Mamluks | History, Leaders, Architecture & Decline
In this article, we will talk in brief about the history of Egypt during the Mamluk era between 1250 to 1517 in which Egypt was ruled by Mamluks. We will mention who were the Mamluks. How they became rulers of Egypt? How they defeated the Mongols and the Crusaders? and how did the Mamluke state decline?
Who are the Mamlukes?
Mamluks were imported slaves by the Ayyubid’s rulers, mostly of Turkish or Caucasian stock, who were destined for a military career. The plan was to bring the Mamluks from non-Islamic countries. While they were mostly children who were raised according to strict rules in military barracks isolated from the outside world to guarantee their complete loyalty to the ruler.
The Abbasid caliphs in Baghdad brought the Mamluks in the ninth century. After that, they were trained in the cavalry after their conversion to Islam to become soldiers and a force supporting the army under the direct leadership of the ruler.
Some of them were appointed to high-command positions in the state, and they were the main reason behind the recruitment of the Mamluks is avoiding the recruitment of tribal members who are loyal and obedient to the leaders of their tribes. Later on, the Mamelukes’ influence increased until they were able to seize power in the year 1250 AD.
Egypt was under the control of Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi in 1169 AD, and the Mamluks were then part of the army in addition to the Arabs, Kurds, Turkmen, and others. This is to protect against a coup by members of the Ayyubid family and also to protect against attacks by the Crusaders.
Saleh Ayoub died after 9 years of ruling over Egypt during the period 1240-1249 AD. Then, a struggle flared up between the legitimate heir to the throne and the leaders of the Mamluks.
Until the Mamluks succeeded in taking power and installing a Sultan for their state. Although they chose Cairo as their capital, so Cairo became an economic and cultural center for the Islamic world.
Mamluk history
Mamluk’s history is divided into two periods based on different dynastic lines or two phases.
The Bahri Mamluks
The Bahari Mamluks, which extended from the year (1250-1382 AD), witnessed the establishment of their Mamluk state, and its founder was Izz al-Din Aybak. The Bahari Mamluks ruled Egypt for about 144 years through 29 alternate sultans with an average of 5 years for each one.
Among its most prominent sultans were Izz al-Din Aybak, Qutuz, al-Zahir Baybars, al-Mansur Qalawun, al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qalawun, and al-Ashraf Salah al-Din Khalil.
The Burji Mamluks
The Burji (Circassian) Mamluks established their state in the year 1382 AD through Saif al-Din Barquq. Their roots go back to the era of al-Mansur Qalawun, who used them a lot in his army, and this band was loyal to him when he became a military general.
The Circassian Mamluks ruled Egypt for about 135 years through 23 alternate sultans. The defeat of Sultan Tuman Bey marked the beginning of the Ottoman era.
The Circassian Mamluk state completed protecting Egypt against its enemies, and its sultans were able to repel the Crusader attacks coming from the island of Cyprus, especially during the reign of Sultan Al-Ashraf Barsbay. Sultan Al-Ashraf Barsbay directed three campaigns against them, considered one of the greatest war campaigns that took place in the era of the Circassian Mamluk state.
The end of the Mamluks Period
The Mamluke’s reign ended when the Ottomans occupied Egypt in 1517 AD. Twenty-seven Bahari Mamluke sultans and twenty-eight Burgi Mamluke sultans ruled Egypt.
