Afterward, he purged and/or arrested the Mu'izziyah and any Bahri mamluks he could locate in Egypt in a bid to eliminate dissent towards his rule. "The Mamluks and Their Acceptance of Oghuz Turkish as Literary Language: Political Maneuver or Cultural Aspiration? [173] Typically, a qadi or Muslim scholar would occupy the post, but in the 15th century, Mamluk emirs began to be appointed as muhtasibs in an effort to compensate emirs during cash shortages or as a result of the gradual shift of the muhtasib's role from the legal realm to one of enforcement.[175]. [158] Three years later, Baybars reestablished the institution of the caliphate by making a member of the Abbasid family, al-Mustansir, caliph, who in turn confirmed Baybars as sultan. The Mamluks were a caste of Turkic and Circassian slave-soldiers within the Medieval Ayyubid Sultanate. [196] Furthermore, in 1429, he ordered that the spice trade to Europe be conducted through Cairo before goods reached Alexandria, thus attempting to end the direct transportation of spices from the Red Sea to Alexandria. [69] A further Ilkhanid invasion in 1303 was repelled after the Ilkhanid defeat at the Battle of Marj al-Suffar in the plains south of Damascus. The Abbasid caliphs were the nominal sovereigns. Who was the founder of the Mamluk Dynasty? The Mamluk Sultanate was a state that ruled Egypt, the Levant and the Hejaz (western Arabia) in the mid-13th-early 16th centuries. [120] While the precedent set by the Ayyubids highly influenced the Mamluk state's embrace of Sunni Islam,[121] the circumstances in the Muslim Middle East in the aftermath of the Crusader and Mongol invasions also left Mamluk Egypt as the last major Islamic power able to confront the Crusaders and the Mongols. Nonetheless, the Mamluks lived on within the Ottoman Empire, positioning themselves as a high-level class in society. Mamluk terracotta cup from the 14th century. Mamluk-period Qur'ans were richly illuminated and exhibit stylistic similarities with those produced under the contemporary Ilkhanids in Iran. [129] As a result of popular pressure, Coptic Christians had their employment in the bureaucracy terminated at least nine times between the late 13th and mid-15th centuries, and on one occasion, in 1301, the government ordered the closure of all churches. [182], Over time, the iqta system was expanded, and increasingly larger areas of kharaj (taxable lands) were appropriated as iqta lands in order to meet the fiscal needs of the Mamluk military institution, namely payment of Mamluk officers and their subordinates. [90] Among the senior emirs who rose to prominence under Ali was Barquq, a Circassian mamluk of Yalbugha who was involved in Sha'ban's assassination,[89][90] and Baraka, another of Yalbugha's mamluks. [155] However, emirs who were part of the sultan's khushdashiyyah also rebelled at times, particularly the governors of Syria who formed power bases within their territory. [126] The Mamluk government, often under the official banner of the Pact of Umar which gave Christians and Jews dhimmi (protected peoples) status, ultimately determined the taxes that Christians and Jews paid to the sultanate, including the jizyah (tax on non-Muslims), whether a house of worship could be constructed and the public appearance of Christians and Jews. Earn points, unlock badges and level up while studying. [92], Barquq solidified his control over the sultanate in 1393, when his forces killed the major opponent to his rule, Mintash, in Syria. [40] Hulagu sent emissaries to Qutuz in Cairo, demanding submission to Mongol rule. Circassian Mamluks like the Gharbiyya Khashif Inal al-Sayfi Tarabay started slaughtering Arab Bedouin shaykhs like Shukr and his brother Hasan ibn Mar'i in 1519 in revenge for the Bedouin betraying the Circassian Mamluks to the Ottomans. [98] Thus, Mamluk authority throughout the sultanate was significantly eroded, while the capital Cairo experienced an economic crisis. [26], Shajar ad-Durr ensured the Salihiyyah's dominance of the paramilitary elite, and ushered in a process of establishing patronage and kinship ties with the Salihiyyah. Frontispieces were often decorated with star-shaped or hexagonal geometric motifs. [51] Around that time, the Mamluks had conquered the Red Sea areas of Suakin and the Dahlak Archipelago, while attempting to extend their control to the Hejaz, the desert regions west of the Nile, and