Contents -- Acknowledgements -- Introduction -- Chapter One Islam in the Sudan -- A Brief Geographical Introduction -- The Arrival of Islam -- The Funj Sultanate -- The Darfur Sultanate -- The Turco-Egyptian Invasion and Occupation -- Causes of the Mahdist Revolt -- The Mahdī's Origins -- Chapter Two Protocol, Ceremony, and Symbols of Authority -- Mystical Islam: Sufi Brotherhoods -- Protocol and Ceremony -- Symbols of Authority -- Chapter Three The Charismatic Leader -- Charisma -- Saints and Zāwiyas -- Mahdist Expectations: The West African Connection -- Chapter Four The Khalīfa and the Routinization of Charismatic Authority -- A New Era for the Mahdiyya -- The Mythic Concordance: The Khalīfa's Claims to Authority -- The Khalīfa's Origins -- The Khalīfa as the Locus of Power and the City of Omdurman -- Chapter Five The Creation of an Islamic State -- State Hierarchy -- Jihad as a Symbol of Legitimacy -- The Treasury -- The Implementation of Sharīʻa -- The Construction of Buildings and Roads -- Conclusion -- Bibliography -- Index.