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Al-Hajar printing press in Sudan (The Stone Press)
Printing is considered one of humanity’s greatest inventions due to its importance in capturing and disseminating knowledge. The printing press, in its various forms, significantly contributed to the growth and development of many civilizations in Europe, the Far East, and the Arab world.
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Printing is considered one of humanity’s greatest inventions due to its importance in capturing and disseminating knowledge. The printing press, in its various forms, significantly contributed to the growth and development of many civilizations in Europe, the Far East, and the Arab world.
In Sudan, the introduction of the printing press is linked to Egyptian rule under Mohamed Ali Pasha. The first printing press to enter Sudan was a small press known as Al-Amiriya or Al-Hajar stone press believed to be of French origin because all the stone presses that entered Egypt during that period were French. For the new press in Khartoum to operate effectively, a specialized team accompanied it to Sudan, led by Ibrahim Afendi Ahmed along with a group of Egyptian technicians. After his death, Ibrahim Afendi Ahmed was succeeded by his son Hassan Bey, who by now had acquired the nickname Al-Matbaji, meaning printer. Today, the Al-Matbaji family is a household name in Sudan.
Al-Amiriya press succeeded in meeting the printed material requirments of schools in Khartoum and various government institutions around the country. It also helped cover the needs of the government in Khartoum in terms of paper and stamps, without which government procedures could not have been carried out, as well as notebooks and other paper related items.
The press was located within the military HQ building in Khartoum, which is located near the current presidential palace. A small paper factory was attached to the press to help meet the country’s paper needs, and was so successful that all traders in Khartoum and other Sudanese cities obtained their paper supplies from this factory. The press performed its mission very well, and was even used by Gordon Pasha to issue financial bonds, known as Gordon Bonds, in 1884 when Khartoum was besieged by Mahdist troops which resulted in a shortage of currency. This was the only means by which to pay the salaries of soldiers trapped within the city.
On January 26, 1885 the Mahdi’s forces led by Mohamed Ahmad Al-Mahdi succeeded in taking control of Khartoum and among the most important assets that the Mahdists acquired was the stone printing press. The press received significant attention from the Khalifa, Abdullah al-Tayshi, the successor of the Mahdi, who decided to relocate it from the military command in Khartoum to Omdurman, the new capital of the Mahdist state.
To ensure the press continued to operate, the Khalifa ordered that it be affiliated to the central treasury in Omdurman and be part of the military unit in the city. The Khalifa then summoned individuals who had direct experience of the printing press during the rule of the Egyptian Pashas in Sudan to be part of the new operating staff.
The Khalifa succeeded in gathering a large number of experienced individuals in this field, and the press resumed its work but this time it was under the Mahdist state. Prince Mukhtar Badi, originating from the Danagla tribe but who lived in Bara, in the Kordofan region, was appointed administrator of the press, assisted by someone called Hasan Satti. In addition, several Copts and scribes, who had worked at the press during the Pashas rule of Sudan were also employed. Among those who contributed their expertise to the press were Mohamed Zahni, Hasan Sala, Mohamed al-Amin, Omar al-Azhari, and Ibrahim al-Matbaji.
In the month of Shaban in the year 1303 AH, the printing press began to operate producing numerous documents, books, and internal and external correspondences. The administrative structure of the press was straightforward. At its head was the press administrator in the rank of amir or prince. There were also language proofreaders and supervisors responsible for preparing, reviewing, and approving the texts before they went to print. These included Abu al-Gasim Ahmad Hashim and Al-Mudathir Ibrahim al-Hijaz. There was also a press storekeeper.
Through this simple administrative structure, the press was able to produce many publications, documents, and a variety of books commissioned by the Khalifa. Nevertheless, the facility also faced several difficulties, most notably a shortage of paper. This was because the Mahdist state was unable to import paper from abroad due to the blockade imposed by Britain. Thus, with the stock of paper that the state had seized significantly dwindling as a result of daily consumption, Prince Yagub (Jorab al-Ray) reduced the quantity of paper allocated to various regions, princes, and other departments of the state. The second problem faced by the printing press was a rebellion by some of its workers against the authority of the Khalifa which led to the destruction of paper, ink cartridges, and printing tools which was done to deprive the state of the valuable service provided by the printing press.
Following the British victory over the Mahdist forces at the Battle of Omdurman on December 2 1898, and their subsequent control over the country, the British seized the Al-Hajar printing press. The first editions of the colonial publication The Gazette, as well as the text of the Anglo-Egyptian Condominium Agreement on Sudan, were printed there.
This historical narrative of the Al-Hajar printing press in Sudan reveals that it played a crucial role in three distinct historical periods of the country and at each stage, it fulfilled its function effectively. Some of the most significant accomplishments of the press include: fulfilling all the printing requirements of the Sudanese government, producing account books for merchants in Khartoum and other Sudanese cities, printing proclamations made by the Mahdi and the Khalifa, as well as various books during the Mahdist period and printing the 1899 agreement between Britain and Egypt regarding Sudan, as well as orders and directives from the colonial administration to the Sudanese people during its early days.
