Although a part of present-day northern Sudan was nominally an Egyptian dependency, both during the Mamluk and Ottoman periods, previous Egyptian rulers had demanded little more from the Sudanese Kashif than the regular remittance of tribute.

However, after Muhammad Ali had crushed the Mamluks in Egypt, a party of them had escaped and fled south.

In 1811, these Mamluks had established a state at Dunqulah as a base for their slave trading.

In 1820 the Sultan of Sennar had informed Muhammad Ali that he was unable to comply with the demand to expel the Mamluks.

In response Muhammad Ali had sent 4,000 troops to invade Sudan, clear it of Mamluks, and incorporate it into Egypt.

His forces receive the submission of the Kashif, disperse the Dunqulah Mamluks, conquer Kurdufan, and accept Sannar's surrender from the last Funj sultan, Badi VII.

However, the Arab Ja'alin tribes offer stiff resistance.