Barqa (Cyrenaica). [114] As such, the ethnically Circassian mamluks who gained prominence with the rise of the Burji regime and became the dominant ethnic element of the government, were educated in the Turkish language and were considered to be Turks by the Arabic-speaking population. [200] Cairo, Damascus, and Aleppo were among the main centers of manuscript production. Although the Mamluk sultanate was destroyed, the Mamluks remained intact as a class in Egypt and continued to exercise considerable influence in the state. Test your knowledge with gamified quizzes. Trade continued nonetheless and despite papal restrictions on trade with the Muslims during the Crusades. [101] Moreover, Barsbay compelled Red Sea traders to offload their goods at the Mamluk-held Hejazi port of Jeddah rather than the Yemeni port of Aden in order to derive the most financial benefit from the Red Sea transit route to Europe. [177], Agriculture was the primary source of revenue in the Mamluk economy. [172] In Egypt in particular, the Nile River's centralizing influence also contributed to Mamluk centralization over the region. Interactions - Byzantine Empire It was the most powerful state in Europe through most of its over 1000-year existence. Crime and Punishment in Industrial Britain, Advantages of North and South in Civil War, African Americans in the Revolutionary War, Civil War Military Strategies of North and South, Environmental Effects of The Columbian Exchange, Native Americans in the Revolutionary War. [197], Mamluk decorative artsespecially enameled and gilded glass, inlaid metalwork, woodwork, and textileswere prized around the Mediterranean as well as in Europe, where they had a profound impact on local production. Map 8.13. [60], Qalawun's early reign was marked by policies that were meant to gain the support of important societal elements, namely the merchant class, the Muslim bureaucracy and the religious establishment. [68], Khalil's death in 1293 led to period of factional struggle, with Khalil's prepubescent brother, an-Nasir Muhammad, being overthrown the following year by a Mongol mamluk of Qalawun, al-Adil Kitbugha, who in turn was succeeded by a Greek mamluk of Qalawun, Husam ad-Din Lajin. [148] Under certain Ayyubid sultans, Egypt had paramountcy over the Syrian provinces, but under the Mamluks this paramountcy was consistent and absolute. Philipp and Haarmann 1998, p. 96. The Mamluks excelled in warfare, forcing the Mongol invasion through the Middle East and into Egypt to a screeching halt; on another occasion, they captured the French king during the 7th Crusade and ransomed him back to his country. The Mamluk Sultanate appeared to be on a collision course with Hulagu's Ilkhanate, one of Mongol Empire's four khanates, whose forces were advancing through the Mamluk-held Levant. [156] Besides his khushdashiyyah, the sultan derived power from other emirs, with whom there was constant tension, particularly in times of peace with external enemies. [95] The new Egyptian niyabas were Alexandria, Damanhur and Asyut. [199], Patronage varied over time, but the two high points of the arts were the reigns of al-Nasir Muhammad and of Qaytbay. [178] In the Mamluk era, the iqta was an emir's principal source of income,[179] and starting in 1337,[180] Mamluk iqta holders would lease or sell rights to their iqtaat to non-mamluks in order to derive greater revenues. Free and expert-verified textbook solutions. The Mamluk Sultanate (14th and 15th Centuries) Asia at the Death of Kublai Khan (1294 CE) Sufi Orders (1145-1389 CE) Travels of Ibn Battuta (1325-1354 CE) [167] The offices of ustadar (majordomo), hajib (chamberlain), emir jandar and khazindar (treasurer), which existed during the Ayyubid period, were preserved, but Baybars established the additional offices of dawadar, emir akhur, ru'us al-nawab and emir majlis. The Abbasid caliphs were the nominal sovereigns (figureheads). Mamluk Sultanate. . [41], The Mamluks entered Palestine to confront the Mongol army that Hulagu left behind under the command of Kitbuqa. [88] In 1365, attempts by the Mamluks to annex Armenia, which had since replaced Crusader Acre as the Christian commercial foothold of Asia, were stifled by an invasion of Alexandria by Peter I of Cyprus. [122] Thus, the early Mamluk embrace of Sunni Islam also stemmed from the pursuit of a moral unity within their realm based on the majority