Atlas of Battles

battle, notable, nineteenth century

Battle of Gallabat

Battle of Gallabat was a battle fought in 1889 at Gallabat, in what is now Sudan. Its exact site is not recorded; the atlas places it at Gallabat. It was part of the Ethiopian-Mahdist War, which ran from 1885 to 1889. The recorded result: Mahdist victory. Recorded strength: 85,000 men against 130,000 foot soldiers, 20,000 cavalry.

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Fought1889
WhereGallabat, Sudan12.967N, 36.150E, placed at the location, approximate
OutcomeMahdist victory
BelligerentsMahdist StateagainstEthiopian Empire
Casualties and losses<15,000 killedand<15,000 killed
Part ofEthiopian-Mahdist War1885 to 1889

Where it sits in the Ethiopian-Mahdist War

Battle of Madana, 1888Battle of Guté Dili, 1888Battle of Gallabat, 188918881889Battle of Gallabat, 1889
3 placed engagements of the Ethiopian-Mahdist War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date1889 (year precision)
to 1889
PlaceGallabat, Sudan
12.967N, 36.150E
KindBattle, nineteenth century
Strength85,000 men130,000 foot soldiers, 20,000 cavalry
Casualties and losses<15,000 killed<15,000 killed
Commanders
  • Yohannes IV
  • Ras Mengesha Yohannes
  • Mikael of Wollo
  • Ras Alula
Battle of GallabatBattle of GallabatBattle of Gur AmbaBattle of GondarBattle of CulqualberBattle of Gur AmbaBattle of GondarGedaref100 km12.967N, 36.150E
Placed at Gallabat; the exact site is not recorded. with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1889

Battle of Gallabat is one of 3,694 engagements of the 19th century in the atlas and one of 27 in present-day Sudan.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q1785947, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Gallabat, revision 1383354327, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.