INTRODUCTIOI^^ xvii 



stronghold named Geru, in the district of Dar Gorani in 

 western Wadai. He did this partly in furtherance of an 

 unfortunate opposition to the French conquest of these 

 perturbed regions in the very heart of Africa. The Senusi 1 

 djTiasty was never enlightened enough to perceive the } 

 wickedness of the Slave Trade, and it resented the efforts ] 

 of the French to put down the shocking slave raiding of J 

 the Wadai Muhammadans. 



The French armies however were victorious, and the 

 Second Senusi died of disappointment in Wadai. 



The Third in succession was the son of his brother, 

 ^luhammad ash- Sharif and was named Ahmad ash- 

 Sharif. He was chosen by the confraternity because the 

 sons of ISIuhammad al Mahdi were deemed to be too 

 young for the cares and responsibilities of this Pope-like 

 position. Ahmad ash- Sharif re-established his capital at 

 Kufara, but in spite of his recognition as supreme head 

 of the institution attempts were made by the confraternity 

 to ignore the death of the Second Senusi, to announce 

 that he was travelling on secret business, that he would 

 one day return to resume the supreme power vested mean- 

 time in his nephew. It is possible this fiction was set about 

 by those who were led to distrust the wisdom of Ahmad 

 the Third Senusi. 



Ahmad apparently decided that the Brotherhood 

 should offer unstinted opposition to the French in Central 

 Africa, and that they should ally themselves with the 

 Turkish Sultan whom his grandfather had derided and 

 opposed as an effete and heretical ruler. Between 1902 

 and 1909, Senusis were fighting the French advance on 

 Wadai and contiguous countries. In 1910 Turkish troops 

 advanced for the first time beyond Fazan into the Tibesti 

 mountains and Borku. But in the following year they 

 were withdrawn northwards to oppose the Italian invasion 

 of Tripoli. Sayyid Ahmad ash-Sharif, the Senusi leader, 



