Early in the Holywar Jihad the Mahdi chose his successors. These Khalifa each commanded sections of the Mahdist army and had their own banner and war drums. All banners bore Islamic slogans proclaiming devotion to the Muslim faith and to the Mahdi.

The figures in this set wear a smock or 'jibba' decorated with patches and stripes of various coloured materials, with cummerbunds around the waist. The last appearance on the battlefield of Omdurman was remembered by Winston Churchill, 'its banners flying, drums beating and spears flashing...','.. the pageant was truly magnificent, a special panorama of 40,000 all moving forward to do battle.'