Sudanese former slaves mocked Egyptian captives and inverted the master-slave relation

Evidence

Two years after the fall of Khartoum, a slave of mine escaped and joined the jihädïyya [regiments of black soldiers, often slaves], led by this same `Abd al-Mawla. I went to him and asked him to give me that slave, or compensate me for him. The first thing he said to me was, “Why are you so fat, ya walad al-rïf [you Egyptian]; do you have money stashed away to waste on yourself?” This talk angered me and I responded, “No, master, I am a poor man, living off the benevolence of my masters, commanders like yourself.” … “I would like my slave,” I said. “You are his slave,” he said. “Yes, I am his slave,” I said, “because he has your slave.” Then one of the people present spoke up on my behalf. — Eve M. Troutt Powell, A Different Shade of Colonialism_…, 620

Categorization

• XREF: Vividly illustrates the reader’s Egyptian vs Sudanese colonial hierarchy theme; the wordplay on ‘you are his slave’ inverts the whole upper-Nile status order.
• CANDY: The retort ‘You are his slave.’ ‘Yes, because he has your slave’ is a witty, self-contained exchange usable in conversation.