Artwork designed by Hind Abdelbagi
Printing is considered one of humanity’s greatest inventions due to its importance in capturing and disseminating knowledge. The printing press, in its various forms, significantly contributed to the growth and development of many civilizations in Europe, the Far East, and the Arab world.
In Sudan, the introduction of the printing press is linked to Egyptian rule under Mohamed Ali Pasha. The first printing press to enter Sudan was a small press known as Al-Amiriya or Al-Hajar stone press believed to be of French origin because all the stone presses that entered Egypt during that period were French. For the new press in Khartoum to operate effectively, a specialized team accompanied it to Sudan, led by Ibrahim Afendi Ahmed along with a group of Egyptian technicians. After his death, Ibrahim Afendi Ahmed was succeeded by his son Hassan Bey, who by now had acquired the nickname Al-Matbaji, meaning printer. Today, the Al-Matbaji family is a household name in Sudan.
Al-Amiriya press succeeded in meeting the printed material requirments of schools in Khartoum and various government institutions around the country. It also helped cover the needs of the government in Khartoum in terms of paper and stamps, without which government procedures could not have been carried out, as well as notebooks and other paper related items.
The press was located within the military HQ building in Khartoum, which is located near the current presidential palace. A small paper factory was attached to the press to help meet the country’s paper needs, and was so successful that all traders in Khartoum and other Sudanese cities obtained their paper supplies from this factory. The press performed its mission very well, and was even used by Gordon Pasha to issue financial bonds, known as Gordon Bonds, in 1884 when Khartoum was besieged by Mahdist troops which resulted in a shortage of currency. This was the only means by which to pay the salaries of soldiers trapped within the city.
On January 26, 1885 the Mahdi’s forces led by Mohamed Ahmad Al-Mahdi succeeded in taking control of Khartoum and among the most important assets that the Mahdists acquired was the stone printing press. The press received significant attention from the Khalifa, Abdullah al-Tayshi, the successor of the Mahdi, who decided to relocate it from the military command in Khartoum to Omdurman, the new capital of the Mahdist state.
To ensure the press continued to operate, the Khalifa ordered that it be affiliated to the central treasury in Omdurman and be part of the military unit in the city. The Khalifa then summoned individuals who had direct experience of the printing press during the rule of the Egyptian Pashas in Sudan to be part of the new operating staff.
The Khalifa succeeded in gathering a large number of experienced individuals in this field, and the press resumed its work but this time it was under the Mahdist state. Prince Mukhtar Badi, originating from the Danagla tribe but who lived in Bara, in the Kordofan region, was appointed administrator of the press, assisted by someone called Hasan Satti. In addition, several Copts and scribes, who had worked at the press during the Pashas rule of Sudan were also employed. Among those who contributed their expertise to the press were Mohamed Zahni, Hasan Sala, Mohamed al-Amin, Omar al-Azhari, and Ibrahim al-Matbaji.
In the month of Shaban in the year 1303 AH, the printing press began to operate producing numerous documents, books, and internal and external correspondences. The administrative structure of the press was straightforward. At its head was the press administrator in the rank of amir or prince. There were also language proofreaders and supervisors responsible for preparing, reviewing, and approving the texts before they went to print. These included Abu al-Gasim Ahmad Hashim and Al-Mudathir Ibrahim al-Hijaz. There was also a press storekeeper.
Through this simple administrative structure, the press was able to produce many publications, documents, and a variety of books commissioned by the Khalifa. Nevertheless, the facility also faced several difficulties, most notably a shortage of paper. This was because the Mahdist state was unable to import paper from abroad due to the blockade imposed by Britain. Thus, with the stock of paper that the state had seized significantly dwindling as a result of daily consumption, Prince Yagub (Jorab al-Ray) reduced the quantity of paper allocated to various regions, princes, and other departments of the state. The second problem faced by the printing press was a rebellion by some of its workers against the authority of the Khalifa which led to the destruction of paper, ink cartridges, and printing tools which was done to deprive the state of the valuable service provided by the printing press.
Following the British victory over the Mahdist forces at the Battle of Omdurman on December 2 1898, and their subsequent control over the country, the British seized the Al-Hajar printing press. The first editions of the colonial publication The Gazette, as well as the text of the Anglo-Egyptian Condominium Agreement on Sudan, were printed there.
This historical narrative of the Al-Hajar printing press in Sudan reveals that it played a crucial role in three distinct historical periods of the country and at each stage, it fulfilled its function effectively. Some of the most significant accomplishments of the press include: fulfilling all the printing requirements of the Sudanese government, producing account books for merchants in Khartoum and other Sudanese cities, printing proclamations made by the Mahdi and the Khalifa, as well as various books during the Mahdist period and printing the 1899 agreement between Britain and Egypt regarding Sudan, as well as orders and directives from the colonial administration to the Sudanese people during its early days.
Artwork designed by Hind Abdelbagi
