WI: Mahdists Spread into Arabia

What if Mahdists Spread into Arabia?

The Sudanese Mahdists, perhaps instead of fighting Ethiopia, push across the Red Sea into the Hejaz. The goal of this invasion being to spread their movement to the very center of Islam and the holy cities. How would the peoples of Arabia, in particular the Emirate of Nejd, have reacted to the Mahdists? Ottoman reaction? Impact?
 
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Were the British actually blockading the Red Sea?Also,how big was the Ottoman navy in the Red Sea?

Does either of that matter if the Mahdi has no ships, no ports and no shipbuilders used to doing anything other than building river craft?

I mean it's a three stage process. First they've got to capture a port- probably Suakin which survived a lengthy siege OTL. Then they've got to keep the navy there, then they've got to use the navy to cross the channel. The British weren't blockading the Red Sea IOTL because they didn't need to. ITTL you can bet that they'd be sweeping the Sudanese coast sinking any ship large enough to carry troops.
 
I think the fundamental issue here is where are they getting a navy from?

I mean it's a three stage process. First they've got to capture a port- probably Suakin which survived a lengthy siege OTL. Then they've got to keep the navy there, then they've got to use the navy to cross the channel. The British weren't blockading the Red Sea IOTL because they didn't need to. ITTL you can bet that they'd be sweeping the Sudanese coast sinking any ship large enough to carry troops.

Did the Royal Navy have the resources in place to blockade and patrol the Red Sea? They seemed pretty hesitant to get involved in the war at first. Why would Mahdists attacking the Ottomans spur them to quick action? If it wasn't for Gordon's suicidal efforts and the need to avenge him they might have just abandon Sudan to the Mahdists altogether.

In regard to the invasion OTL Mahdist state lasted 14 years so they do have the time to come up with something. If Aksum managed to do it a thousand years earlier I think the Mahdists have a chance. If an invasion seems unlikely perhaps just small detachments can spread the Mahdi's message.
 
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Did the Royal Navy have the resources in place to blockade and patrol the Red Sea? They seemed pretty hesitant to get involved in the war at first. Why would Mahdists attacking the Ottomans spur them to quick action? If it wasn't for Gordon's suicidal efforts and the need to avenge him they might have just abandon Sudan to the Mahdists altogether.

In regard to the invasion OTL Mahdist state lasted 14 years so they do have the time to come up with something. If Aksum managed to do it a thousand years earlier I think the Mahdists have a chance. If an invasion seems unlikely perhaps just small detachments can spread the Mahdi's message.

Yes the British will care. For starters there's the fact that any attack on a suitable port will come after the conquest of British land- and even if Gordon is somehow out of Khartoum it's likely that some sort of atrocity will take place. There's the fact that a potentially hostile power with a naval force in the Red Sea threatens the trade through Suez to India. There's the fact that the Mahdists gaining more support through having the religious authority of holding Mecca may threaten British control in Egypt, and there's the fact that if the Mahdist ideology gets an air of religious authority it may prove troublesome for the British in areas such as India, Malaya, Nigeria etc. etc.

Of course the political situation in the Hedjaz is also very different in terms of getting popular support without having the army actually there.

Also found this on captured boats:

Dervish Converted & Captured Steamers

River boats on the Nile. Even if the Mahdi actually managed to get those to a usable Red Sea Port, mounting an invasion with them is almost exactly a 19th Century Arabian Sealion.
 
Yes the British will care. For starters there's the fact that any attack on a suitable port will come after the conquest of British land- and even if Gordon is somehow out of Khartoum it's likely that some sort of atrocity will take place. There's the fact that a potentially hostile power with a naval force in the Red Sea threatens the trade through Suez to India. There's the fact that the Mahdists gaining more support through having the religious authority of holding Mecca may threaten British control in Egypt, and there's the fact that if the Mahdist ideology gets an air of religious authority it may prove troublesome for the British in areas such as India, Malaya, Nigeria etc. etc.

Of course the political situation in the Hedjaz is also very different in terms of getting popular support without having the army actually there.

River boats on the Nile. Even if the Mahdi actually managed to get those to a usable Red Sea Port, mounting an invasion with them is almost exactly a 19th Century Arabian Sealion.

Oh well I guess its a nonstarter. Now I know why the Mahdists didn't attempt it OTL.
 
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