In 1820, the Ottoman ruler of Egypt, Muhammad Ali Pasha and his son Ismail Pasha invaded and conquered northern Sudan. Under the new government established in 1821, the Egyptian soldiers occupied Sudan. The Egyptian government raised the taxes in Sudan and in order to search the hidden gold in the pyramids, the Egyptian also destroyed many ancient Meroitic pyramids in Sudan.
Slave trading increased, and many Sudanese were forced to leave their country in order to escape from the slave traders. However, as Egyptian rule became more secure, the government became less harsh and started to expect Sudan to be more self-supporting.
In 1869, the opening of Suez Canal played an important role in Egypt and Sudan’s economic. Both country’s economic increased enormously, which caught the Great Power’s attention; especially the United Kingdom.
Opening of Suez Canal
Sudanese Slavery
In 1879, Ismail Pasha’s government failed due to immense foreign debt towards the western country. The Great Powers abdicated Ismail Pasha and replaced Tewfik Pasha for the spot. Because of this, the foreign power gained its reason to stick their noses into Egypt and Sudan’s affairs. The Sudanese and Egyptian nationalists were angered by this and brought up the Orabi Revolt.
The British came back in 1896. They re-established their control of Sudan and helped Abbas II (Tewfik’s son) to become the leader of Egypt and Sudan. The British claimed that its influence in Egypt was officially “advisory”, so they had the right to control Sudan.
Nasser assumed
power in 1952
In 1954,British withdrew all the troops they set in Egypt, but still maintained their forces in Sudan. It was the Egyptian Revolution in 1952 which finally set a series of events in motion which would eventually end the British occupation in Sudan.
In 1953, the Egypt’s new leaders Muhammad Naguib and Gamal Abdel Nasser believed that the only way to really end the British domination in Sudan, was for Egpyt itself to officially abandon its sovereignty over Sudan. This way the United Kingdom would have no reason to claim its control in Sudan.In 1956 1st January, finally Sudan gained its independence. Ending its 136 years ruling by Egypt and its 55 years occupation by the British.