Conflicts & Resolutions · Battle

Battle of Shaykan

1883 · 19th century · Also known as Battle of El Obeid · Part of the Mahdist War

The Battle of Shaykan was fought on 3–5 November 1883 in the forest of Shaykan near El Obeid in Kordofan, Sudan. The Mahdi's Ansar surrounded and destroyed an Egyptian army under the British officer William Hicks, leaving few survivors. The victory gave the Mahdists control of western Sudan and large stocks of modern weapons, and convinced Britain to abandon the Sudan.

Battle of Shaykan
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Mentioned in 1 state history

Mahdist State

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Battle of Shaykan. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/battle-of-shaykan
MLA
“Battle of Shaykan.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/battle-of-shaykan. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Battle of Shaykan.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/battle-of-shaykan.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Battle of Shaykan’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/battle-of-shaykan (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