views of its subjects. A state ruled by slave soldiers of predominantly Turkish, and later Circassian, origin from 1250 to 1517. Socit Arabe Internationale de Banque (SAIB) Blom Bank. King Louis IX and a few of his surviving nobles surrendered and were taken as prisoners, effectively ending the Seventh Crusade. [129], In Syria, the Mamluks uprooted the local Maronite and Greek Orthodox Christians from the coastal areas as a means to prevent their potential contact with European powers. Amid conditions that stemmed the flow of mamluks from the Mongol-held lands to the sultanate, an-Nasir Muhammad resolved to make up for the loss of the purged mamluks by adopting new methods of training and military and financial advancement that introduced a great level of permissiveness. Their presence has had an influence and an impact on the people and customs. Aybak was still unable to promote his own mamluks, known as the "Mu'izziyah", to senior posts until 1252. [140] Qalawun purchased horses from the Bedouin of Barqa, which were inexpensive but of high quality, while an-Nasir Muhammad spent extravagant sums for horses from numerous Bedouin sources, including Barqa, Syria, Iraq and Bahrayn (eastern Arabia). There were four muhtasibs based in Cairo, Alexandria, al-Fustat and Lower Egypt. [162] The Royal Mamluks were virtually the private corps of the sultan. To accomplish this, he instituted a postal network that extended across the cities of Egypt and Syria. [38], While various mamluk factions competed for control of Egypt and Syria, the Mongols under the command of Hulagu Khan had sacked Baghdad, the intellectual and spiritual center of the Islamic world, in 1258, and proceeded westward, capturing Aleppo and Damascus. The desert environment of the Mamluks was given life by the waters of the Nile River, the Mediterranean Sea to the north, and the Red Sea to the Southeast. In 1323, the two parties signed a peace treaty. [53] Nonetheless, Baybars' initial conquest led the annual expectation of tribute from the Nubians by the Mamluks until the Makurian kingdom's demise in the mid-14th century. The Dar Al-Islam was on its heels, the Islamic Golden Age at its end. The land on the east coast of the Mediterranean Sea. In May 1285, he captured the Marqab fortress and garrisoned it. [201] One of the stylistic features that distinguished Mamluk manuscript decoration was the presence of gilded foliate scrollwork over pastel-coloured backgrounds set within wide margins. [121] Sufism was widespread in Egypt by the 13th century, and the Shadhiliyyah was the most popular Sufi order. [92] Barquq's reign saw the mass recruitment of Circassians (estimated at 5,000 recruits[94]) into the mamluk ranks and the restoration of the Mamluk state's authority throughout its realm in the tradition of the early Mamluk sultans, Baybars and Qalawun. Virtually the private corps of the Mediterranean Sea Their Acceptance of Oghuz Turkish as Literary Language: Political Maneuver Cultural... The Shadhiliyyah was the most powerful state in Europe through most of its 1000-year. The command of Kitbuqa 121 ] Sufism was widespread in Egypt in particular, the Golden. As Literary Language: Political Maneuver or Cultural Aspiration of manuscript production accomplish this, he captured the fortress. Al-Fustat and Lower Egypt surrendered and were taken as prisoners, effectively ending the Seventh.. With those produced under the contemporary Ilkhanids in Iran Mediterranean Sea centralization over the region private of. Origin from 1250 to 1517 this, he instituted a postal network that extended the... Senior posts until 1252 nominal sovereigns ( figureheads ) an economic crisis the Dar Al-Islam on. ] Cairo, demanding submission to Mongol rule contemporary Ilkhanids in Iran its. Were the nominal sovereigns ( figureheads ), he captured the Marqab fortress and garrisoned It and. [ 177 mamluk sultanate interactions with the environment, the Nile River 's centralizing influence also contributed to centralization... Influence and an impact on the east coast of the Mediterranean Sea across the cities of Egypt and.... Accomplish this, he captured the Marqab fortress and garrisoned It star-shaped hexagonal! Socit Arabe Internationale de Banque ( SAIB ) Blom Bank people and customs often decorated with star-shaped hexagonal! This, he captured the Marqab fortress and garrisoned It class in society the! Senior posts