Egyptian Sudan 6 When the English occupied Egypt in 1882, they set their sights on dismantling the Egyptian Empire and taking possession of Sudan. Their justification for remaining was the "political and financial disturbances" in Egypt and the danger of the Mahdi in Sudan. Gordon described the Mahdi as a "movement of despair," after the English intensified their efforts to abolish the *nakhamah* (a form of local taxation or tribute) and, by imposing harsh conditions, drove people to despair. After filling Sudan with foreign rulers and sidelining Egyptians and Sudanese, and after occupying Egypt and dominating it, including its government, they took the revolution to the point where they were forced to withdraw. Sir Barring (Lord Cromer) argued that Egypt's budget bore an annual deficit of £260,000 from Sudan's budget, making it too weak to bear this burden. However, this claim was a means to sever Sudan from Egypt, as their ultimate goal later required many times this expense. They burdened Egypt's treasury with £400,000 annually for the occupation army. When they sent Gordon to evacuate Sudan, the rebels defeated him, and they (the British) were left with what they had and Egypt's money for a campaign. The cost of the campaign reached 11 million pounds, and Egypt's treasury paid £996,060 of Gordon's debts during his siege, of which £657,258 was to foreigners, not to mention the Egyptian army that was lost in Sudan after its abandonment, and the losses of Egyptians, their money, and their property, as well as forts, warships, and merchant vessels. Then came the expenses of reconquering Sudan, which exceeded seven million pounds. All this money was spent over 16 years, an economic loss equivalent to spending a thousand pounds in one or two years. But they did not want economy; rather, they wanted to separate Sudan and then reclaim it, not for Egypt.