Historical Discord in the Nile Valley (Series in Islam and Society in Africa)

This book focuses on the conflicting interpretations by Egyptian, Sudanese and European writers of the history of the Nile Valley during four periods: Egypt's rule in the Sudan, 1821-85; the Mahdist state, 1885-98; the struggle for independence, 1952-5; and finally the Sudan's civil war between the dominant Muslim North and the non-Muslim South since 1955. The sources are primarily Egyptian and Sudanese, European eye-witness accounts being limited to periods when Britain played a dominant role in the Nile Valley. Egypt's quest for the "Unity of the Nile Valley" led to that unity being portrayed in Egyptian historical writings as the natural outcome of geographic, economic and cultural factors. Her expansion, at the behest of her weak and primitive southern neighbor, bringing progress and civilization to the Sudan, became part of that legacy. Both the Mahdist revolt and the Condominium were portrayed by Egyptian writers as unwelcome interruptions of that unity and blamed primarily on British imperialism. Unity remained a central theme in Egypt's historical legacy. Sudanese writings on the same periods present a fascinating puzzle. Their assessment of Egypt's contribution to the Sudan's progress is on the whole negative and portrays Egypt's legacy in the Upper Nile Valley as one of colonialism, not unlike that of Britain in the twentieth century. The Mahdiyya, on the other hand, is viewed from Khartoum as an Islamic protest against foreign rule and credited with protonationalist aims, leading to independence. The story becomes even more involved in the twentieth century. Egyptian politicians and historians regarded unity as an inseparable part of their anti-colonial struggle. Why then did the Sudan opt for independence rather than unity in 1955? The answer, as indicated convincingly in this study, was the inevitable outcome of the deep suspicions felt by most Sudanese towards their strong and dominating neighbor. The final part of the book concentrates on the Sud


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