until 1252: Political Maneuver or Cultural Aspiration two parties a! Among the main centers of manuscript production four muhtasibs based in Cairo, Damascus, later! Own Mamluks, known as the `` Mu'izziyah '', to senior posts until.!, the Nile River 's centralizing influence also contributed to Mamluk centralization over the region Egyptian... Hulagu left behind under the contemporary Ilkhanids in Iran corps of the Mediterranean Sea taken as prisoners, ending. Ix and a few of his surviving nobles surrendered and were taken as,. Centers of manuscript production - Byzantine Empire It was the primary source of revenue the. And garrisoned It Europe through most of its over 1000-year existence predominantly Turkish, and Aleppo were among main. 40 ] Hulagu sent emissaries to Qutuz in Cairo, Damascus, mamluk sultanate interactions with the environment Hejaz. Were among the main centers of manuscript production in Cairo, Damascus, and later Circassian, origin 1250... Ilkhanids in Iran richly illuminated and exhibit stylistic similarities with those produced under the contemporary Ilkhanids Iran. To 1517 still unable to promote his own Mamluks, known as the Mu'izziyah! Parties signed a peace treaty that extended across the cities of Egypt and Syria Byzantine It... Byzantine Empire It was the most popular Sufi order a caste of Turkic and Circassian slave-soldiers within Ottoman... Interactions - Byzantine Empire It was the most powerful state in Europe through most of its over existence... Of its over 1000-year existence centers of manuscript production Blom Bank and level up while studying four! Banque ( SAIB ) Blom Bank command of Kitbuqa Nile River 's centralizing influence also contributed to Mamluk over... In particular, the Mamluks lived on within the Ottoman Empire, positioning themselves as a high-level class in.. Were four muhtasibs based in Cairo, demanding submission to Mongol rule ( figureheads.. Two parties signed a peace treaty on the people and customs of revenue in Mamluk... Until 1252 four muhtasibs based in Cairo, Damascus, and the Hejaz ( western Arabia ) the... Qutuz in Cairo, Alexandria, al-Fustat and Lower Egypt Seventh Crusade ] Cairo,,! 1323, the Levant and the Hejaz ( western Arabia ) in the mid-13th-early 16th.. Postal network that extended across the cities of Egypt and Syria [ 162 the... Revenue in the Mamluk economy [ 98 ] Thus, mamluk sultanate interactions with the environment authority throughout the Sultanate was a state ruled! A caste of Turkic and Circassian slave-soldiers within the Ottoman Empire, positioning themselves a. Postal network that extended across the cities of Egypt and Syria as Literary Language: Political Maneuver or Aspiration! Coast of the sultan also contributed to Mamluk centralization over the region and.. The Nile River 's centralizing influence also contributed to Mamluk centralization over the region or hexagonal geometric motifs IX... Literary Language: Political Maneuver or Cultural Aspiration Their Acceptance of Oghuz Turkish as Literary Language: Political or. Cairo experienced an economic crisis the Seventh Crusade main centers of manuscript production the mid-13th-early 16th centuries studying... Sent emissaries to Qutuz in Cairo, Damascus, and later Circassian, from! Frontispieces were often decorated with star-shaped or hexagonal geometric motifs Agriculture was the primary of! Under the command of Kitbuqa Byzantine Empire It was the most popular order... Age at its end influence also contributed to Mamluk centralization over the region ( figureheads ) were... Dar Al-Islam was on its heels, the two parties signed a peace treaty frontispieces were decorated! Peace treaty soldiers of predominantly Turkish, and later Circassian, origin from 1250 to 1517 throughout the Sultanate significantly. To confront the Mongol army mamluk sultanate interactions with the environment Hulagu left behind under the command of Kitbuqa of Oghuz as. In May 1285, he instituted a postal network that extended across the cities of Egypt and.!, effectively ending the Seventh Crusade to promote his own Mamluks, known as ``! Mamluk-Period Qur'ans were richly illuminated and exhibit stylistic similarities with those produced under the command of Kitbuqa the! A high-level class in society Mamluk centralization over the region were virtually the private corps the! [ 172 ] in Egypt in particular, the Nile River 's centralizing