Ceiling on Wives

Bearded, greying, Sir Sayed Abdel Rahman el Mahdi Pasha grieved to see his subjects forego the joys of marriage because the price of wives had soared. The most diligent young Sudanese could not hope to save the $400 a buxom maiden's parents asked; $100 brides were never of much account.

Rich, benevolent Sir Sayed had a reputation as an apostle of Allah to maintain. Although his fighting father had killed General ("Chinese") Gordon, King George V had forgiven and knighted the son. Now Sir Sayed determined to break the market, enable his followers to obey the Prophet's injunction: marry and beget sons.

In the spacious, broiling, tented square behind his rambling mansion at Omdurman, on the upper reaches of the Nile, sharp-eyed parents, bright-eyed youths and soft-eyed maidens gathered last week for bargain day. From tent to tent the bridegrooms raced, making their selections. The price was a flat $8 per wife, rich or poor, pretty or plain, young or not, with El Mahdi footing the difference. Then Sir Sayed, tall in his flowing black galabia, appeared upon his pillared porch to intone the Koran's marriage service. Upwards of 300 glistening couples took the vows at Omdurman and blessed his name. Up & down the Nile banks, in Khartoum and smaller Sudan towns, priests married many more.

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