Baibars

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Artistic illustration of Baibars in battle
Artistic illustration of Baibars in battle

Baibars, or al-Malik al-Zahir Rukn al-Din Baybars al-Bunduqdari (Arabic الملك‭ ‬الظاهر‭ ‬ركن‭ ‬الدين‭ ‬بيبرس‭ ‬البندقداري), nicknamed Abu al-Futuh [1] (Arabic: أبو الفتوح) (b.1223 – d. July 1, 1277, Damascus), was an important Mamluk Sultan of Egypt and Syria. His reign marked the start of an age of Mamluk dominance in the Eastern Mediterranean and solidified the durability of their military system. He managed to pave the way for the end of the Crusader presence in Syria and to unite Egypt and Syria into one powerful state that was able to fend off threats from both Crusaders and Mongols. Baibars was one of the leaders at the pivotal Battle of Ain Jalut in 1260, which marked the first substantial defeat of the Mongol army. As Sultan, Baibars also engaged in a skillful combination of diplomacy, betrayal, and military action, which allowed the Mamluks to greatly expand their Empire. His forces inflicted a devastating defeat on the Seventh Crusade of King Louis IX of France, and conquered Cilician Armenia. Baibars also negotiated treaties with the Crusaders to diminish the effectiveness of the last medieval Crusade, the Ninth Crusade of Prince Edward of England.

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early life

Baibars was a Kipchak Turk.[2] [3] [4] [5] [6][7] It was said that he was captured by the Mongols on the Kipchak steppe and sold as a slave, ending up in Syria.

His first master, the emir (prince) of Hama, was suspicious of Baibars because of his unusual appearance (he was dark-skinned, very tall and had a cataract in one of his bluish eyes).[8][9][10][11] Baibars was quickly sold to a Mamluk officer and sent to Egypt, where he became a bodyguard to the Ayyubid ruler As-Salih Ayyub.

[edit] Assessment

As the first great Sultan of the Bahri Mamluk dynasty, Baibars made the meritocratic ascent up the ranks of Mamluk society. He took final control by killing Sayf al Din Qutuz to avenge his friend Faris ad-Din Aktai, but before he became Sultan he was the commander of the Mamluk forces in the most important battle of the Middle Periods, repelling a Mongol force at the legendary Battle of Ain Jalut in 1260.

He took Saladin's military success as his ideal.

Although in the Muslim World he has been considered a national hero for centuries, and in Egypt and Syria is still regarded as such, Sultan Baibars was reviled in the Christian world of the time for his destruction of holy sites and massacres or expulsion of Christian populations.

Preserved rock relief of lions with Quranic inscriptions at the Baibars Bridge, near Lod, Israel
Preserved rock relief of lions with Quranic inscriptions at the Baibars Bridge, near Lod, Israel

[edit] Rise to power

Baibars was a commander of the Mamluks in around 1250, when he defeated the Seventh Crusade of Louis IX of France. He was still a commander under Sultan Qutuz at the Battle of Ain Jalut in 1260 when he decisively defeated the Mongols. After the battle Sultan Qutuz was assassinated while on a hunting expedition. It was said that Baibars was involved in the assassination because he expected to be rewarded with the governorship of Aleppo for his military success; but Qutuz, fearing his ambition, refused to give such a post and disappointed him. Baibars succeeded Qutuz as Sultan of Egypt.[12]

He continued what was to become a lifelong struggle against the Crusader kingdoms in Syria, starting with the Principality of Antioch, which had become a vassal state of the Mongols, and participated in attacks against Islamic targets in Damascus and Syria.

In 1263, Baibars attacked Acre, the capital of the remnant of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, but was unable to take it. Nevertheless, he defeated the Crusaders in many other battles (Arsuf, Athlith, Haifa, Safad, Jaffa, Ashkalon, Caesarea).

In 1266 Baibars conquered the Christian country of Cilician Armenia, which, under King Hetum I, had submitted to the Mongol Empire. This isolated Antioch and Tripoli, led by Hetum's son-in-law, Prince Bohemond VI. In 1268, Baibars besieged Antioch, capturing the city on May 18. Baibars had promised to spare the lives of the inhabitants, but broke his promise and had the city razed, killing or enslaving the population upon surrender.[13] Its leader Prince Bohemund VI of Antioch was then left with no territories except the County of Tripoli.

The Mamluks under Baibars (yellow) fought off the Franks and the Mongols during the Ninth Crusade.
The Mamluks under Baibars (yellow) fought off the Franks and the Mongols during the Ninth Crusade.

