Anglo-Egyptian Sudan
After the first world war, Egyptian nationalism greatly increased. There was a fear that if the Egyptians were to gain independence, they would also claim Sudan. Therefore, the British tried to gain Sudanese support by speaking to local leaders and prominent figures. One son of the Mahdi, ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Mahdi, was becoming increasingly pro-British after the first world war and would pledge his sword to the British crown in 1919. The British now had generally better relations with the Sudanese religious elite given the Mahdist threat was mostly on their side now.