Battle of Toski: Egyptian and British troops victorious

Background. Since 1882, the British controlled Egypt and were involved in the Mahdist War. Mahdist forces maintained ambitions to spread their faith to Egypt. In 1889, Khalifa Abdallahi ibn Muhammad sent Emir Wad-el-Nujumi with an army of 6,000 men into Egypt for this purpose.

Prelude. The Mahdist army avoided Wadi Halfa, where most Egyptian troops were garrisoned. Instead, they camped at Toski by the Nile, located 76 km north of the Egypt–Sudan border. This positioning set the stage for the engagement between the Anglo-Egyptian forces and the Mahdist forces of Sudan.

Outcome. The battle demonstrated the fighting qualities of the reformed Egyptian Army, including newly raised Sudanese units that comprised four of the six infantry battalions present. The victory effectively ended the Mahdist threat to Egypt, marking a significant shift in the regional military balance.