The Mahdi, who was a religious leader and a revolutionary, was born in 1844 in the Dongola province of Sudan. He was a member of the Samaniyya Sufi order and gained a reputation for his piety and asceticism. In 1881, he declared himself the Mahdi, the prophesied redeemer of Islam, and launched a revolt against the Egyptian rule of Sudan. His movement gained widespread support among the Sudanese people, who were disillusioned with the oppressive policies of the Egyptian government. The Mahdi's forces achieved several victories against the Egyptian army, and in 1885, they captured Khartoum, the capital of Sudan. The Mahdi established a new government in Sudan, which he ruled until his death in 1885. His movement continued to resist British and Egyptian attempts to reconquer Sudan, and it was not until 1898 that the Mahdist state was finally defeated by the Anglo-Egyptian forces at the Battle of Omdurman.