How did heavy taxation contribute to discontent in Sudan before the Mahdist revolt?

Under the Turco-Egyptian regime in Sudan, taxation was a significant source of public resentment that fueled the Mahdist revolt.

Early in the occupation, the administration of Muhammad Ali imposed taxes that amounted to the virtual confiscation of gold, livestock, and enslaved people, leading to intense opposition and localized rebellions. While later governors like Ali Khurshid Agha implemented more equitable systems and exempted religious leaders from taxation to secure their support, the underlying tension remained a core grievance for many Sudanese.12

By the time of the Mahdist movement, the Baqqarah Arabs—the cattle-herding nomads of Kordofan and Darfur—were particularly driven by their hatred of taxes and their general disdain for the central government. Their deep-seated economic frustration made them the vital "shock troops" of the Mahdist revolutionary army, providing the numbers and enthusiasm necessary to challenge and eventually overthrow the Turco-Egyptian administration.34