Part 1 of my story about General Charles Gordon (aka Gordon of Khartoum).
General Charles Gordon (Gordon of Khartoum) was a British soldier who defended the city of Khartoum during the Sudanese Mahdist revolt in the 1880’s.
He was killed at the end of the siege of Khartoum in January 1885 and his death reached legendary heights as an example of heroism, selflessness and acceptance of duty in Queen Victoria’s British Empire.
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Charles George Gordon was already a British hero.
A maverick general who had fought for the Chinese in the Taiping Rebellion earning himself the nickname "Chinese Gordon".
He then went on to work for the Egyptians as Governor of the Sudan (Gordon Pasha) where his attempts to stamp out the Arab slave trade brought him up against vested interests both in Sudan and with corrupt Egyptian officials.
During a sabbatical break he went to the Holy Land and claimed that he had found the real site of Jesus's burial - the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem.
When the Sudanese Mahdist revolt broke out, the press and the British public urged the government to send Gordon back to Sudan.
The government, wary of Gordon's maverick tendencies eventually sent him with specific orders to evacuate Egyptian and foreign nationals.
By the time Charles Gordon had arrived in Khartoum he had decided on another plan...to defend the city
The Mahdi’s army soon besieged Khartoum.
Cut off and with food supplies dwindling, Gordon appealed to the British government to send a military expedition to relieve the city (and defeat the Mahdist revolt in the process. Exactly what the British Prime Minister, Gladstone, had been wary of all along.
With the Press now clamouring to rescue their darling, now referred to Gordon of Khartoum, the government felt compelled to organise a military expedition under General Sir Garnett Wolseley.
Eventually on the 28th January, a small flotilla of steamboats carrying a 20-man advance guard of British soldiers arrived at Khartoum only to discover that the siege of Khartoum had ended 2 days before hand as the Mahdist army (often called “Dervishes” by the British) had stormed the city killing General Gordon killing Gordon in the battle of Khartoum.
Gordon of Khartoum was now elevated from hero to almost mystical status.
The famous painting “Gordon’s Last Stand” shows him meekly accepting death as a Christian martyr against the forces of Islam.
Whether that is exactly how Gordon died is a matter of dispute but the Victorian PR machine went into overdrive and the legend of Gordon of Khartoum became a cornerstone in the story of the British Empire.
This is the story of Gordon of Khartoum…the man and the legend.
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My name is Chris Green ("The History Chap") and I am on a mission to share the amazing history of Britain so that we can appreciate where we have come from and why we are here.
History should not be stuffy or a long list of dates or kings & queens.
So rather than lectures or RU-vid animations, I tell stories that bring the past to life.
My aim is to be chat as if I were having a coffee or meal with you. Jean in Maryland, USA recently wrote: "Chris, is the history teacher I wish I had at school!"
Just for the record, I do have a history degree and continue to have a passion for the subject I studied.
Disclaimer: All opinions and comments expressed in the 'Comments' section do not reflect the opinions of Chris Green Communication Ltd t/a The History Chap. All opinions and comments should contribute to the dialogue. Chris Green Communication Ltd does not condone written attacks, insults, racism, sexism, extremism, violence or otherwise questionable comments or material in the 'Comments' section, and reserves the right to delete any comment violating this rule or to block any poster from the channel.
Disclaimer: All opinions and comments expressed in the 'Comments' section do not reflect the opinions of Chris Green Communication Ltd t/a The History Chap. All opinions and comments should contribute to the dialogue. Chris Green Communication Ltd does not condone written attacks, insults, racism, sexism, extremism, violence or otherwise questionable comments or material in the 'Comments' section, and reserves the right to delete any comment violating this rule or to block any poster from the channel.
28 сен 2024