128 KARR◊R, IBR◊HˆM AND O’FAHEYsurvived the campaign <strong>and</strong> were able to return to the Mahdistbase at ∑awapplerda, <strong>and</strong> afterwards to Dongola. <strong>The</strong> Anßapplerremained on the defensive for the next three years before theyresumed their jihappledist activities against the Egyptian border. In1892 Sir Francis Grenfell, the sirdappler <strong>of</strong> the Egyptian army <strong>and</strong>who had been its comm<strong>and</strong>er against fiAbd al-Ra˛mapplen w. al-Nujümı, h<strong>and</strong>ed over comm<strong>and</strong> to Sir Herbert Kitchener. InMarch 1896 the British Government suddenly authorized anadvance by Anglo-Egyptian forces into Dongola. In April 1896Mu˛ammad fiAbd al-Rahım, now aged eighteen, together with24 fellow Anßappler, was instructed to join the reinforcements thatwere advancing on to Farka (‘Firket’ in contemporary Britishsources). <strong>The</strong> village was further reinforced against the invaders bythe arrival <strong>of</strong> Mahdist forces under the comm<strong>and</strong> <strong>of</strong> ˘ammüda Idrıs,the Mahdist amır at ∑awapplerda. At that time, the Anglo-Egyptianforces were engaged in the construction <strong>of</strong> a railway from WadiHalfa to be pushed up the main Nile in order to support their militaryactivities. <strong>The</strong> progress <strong>of</strong> the construction was hampered by theAnßappler based at Farka. On 1 May 1896 Mu˛ammad fiAbd al-Ra˛ımparticipated in a clash that took place between the Anßappler <strong>and</strong> thecavalry <strong>of</strong> the invaders at fiAqabat al-Banapplet, between Farka <strong>and</strong>fiAkapplesha. To put an end to the Mahdist <strong>of</strong>fensive, Kitchener decidedto attack their base at Farka. On 7 June 1896 the Anßappler were defeatedafter a desperate struggle. <strong>The</strong>ir casualties from the battle numberedseveral hundreds, among whom was amır ˘ammüda Idrıs. <strong>The</strong> survivorsretreated towards Dongola. 9In his autobiography, Mu˛ammad fiAbd al-Ra˛ım relates that hewas supposed to participate in the battle <strong>of</strong> al-˘afır which took placeon 19 September 1896 against the invading army. Shortly before thefight, however, he, together with ten fellow Anßappler, was instructed bythe amır Mu˛ammad Bushapplera, the Mahdist comm<strong>and</strong>er in Dongola,to escort some <strong>of</strong> the Sokkot <strong>and</strong> Ma˛as notables to Omdurman. 10According to Shuqayr, the Mahdists suspected the loyalty <strong>of</strong> these9 fiAbd al-Ra˛ım, ‘Tarjamat al-mu√allif’, alif, <strong>and</strong> Shuqayr, Ta√rıkh al-Südapplen,1202.10 fiAbd al-Ra˛ım, ‘Tarjamat al-mu√allif’, alif.