19 Facts About Osman Digna

Osman Digna was claimed to be a descendant from the Abbasid family.

In Britain, Osman Digna became a notorious figure, both demonised as a savage and respected as a warrior.

Osman Digna's father was a Kurd and his mother hailed from the Hadendoa tribe of the Beja people.

Osman Digna's birthplace is not documented, but Suakin was said to be the town, where he was born.

Osman Digna lived in Alexandria, Egypt, where he dealt in the selling of slaves.

Osman Digna was the leader of a powerful army around Suakin.

Osman Digna's first battle was an attempt to capture a Turkish-held fort at Sinkat in 1883.

Osman Digna is named in The Battle of El-Teb, a poem by William McGonagall.

The defeats did not destroy the Mahdists, and Osman Digna remaining in control of his supporters.

Osman Digna presented the battle as a victory, saying that the British had fled "in fear".

Osman Digna wrote to the Mahdi claiming that he had inflicted 8,000 casualties on the British, with only 2,000 of his own troops killed.

Nevertheless, the British campaign had achieved very little, as Osman Digna "retained both Sinkat and Tokar and the Suakin-Berber route was controlled by the Ansar [Mahdists]".

Osman Digna later served under the Mahdi's successor Abdallahi ibn Muhammad, who launched a series of military operations in subsequent years.

Osman Digna took command of a Mahdist force invading Ethiopia in 1885, but was defeated by Ethiopian general Ras Alula at the Battle of Kufit on 23 September.

Osman Digna suffered a bloody reverse at the hands of General Grenfell, and was wounded at the arm.

Until 1891, Osman Digna continued to direct Mahdist forces in eastern Sudan, fending off Egyptian forces.

Osman Digna managed to lead a few thousand warriors on a retreat to the south, and most of the remainder were killed or captured, including Mahmud, who was captured by Sudanese troops of the Egyptian Brigade.

In 1899 Osman Digna fought in the last campaign of the Mahdist forces, whose strength had been broken in the previous year at Omdurman.

Osman Digna tried to reach safety in the Hejaz, but on 19 January 1900, he was captured near Tokar and sent as a prisoner to Rosetta.