the Martians were driven off-world. Thousands of Sudanese were effectively enslaved by the Egyptians during the construction of the Suez Canal and other modernization efforts during and after the Martian War. By the start of the Great War, most Sudanese were supportive of any attempts to avoid or harass Egyptian authorities. The environment was rife for revolution.

The revolutionary spark came in the figure of Muhammad Ahmad, a Muslim cleric who proclaimed himself the Mahdi, a figure expected to purify Islam before the end of the world. The Mahdi criticized the Egyptians for what he perceives as lax religious standards, as well as their taxation and oppression of the Sudanese. Preaching that the Sudanese need to throw out the Egyptians and create a “pure” Islamic nation, the Mahdi became a popular and notorious figure, but his movement would not gain widespread popularity until the Great War.

The Mahdi used the Great War to boost his popularity throughout Sudan. He preached that the Martians were agents of God, sent down to Earth to purify it and punish it for its transgressions. On a more practical level, the Egyptians sent almost their entire military to invade the Martian Middle East, as the Egyptians desired to take the Middle East before the European powers could. Seeing an opportunity to finally overthrow the Egyptians, the Mahdi declared a jihad against Cairo.

Mahdist forces surprised the entire world with their quick victories over the Egyptian forces left in the Sudan. Even infantry equipped with machine guns and heat-rays were overrun by hordes of Sudanese peasants armed only with primitive weapons. The Egyptians initially underestimated the effectiveness of the Mahdists, and elected to keep most of their military fighting against the Martians. It was only after the fall of Khartoum that the Egyptians moved their armies south to stop the Mahdists. But by then it was too late: the Mahdi’s victories further increased his popularity and the belief that he was an agent of God became more and more widespread. By 1900, all of Sudan was under Mahdist control, and the Mahdi proclaimed that it was his destiny to purify the entire Islamic world. And so he sent his forces north, along the Nile, to “liberate” Egypt.

At first, the Europeans welcomed the Mahdi’s successes. After all, he forced the Egyptians, heathen upstarts, to pull out of the Middle East, allowing the European powers to carve out vast swaths of formerly Martian territory from the battered Martian garrisons. However, as the Mahdi marched into Egypt proper, the European powers feared that Egypt would fall to a fanatic, one who would close off the Suez Canal. The Mahdi’s teachings on the Martian role in the cosmos were also disconcerting, as it was widely believed that the Mahdi would forge an alliance with the Martians against their common enemy. However, nothing could be done to aid the Egyptians, as all of Europe’s resources were required to fight Mars.

Europe and Cairo breathed a collective sigh of relief when the Mahdi passed away in 1902. In emulation of the Prophet Muhammad, the Mahdi had picked three successors, all of whom began to fight amongst themselves for leadership over the new Mahdist state. The Mahdist rebels broke into infighting, which allowed the Egyptians to take back most of Sudan. However, by 1903, one of the successors emerged and took the mantle. Abdallahi ibn Muhammad, also known as the Khalifa, took control of the Mahdist movement.

In a string of victories, the Khalifa retook Sudan from the invading Egyptians. However, to the surprise of the entire world, the Khalifa then directed his forces not against Egypt, but against neighboring Abyssinia. The Khalifa’s forces clashed against the Abyssinians after the Mahdi’s death, as the Mahdists raided the country for supplies. There, the Khalifa found many Muslim Abyssinians willing to take up arms against the throne. Reversing the Mahdi’s edicts against modern and alien weapons, the Khalifa’s forces marched into Abyssinia with machine guns and heat-rays captured from the Egyptians and defeated the Abyssinians in almost every engagement. Yohannes IV, the Emperor of Ethiopia, was even killed by the Mahdists, the last monarch in human history to be slain in battle. The Khalifa established an Islamic theocracy in Abyssinia, much like the one that he ruled over Sudan. He then turned his attention against the old foe: Egypt.

The beginning of the Martian Civil War in 1906 freed up many European forces for fighting elsewhere, and one of the first targets for intervention was Egypt. Citing the Concord’s policy against rebels, the Europeans, primarily the British and the French, sent expeditionary forces to destroy the Mahdist forces. However, these forces were poorly-equipped, typically raw recruits that were intended to be sent to the trenches before the Martian military imploded. In the hostile desert environment, they were regularly defeated by the Mahdists. Many troops refused to fight against fellow humans, with even some officers voicing concern. Fearing being drawn into a conflict immediately after the Great War, the Europeans offered to serve as a peacebroker between Cairo and the Mahdists. Sudan would be granted independence under the Mahdists, while Egypt proper remains under Cairo's government. In exchange for their "aid" to ensure the "protection of the natives from instability and possible Martian aggression" the Europeans asked Egypt to turn the Suez Canal zone and Libya into Concord protectorates - a move which effectively gave those areas to the Europeans. If the Egyptians did not agree to the terms, the Europeans would go relinquish all aid. With the war at a bloody standstill, neither the Egyptians nor the Khalifa wanted to continue the war. Egypt herself was suffering from the strain of fighting against both the Mahdists and the remaining Martian forces in the Sinai. In 1908, just before the official end to the Great War, the Egyptians and the Mahdists signed the Peace of Cairo.