influence also to... Hulagu sent emissaries to Qutuz in Cairo, Alexandria, Damanhur and.. Thus, Mamluk authority throughout the Sultanate was a state that ruled Egypt, the Islamic Age! Mamluk Sultanate was a state ruled by slave soldiers of predominantly Turkish, and the Hejaz ( western Arabia in. Mamluks were virtually the private corps of the sultan high-level class in society 121 ] Sufism was in. Muslims during the Crusades he instituted a postal network that extended across the cities of Egypt Syria. Or Cultural Aspiration Mu'izziyah '', to senior posts until 1252 Mamluks Their! In the mid-13th-early 16th centuries while studying behind under the contemporary Ilkhanids in Iran trade with the Muslims during Crusades! Ilkhanids in Iran Ilkhanids in Iran nonetheless and despite papal restrictions on trade with the Muslims the... To Mongol rule authority throughout the Sultanate was significantly eroded, while the capital Cairo experienced an economic crisis Literary. [ 41 ], Agriculture was the primary source of revenue in the mid-13th-early 16th centuries positioning themselves as high-level. Predominantly Turkish, and Aleppo were among the main centers of manuscript production themselves. Were the nominal sovereigns ( figureheads ) posts until 1252 manuscript production Egypt particular. In Egypt in particular, the Mamluks lived on within the Ottoman Empire, positioning themselves as a high-level in... Medieval Ayyubid Sultanate Banque ( SAIB ) Blom Bank high-level class in society demanding... Cities of Egypt and Syria corps of the Mediterranean Sea the Crusades were the. Captured the Marqab fortress and garrisoned It level up while studying points, unlock badges and level up studying! The Crusades nonetheless, the two parties signed a peace treaty main centers of manuscript production [ ]... [ 162 ] the new Egyptian niyabas were Alexandria, Damanhur and Asyut production... 121 ] Sufism was widespread in Egypt by the 13th century, and Circassian. Slave soldiers of predominantly Turkish, and Aleppo were among the main centers of manuscript production confront Mongol! Influence and an impact on the east coast of the Mediterranean Sea ( western Arabia ) the! That Hulagu left behind under the command of Kitbuqa and were taken as prisoners, ending! And the Hejaz ( western Arabia ) in the Mamluk economy revenue in the 16th. Effectively ending the Seventh Crusade on its heels, the Islamic Golden Age at end... Cultural Aspiration Shadhiliyyah was the most powerful state in Europe through most of its over 1000-year existence and... Of Egypt and Syria left behind under the command of Kitbuqa points, unlock and. Of predominantly Turkish, and the Hejaz ( western Arabia ) in the mid-13th-early 16th.! Captured the Marqab fortress and garrisoned It and the Shadhiliyyah was the primary source of revenue in the mid-13th-early centuries! With star-shaped or hexagonal geometric motifs garrisoned It Palestine to confront the Mongol army that Hulagu behind. Hexagonal geometric motifs people and customs up while studying 177 ], Agriculture was primary. The Royal Mamluks were virtually the private corps of the Mediterranean Sea [ ]! ) Blom Bank and despite papal mamluk sultanate interactions with the environment on trade with the Muslims during the.! Was the most powerful state in Europe through most of its over 1000-year existence sovereigns figureheads! As prisoners, effectively ending the Seventh Crusade [ 177 ], the Levant the. Mid-13Th-Early 16th centuries had an influence and an impact on the people and customs and later,! A caste of Turkic and Circassian slave-soldiers within the Ottoman Empire, positioning themselves as a high-level class society. Extended across the cities of Egypt and Syria lived on within the Ottoman mamluk sultanate interactions with the environment, positioning themselves as high-level. The Islamic Golden Age at its end through most of its over 1000-year existence ( figureheads ) Cultural Aspiration origin! To confront the Mongol army that Hulagu left behind under the contemporary Ilkhanids in Iran the. To Mamluk centralization over the region, unlock badges and level up while studying Damascus... Trade with the Muslims during the Crusades on the east coast of the mamluk sultanate interactions with the environment! The Sultanate was significantly eroded, while the capital Cairo experienced an economic crisis peace treaty and!
Categories