Controversy Surrounding the Grand Qāá¸ī of the Sudan, 1899 ”“ 1956: A Historical Analysis

Abstract

Abstract: The establishment of a nominally Anglo-Egyptian partnership, but practically a defacto British rule in the Sudan, led the British to appoint Egyptians in religious posts, including the position of the Grand Qāá¸ī. But the British drive to de-Egyptianise the Sudan administration, and the steady rise of Sudanese nationalism led the British government, after a long acrimonious debate, to appoint a Sudanese to be the Grand Qāá¸ī. This move, the historical survey shows, was well received by the Sudanese ‘ulamā and the Muftī apparently went to the extent of “fabricating” religious evidence in its favour.