colony · Egypt, North Africa and Sudan

Turco-Egyptian Sudan

1821 CE – 1885 CE · capital Khartoum

The Turkiyya, Egyptian rule over Sudan from 1821, which created Sudan's borders and capital before collapsing in the Mahdist revolt.

Origins

In 1820 to 1821 armies sent by Egypt under Muhammad Ali, led by his son Ismail Pasha, conquered the Funj Sultanate and Kordofan, seeking gold and slaves for the army. Ismail was killed by the Ja'ali chief at Shendi in 1822, and harsh reprisals followed. Khartoum became the capital in the 1820s.

Rule and society

Governors-general ruled through Turkish, Egyptian and European officials, imposing heavy taxes. Merchants opened the White Nile and the south to the ivory and slave trades, with private armies such as that of Zubayr's Bahr al-Ghazal. The Khedivate of Egypt annexed Darfur in 1874 and Equatoria, and appointed Charles Gordon governor-general to suppress the slave trade.

Decline and legacy

From 1881 the Mahdi, Muhammad Ahmad, led a revolt against Egyptian rule. His forces took Khartoum in January 1885, killing Gordon, and founded the Mahdist State. The Turkiyya left Sudan with its capital, much of its territory and a lasting legacy of the slave trade.

Lineage

Funj Sultanate 1504 CE – 1821 CEDarfur Sultanate 1600 CE – 1916 CEZubayr's Bahr al-Ghazal 1856 CE – 1874 CETurco-Egyptian SudanMahdist State 1885 CE – 1899 CE

Connections (3)

More states of Egypt, North Africa and Sudan →

Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Turco-Egyptian Sudan. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/turco-egyptian-sudan
MLA
“Turco-Egyptian Sudan.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/turco-egyptian-sudan. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Turco-Egyptian Sudan.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/turco-egyptian-sudan.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Turco-Egyptian Sudan’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/turco-egyptian-sudan (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