Bahari Mamlukes
Ezz Eddin Aybak (1250-1257)
Nur Eddin ben Aybak (1257-1259)
Muzafar Seif Eddin Qutuz (1259-1260)
Zahir Rukn Eddin Bybars (1260-1277)
Said Nasser Eddin Baraka (1277-1279)
Adel Badr Eddin Salamish (1279)
Mansour Seif Eddin Qalawoon (1279-1290)
Ashraf Salah Eddin Khalil (1290-1293)
Nasser Mohamed Ben Qalawoon (first time) (1293-1294)
Adel Zeen Eddin Katubgha (1294-1296)
Mansour Hossam Eddin Lagin (1296-1298)
Nasser Mohamed Ben Qalawoon (second time) (1298-1309)
Muzafar Rukn Eddin Bybars (1309)
Nasser Mohamed Ben Qalawoon (third time) (1309-1340)
Mansour Seif Eddin Ben Mohamed (1340-1341)
Ashraf Alladin Ben Mohamed (1341-1342)
Nasser Shahab El-Dein Ben Mohamed (1342)
Saleh Emad Eddin Ben Mohamed (1342-1345)
Kamil Seif Eddin Ben Mohamed (1345-1346)
Muzafar Zein Eddin Ben Mohamed (1346-1347)
Nasser Hassan Ben Mohamed (first time)(1347-1351)
Salah Eddin Saleh Ben Mohamed (1351-1354)
Nasser Hassan Ben Mohamed (second time) (1354-1361)
Salah Eddin Mohamed Ben Hagi (1361-1363)
Ashraf Zeen Eddin Ben Hassan (1363-1376)
Mansour Aladin Ben Shaban (1376-1381)
Salih Zeen Edin Hagi (1381-1382)
Circassian (Burgi) Mamlukes
Zaher Barqooq (1382-1399)
Farag Ben Barqooq (first time) (1399-1405)
Abd El-Aziz Ben Barqooq (1405)
Farag Ben Barqooq (second time) (1405-1412)
Muyaid Sheikh (1412-1421)
Ahmed Ben Muyaid (1421)
Zaher Tatar (1421)
Nasser Mohamed Ben Tatar (1421)
Ashraf Barsbay (1422-1438)
Aziz Gamal Ben Barsabay (1438)
Zaher Gaqmaq (1438-1453)
Mansour Osman Ben Gaqmaq (1453)
Ashraf Inal (1453-1460)
Muayaid Ahmed Ben Inal (1460)
Zaher Khoshkadam (1461-1467)
Seif Eddin Yalbai (1467)
Zaher Tamarbagha (1467)
Khair Bey (1467)
Ashraf Qaitbay (1468-1496)
Ashraf Mohamed Ben Qaitbay (first time) (1496-1497)
Qansuh Khumsamaah (1497)
Ashraf Mohamed Ben Qaitbay (second time) (1497-1498)
Qansuh Ashrafi (1498-1500)
Ganblat (1500-1501)
Adel Tumanbay I (1501)
Ashraf Qansuh Ghori (1501-1516)
Tuman bay II (1517)
How the Mamluks ruled Egypt?
The system of government in the Mamluk state was a hereditary system, where the Sultan was the head of the state
He takes over the government with his strength and a large number of his Mamluks. In other words, when the Sultan takes over, he is the strongest of the princes.
And in the event that there were unsuitable circumstances and that there were princes who competed with this prince, he would resort to appointing the son of the deceased Sultan until the situation becomes clear.
Conclusion
The Mamluk state stood as an impenetrable barrier to repel the power of the Tatars and the Crusaders who tried to destroy Islam. Briefly, The Mamluks waged a long and continuous jihad against these two forces, and at different stages.
Finally, the Mamluk state continued to carry the banner of Islam in the land for (270) years exactly until the strong Ottoman caliphate took over the banner of the Muslims.
The Mamluks also confronted the Mongol danger coming from the east, which is no less hateful and powerful than the Crusader danger. After the Mongols seized Baghdad in 1258 AD, Hulagu went to the Levant, and he reached Aleppo, entered it, and destroyed it.
Then he went to Hama and from there he went to Damascus and seized it and all the rest. The Levant, after which Hulagu sent a warning in the year 1260 AD to Al-Muzaffar Qutuz, asking him to surrender.
So, Qutuz executed Hulagu’s messengers in order to cut off the way for the reluctant princes in his army and those who were afraid of a fate similar to the fate of Baghdad and the rest of the kingdoms of Islam between Persia and Egypt.
Most important Mamluks architecture
The Mamluk era was considered the golden age of Islamic architecture, leaving behind many buildings that indicate the arrival of the engineers of that era to the pinnacle of perfection, whether they are religious, scientific, or civil buildings.
Al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qalawun,
Mosque of Amir Qusun
Al-Khatiri Mosque
Dhahiriya School
Al-Mu’izziyah School
Nasiriyah School
Sultan Hassan School
Taybarsiyya School
Hasamiyya School
Jamaliyya School
Al-Bunduqdariya Khanqah
Al-Jawliyyah Khanqah
Syracuse Khanqah Zawiyat al-Dhahiri
Zawiyat al-Ja’bari
Zawiya al-Qalandariyya
Zawiya al-Yunusiyya
Khanqat al-Ashraf Barsbay
Ribat al-Riyadh
Ribat-al Baghdadiyah
Mamluks era was of intellectual prosperity, and an era in which many innovations and scientific achievements appeared, and this civilizational revival was helped by many factors, including the large migration of scholars to Egypt after the tragedies of the Tartar invasion of the countries of the Islamic world
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