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Uthman b. Abdallahi al-Taishi, titled shaykh al-din, was the eldest son of the Khalifa Abdallahi. Born c. 1874, Uthman was only a young child when the Mahdist Revolution began and spent much of his youth growing up in the Mahdist camp, where his father fretted for him continually. However, despite this, Uthman received an in-depth religious education, particularly once the conquest of Khartoum had been carried out in 1885. He was known to speak in 'Omdurmani' Arabic as opposed to the western dialect spoken by his relatives and was consumed by contemporary culture (he had a special penchant for drinking, dancing-girls, and crossdressers i.e. mukhannathin). Ultimately, Uthman's debauchery would earn him his father's censure and a house arrest. Later, with the abortive Ashraf coup in Nov. 1891, Uthman would be placed in command of his father's mulazimiyya guardsmen and honorary ownership of all rifle-bearing soldiers in the capital. Uthman's father also began to groom him as his sucessor. During this period of heightened influence, Uthman proved himself to be highly aware of foreign affairs and unsuccessfully advocated for an alliance with the French via Abyssinia. However, though educated, he lacked military capability and had a lackluster performance at the battle of Karari (2 Sept., 1898). Uthman was subsequently wounded and captured at the battle of Umm Dibaykarat (24 Nov., 1899); he would die a year later in Rosetta after his wounds became gangrenous from malcare by his captors.
References:
Ibrahim Fawzi, Kitab al-Sudan bayna yaday Ghurdun wa-Kitshinir, 2 vols. (1319 AH /1901-1902 AD), 2/166-170.
Richard Hill, Biographical Dictionary of the Sudan, 2nd edn (1967), 370, 408 s.v. "Uthman Shaikh al-Din Abd Allahi al-Taaishi."
Ismat Hasan Zulfu, Karari (1973), 261-262; (1980), 86-87.
Vivienne Amina Yagi, Rijal hawl al-Mahdi, trans. Makki Bashir Mustafa (2001), 44-51.
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