Detail from ‘General Gordon’s Last Stand’, by George W. Joy (1844-1925). The choice of Gordon was justified by his vast experience, having served in the Crimean War of 1853-1856, in China against the Taiping Rebellion of 1864, and then from 1874 to 1880 in the Sudan on behalf of Egypt, where one of his chief responsibilities was shutting down the stubbornly persistent trade in slaves. Gladstone was also influenced in his choice of Gordon by journalist William Stead, a long-standing Gladstonian Liberal who was Gordon’s friend, and who had recently interviewed him for the ‘Pall Mall Gazette’.
Introduction
In 1884, General Charles Gordon was sent to the Sudan, then under British control, to deal with a revolt by Muhammad Ahmad, who claimed to be a figure of Islamic prophecy, the ‘Mahdi’. Gordon found himself cut off in Khartoum, and the events that followed forced Prime Minister William Gladstone to resign.
IN 1884, the Sudan was faced with rule by Egypt, then in British hands, or rule by the rebel Muhammad Ahmad, the self-proclaimed ‘Mahdi’ of Islam.* Back home in London, Prime Minister William Gladstone sympathised with Ahmad, whom he saw as a freedom-fighter. But General Gordon,* who until recently had been Administrator of the Sudan, tasked with stamping out slavery, was better acquainted with the region than most Westerners were, and regarded the ‘Mahdi’ as an extremist.
Gordon’s brief was now to bolster garrisons isolated by the revolt, but he was trapped at Khartoum, and besieged for ten months. With London hesitant, Gordon’s resistance eventually broke on January 26th, 1885; Gordon, the whole garrison and four thousand Sudanese civilians were massacred. The public outcry forced Gladstone’s resignation;* and Ahmad proved the General’s fears well-founded by putting the Sudan under strict Islamic law, until General Kitchener’s victory at the Battle of Omdurman on September 2nd, 1898, helped to restore British control.
Muhammad Ahmad (1840-1885) was one of several Sudanese Muslim rebels and rulers claiming to be the ‘Mahdi’, a quasi-messianic religious and political leader prophesied in both Shia and Sunni Islam (but not the Koran). The Mahdi was expected to visit earth with Jesus to defeat the powers of evil, before ushering in the day of judgement. After Ahmad’s death in 1885, his successor ruled in the Sudan until Kitchener restored British control in 1898.
General Charles Gordon (1833-1885) had been sent to the Sudan on the recommendation of his friend, the journalist William Stead, who had featured Gordon in the ‘Pall Mall Gazette’ in what is regarded as the world’s first newspaper interview. See The Man who Made the Headlines. It was Stead’s poignant reporting of the siege and the death of Gordon, and accusations of dithering under the headline ‘Too Late!’, that helped force Gladstone from office.
Précis
In 1884 Muhammad Ahmad, calling himself the ‘Mahdi’ of Islam, laid siege to Khartoum in the Sudan. After nearly a year, the British garrison was overcome. General Gordon died along with all his soldiers and thousands of townspeople, and the rebels remained in control for over a decade. William Gladstone’s failure to intervene cost him his post as Prime Minister. (60 / 60 words)
In 1884 Muhammad Ahmad, calling himself the ‘Mahdi’ of Islam, laid siege to Khartoum in the Sudan. After nearly a year, the British garrison was overcome. General Gordon died along with all his soldiers and thousands of townspeople, and the rebels remained in control for over a decade. William Gladstone’s failure to intervene cost him his post as Prime Minister.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 65 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: about, despite, just, may, not, or, otherwise, unless.
Archive
Word Games
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Hesitant. Regard. Rule.
2 Four. Garrison. Prime.
3 Battle. Better. Thousand.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Opposites Find in Think and Speak
Suggest words or phrases that seem opposite in meaning to each of the words below. We have suggested some possible answers; see if you can find any others.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1.
Fearful.
2.
General.
3.
Home.
4.
More.
5.
Out.
6.
Public.
7.
Regard.
8.
Rule.
9.
Whole.
Variations: 1.instead of opposites, suggest words of similar meaning (synonyms). 2.use a word and its opposite in the same sentence. 3.suggest any 5 opposites formed by adding dis-.
Confusables Find in Think and Speak
In each group below, you will find words that are similar to one another, but not exactly the same. Compose your own sentences to bring out the similarities and differences between them, whether in meaning, grammar or use.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1.
A lot.
Much.
2.
Acquaint.
Acquit.
3.
Break.
Snap.
4.
Publicity.
Public.
5.
Revolution.
Revolt.
6.
Revolutionary.
Rebel.
7.
See.
Notice.
8.
Seen.
Scene.
9.
Then.
Next.
High Tiles Find in Think and Speak
Make words (three letters or more) from the seven letters showing below, using any letter once only. Each letter carries a score. What is the highest-scoring word you can make?
x
0
Add
Your Words ()
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