Qutuz

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Saif ad-Din Qutuz (Arabic: سيف الدين قطز) (died October 24, 1260) was the Mamluk sultan of Egypt from 1259 until his death. He was Turkic^[1] and born in a royal family before he was captured by the Mongols and sold as a slave, ending up in Syria, from which he was sold to an Egyptian slaves merchant who sold him to Aybak.

Qutuz was appointed regent in Egypt in 1253, under sultan Aybak. Aybak was assassinated in 1257 and Qutuz remained regent for Aybak's son al-Mansur Ali. In November 1257 and April 1258 he defeated Bahrid raids from Palestine, causing a dispute among the Mamluks, some of whom wished to support their Bahrid lords in Egypt.

After the Mongols arrived in 1258, Qutuz overthrew al-Mansur Ali on November 12, 1259, and took power for himself. Hulegu Khan demanded that Qutuz surrender, but he refused, and executed Hulegu's ambassadors. Qutuz and the Mamluk general Baibars marched out from Cairo, passing through the remnant of the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem, and camping outside Acre. The nobles in Acre offered their support, although the Knights Templar preferred to support the Mongols. Baibars wanted to capture Acre at the same time but Qutuz refused to attack an ally.

On September 3 Qutuz, with Baibars leading his army, defeated the Mongol army under Kitbuqa at the Battle of Ain Jalut. Syria soon fell back under Mamluk control; Baibars wanted Aleppo but Qutuz instead gave it to Ala al-Din Ali. While on a hunt chase with Baibars, he was assassinated. Baibars succeeded him as Egypt's sultan.