Baibars then turned his attention to Tripoli, but interrupted his siege there to call a truce in May 1271. The fall of Antioch had led to the brief Ninth Crusade, led by Edward I of England, who arrived in Acre in May of 1271 and attempted to ally with the Mongols against Baibars. So Baibars declared a truce with Tripoli, and also agreed to a truce with Edward (who was never able to capture any territory from Baibars anyway). According to some reports, Baibars tried to have Edward assassinated with poison, but Edward survived the attempt, and returned home in 1272.

In 1277, Baibars invaded the Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm, then dominated by the Mongols. He defeated a Mongol army at the Battle of Elbistan, captured the city of Kayseri, but was unable to hold any of his Anatolian conquests and quickly withdrew to Syria.

Baibars married several women and had seven daughters and three sons. Two of his sons, al-Said Barakah and Solamish became sultans. He died in Syria in 1277.

[edit] Legacy

Further information: Ninth Crusade and Battle of Ain Jalut

Baibars was a popular ruler in the Muslim World who had defeated the crusaders in three crusades, and the Mongols in the Battle of Ain Jalut which many scholars deem of great macro-historical importance. In order to support his military campaigns, Baibars commissioned arsenals, warships and cargo vessels. His military campaign also extended into Libya and Nubia. He was also an efficient administrator who took interest in building various infrastructure projects, such as a mounted message relay system capable of delivery from Cairo to Damascus in four days. He also built bridges, irrigation and shipping canals, improved the harbours, and built mosques.

His memoirs were recorded in Sirat al-Zahir Baibars ("Life of al-Zahir Baibars"), a popular Arabic romance recording his battles and achievements. He has a heroic status in both Egypt and Syria.

Al-Madrassa al-Zahiriyya is the school built adjacent to his Mausoleum in Damascus. The Az-Zahiriyah library, has a wealth of manuscripts in various branches of knowledge to this day.

[edit] In fiction

  • Baibars figures prominently in the story "The Sowers of the Thunder" by Robert E. Howard. While liberties are taken with history for the sake of the tale, and many characters and events are purely imaginary, his character is fairly close to the folkloric depiction and the general flow of history is respected.
  • Baibars is the main character of a short story by Russian-Turkmen writer Moris Simashko (Moris Davidovich Shamas)
  • Baibars is one of the main characters of Robyn Young's books, Brethren (starting shortly before he becomes Sultan) and Crusade.
  • Baibars is the main character of Jefferson Cooper's (Gardner Fox) 1957 novel, The Swordsman

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Baibars was nicknamed Abu al-Futuh and Abu al-Futuhat which means father of conquests, pointing to his victories
  2. ^ Al-Maqrizi, Al Selouk Leme'refatt Dewall al-Melouk, p.520/vol.1
  3. ^ Ibn Taghri, al-Nujum al-Zahirah Fi Milook Misr wa al-Qahirah, Year 675H /vol.7
  4. ^ Abu al-Fida, The Concise History of Humanity , Tarikh Abu al-Fida pp.71-87/ year 676H
  5. ^ Ibn Iyas , Badai Alzuhur Fi Wakayi Alduhur , abridged and edited by Dr. M. Aljayar, Almisriya Lilkitab, Cairo 2007, ISBN 977-419-623-6 , p.91
  6. ^ Baibars in Concise Britannica Online, web page
  7. ^ Brief Article in Columbia Encyclopedia, web page
  8. ^ Al-Maqrizi, Al Selouk Leme'refatt Dewall al-Melouk, Dar al-kotob, 1997. p. 98/vol.2 Idem in English: Bohn, Henry G., The Road to Knowledge of the Return of Kings, Chronicles of the Crusades, AMS Press, 1969.
  9. ^ Abu al-Fida, The Concise History of Humanity , Tarikh Abu al-Fida pp.71-87/ year 676H
  10. ^ Ibn Taghri, al-Nujum al-Zahirah Fi Milook Misr wa al-Qahirah, Dar al-Kotob, Beirut 1992. pp.106-273 / vol.7. History of Egypt, 1382-1469 A.D. by Yusef. William Popper, translator Abu L-Mahasin ibn Taghri Birdi, University of California Press 1954.
  11. ^ Marsot, Afaf Lutfi Al-Sayyid. A History of Egypt: From the Arab Conquest to the Present. Cambridge University Press, 2007. page 33
  12. ^ MacHenry, Robert. The New Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc., 1993. Baibars
  13. ^ Hudson Institute > American Outlook > American Outlook Article Detail
  14. ^ Lamb, Harold. The Crusades. Garden City Publishing, 1934. page 343

[edit] External links

Regnal titles
Preceded by
Qutuz		 Mamluk Sultan
1260–1277		 Succeeded by
Al-Said Barakah