First Battle of Agordat
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict = First Battle of Agordat
| width =
| partof = the Mahdist War
| image =
| caption =
| date = 27 June 1890
| place = Agordat, Italian Eritrea
| coordinates =
| map_type =
| map_relief =
| latitude =
| longitude =
| map_size =
| map_marksize =
| map_caption =
| map_label =
| territory =
| result = Italian victory
| status =
| combatants_header =
| combatant1 = {{flagcountry|Kingdom of Italy}}
| combatant2 = {{flagicon image|Flag_of_the_Mahdi_movement_in_Sudan.svg}} Mahdist State
| combatant3 =
| commander1 =
| commander2 =
| commander3 =
| units1 =
| units2 =
| units3 =
| strength1 = 2 ascari companies{{cite book|last1=McLachlan|first1=Sean|title=Armies of the Adowa Campaign 1896: The Italian Disaster in Ethiopia|url=https://archive.org/details/armiesadowacampa00mcla|url-access=limited|date=September 20, 2011|publisher=Osprey|location=Oxford|isbn=978-1849084574|page=[https://archive.org/details/armiesadowacampa00mcla/page/n6 7]}}
| strength3 =
| casualties1 = 3 killed and 8 wounded {{cite book|last1=McLachlan|first1=Sean|title=Armies of the Adowa Campaign 1896: The Italian Disaster in Ethiopia|url=https://archive.org/details/armiesadowacampa00mcla|url-access=limited|date=September 20, 2011|publisher=Osprey|location=Oxford|isbn=978-1849084574|page=[https://archive.org/details/armiesadowacampa00mcla/page/n6 7]}}
| casualties3 =
| notes =
| campaignbox =
}}
{{Campaignbox Sudanese Mahdist Revolt}}
The First Battle of Agordat, which took place on 27 June 1890 was the first battle between Italy and the Mahdist State. Fighting began when a force of one-thousand Mahdists attacked tribes that had signed protectorates with the Kingdom of Italy.{{cite book|last1=McLachlan|first1=Sean|title=Armies of the Adowa Campaign 1896: The Italian Disaster in Ethiopia|url=https://archive.org/details/armiesadowacampa00mcla|url-access=limited|date=September 20, 2011|publisher=Osprey|location=Oxford|isbn=978-1849084574|page=[https://archive.org/details/armiesadowacampa00mcla/page/n6 7]}} The Sudanese continued on to the wells at Agordat, where they were met by two companies of Italian-led ascari. The battle that ensued was an Italian victory, with around 250 Mahdists being killed. Italian losses were three dead and eight wounded. Author Sean McLachlan attributes the Mahdists' defeat at both Agordat and the upcoming Battle of Serobeti (1892) to their "inferior weaponry and fire discipline".{{cite book|last1=McLachlan|first1=Sean|title=Armies of the Adowa Campaign 1896: The Italian Disaster in Ethiopia|url=https://archive.org/details/armiesadowacampa00mcla|url-access=limited|date=September 20, 2011|publisher=Osprey|location=Oxford|isbn=978-1849084574|page=[https://archive.org/details/armiesadowacampa00mcla/page/n6 7]}}