Khartoum as the threshold of Central Africa

As the centre of all commerce in the vast region between Lower Egypt and Sudan, Khartoum had a strong economic relationship with its hinterland, notably the White Nile and its tributary, the Gazelle-river. Situated at the junction of the White and the Blue Nile, practically all caravans crossing from north to south and west to east had to pass by the town. The two Niles brought plenty of products from the southern regions: ivory from elephants, hippopotami and rhinoceroses, Arabian gum, gold-dust, ostrich feathers and, of course, slaves. On the great Nile, these goods were taken along from Khartoum to Cairo and Alexandria and further to the Mediterranean Sea, where most of the goods were distributed to European countries or exchanged for European products.

After Egypt's conquest of the Mamluk dynasty in 1820, the new viceroy (or khedive or pasha), Muhammad Ali, introduced Turkish rule under the command of the Turkish Sultan who held seat in Constantinople. After its definitive conquest (in 1821), Egyptian provided Sudan with a governor generalship that covered the provinces of Dongola, Berbera, Khartoum, Sennār, Taka, Fazogli and Kordofan. Shortly after, a military settlement was established at the confluence of the two Nile-rivers. This settlement was given the name ‘Khar-toum’, which meant ‘elephant trunk’ in Arabic. Situated in the middle of the desert as the centre of the armed forces in Sudan, the garrisons were soon surrounded by shops and shelters for officers, administrators, suppliers and merchants. A market grew, attracting people from the vicinity with products from the countryside which could be exchanged for Egyptian merchandise. As many caravan routes led to Khartoum, within a few decades this settlement and village became a town and a commercial centre.

During the 1840s, Westerners began to flow into Sudan. A mixed company of foreigners, mostly Frenchmen and some Austrians, arrived in Sudan after having been invited by Muhammad Ali, the viceroy of Egypt. Ali had a keen eye for the foreign expertise he needed. Though Europeans from different nations travelled to Egypt and attempted to reach the more southern regions by following the Nile, the presence of Frenchmen was primarily a consequence of their engagements in Muhammad Ali's governmental service.