The Canadian Army Journal

126
THREE EMPIRES ON THE NILE: THE VICTORIAN JIHAD,
1869-1899
GREEN, Dominic. Free Press, 2007. HC, 328.
Reviewed by Major Andrew B. Godefroy CD, PhD
We are all inclined to accept that too often history
repeats itself and if one is a believer of this axiom then
Domic Green’s ‘Three Empires on the Nile’ was
specifically crafted to portray it. Examining what he
has coined as ‘The Victorian Jihad, 1869-1899’,
Green takes the reader through a fascinating
examination of the rise and fall of the Islamic empire
formed in the Sudan under the self-proclaimed
messiah known as the Mahdi.
Beginning with the opening of the Suez Canal in
1869, Green traces the roots and rise of hostilities in
the region and its ultimate clash with European
powers. What makes this book both different and
enjoyable to read, is that much of the text is written
from either the Sudanese or Egyptian point of view
while still intertwining significant events and decision
points made in both Britain and France. Too often this
story is told from the sights of the British government
under Disraeli or Gladstone or even the British high
command, so it is refreshing to examine these conflicts more from ‘the other side of the
hill’.
Broken into several smaller chapters (11 in all), Green takes the reader step by step
through the arrival of European influences in early modern Egypt and Sudan, the
proclamation and rise of the Mahdi, and his eventual clash with Egyptian, Sudanese, and
finally British forces. For those unfamiliar with this period in history, the reader will
discover just how brutal and unforgiving conflict was in this region both prior to the arrival
of Europeans as well as after their settlements and intervention. For example, Green is
careful to explain the scope and magnitude of the indigenous slave trade in Africa and
its influence in the exacerbation of conflict between Egyptians, Sudanese, and Arabic
peoples. The numbers of slaves being taken annually for eastern destinations are
simply massive compared to those shipped to the west. According to Green’s research,
these and other related events during this period form the deep roots of conflict that are
still being waged today in the war-torn regions of the Sudan and its surrounding
neighbours, and may have played a greater role in that conflict than any western
influence or intervention.
Though Green has not offered anything particularly new in terms of primary
evidence or sources, he has effectively crafted a very readable and engaging history that
will make excellent reading for those with a general interest in the period or about the
roots of modern Islamic jihad. He is also not afraid to critically examine traditionally
sacrosanct figures in British military history such as Charles ‘Chinese’ Gordon, General
Sir Horatio Herbert Kitchener, the young Winston Churchill, or even Major General
Hector MacDonald. His dispassionate analysis of both these figures and many of the
leaders of the Egyptian and Sudanese armies is refreshing and adds considerable
contextual clarity to the telling of the overall story. He provides a good general account
of the battle of Omdurman though makes some mistakes in the details. For example, he
Canadian Army Journal Vol. 11.1 Spring 2008