some of the Sudanese women
affect), was strictly forbidden, and woe to the woman who thus adorned
herself; not only was her false hair forcibly torn from her, but her
real hair as well.

All these innovations the Mahdi justified by the divinity of his
mission. He announced that he was the last of the prophets, and that the
end of the world was near; further, he said that during his lifetime the
prophet Jesus would appear, and that the whole world would become
Moslem; he therefore urged the people to repentance and prayer, and do
all in their power to further the Jehad (or holy war). Why should they
seek after riches when in a very short time the world would cease to
exist? It is easy to see how such teaching as this must eventually
result in famine and destruction. The Mahdi forbade all weeping and
wailing for the dead, on the grounds that to die in such times as the
present for the Mahdi's cause was an honour and reward which would
without fail secure paradise to them. As for those who did not have the
good fortune to die, the Mahdi urged them to show their contempt for the
pleasures of this life by continual fasting, prayer, and repentance. If
a man were suffering from hunger, he recommended him to tighten his
belt, whilst his more fanatical adherents advised placing a heavy stone
on the stomach. He further ordained that the poorest of clothes should
be worn, the feet bared or in sandals, and, in imitation of the
Prophet's example, the hard floor should be chosen as the place on which
to sleep. He made curious regulations regarding the manufacture of
jibbehs (_i.e._ the Mahdi uniform coat); they should be made of damur, a
rough cotton fabric of the Sudan, and if torn, they should be mended
with new patches or old rags, but that on no account should a new jibbeh
ever be worn.

All these innovations, which were based on religious motives, were
intended by him to enforce unity and cohesion amongst his followers, and
at the same time they had the effect of hardening them to undergo the
perils of war without complaint; for the Mahdi thoroughly understood as
long as men were rich they would fear death, and that a luxurious and
comfortable mode of life was the worst possible training for war. The
Mahdi always conducted prayers in public, and his followers considered
it a very great privilege to be permitted to take part in worship with
him; consequently, when he prayed, his followers came in their
thousands, and ranged th