The Taaishi are a subdivision of the Baggara people, who live in the desert north of Kordofan in the west of Sudan. A nomadic Arab people, their portrayal in this set is undoubtedly down to their participation in the Mahdist revolt in the 1880s and 1890s, when the Sudan threw off Egyptian/Turkish rule under the leadership of Muhammad Ahmad bin Abd Allah, who proclaimed himself the Mahdi, and who is best known in the West for causing the death of General Gordon at Khartoum in 1885. Shortly after the fall of Khartoum, the Mahdi, which means ‘redeemer of Islam’, died from disease and was replaced by his right-hand man, Abdullah Ibn-Mohammed, the Khalifa, who was from the Taaishi tribe.
The forces of the Mahdi and the Khalifa, known as Dervishes or more properly as Ansar, were drawn from all parts of Sudanese society, but the Taaishi were a major component and a good representative of the Arab elements in the movement. Although attempts were later made to impose some form of uniformity on the Ansar, this was never complete, and particularly in the early years each people wore their own traditional dress.
Aantal soldaatjes;
- 15 Arabieren.
- 12 Kamelen.
Afmeting:
- 24mm (1.73m)
