Aybak
Encyclopedia
Izz al-Din AybakThe name Aybeg or Aybak is a combination of two Turkic words, "Ay" = Moon and "Beg" or variant "Bak" = Emir in Arabic. -(Al-Maqrizi, Note p.463/vol.1 ) (epithet: al-Malik al-Mu'izz Izz al-Din Aybak al-Jawshangir al-Turkmani al-Salihi, Arabic: الملك المعز عز الدين أيبك التركماني الجاشنكير الصالحى) (d. 1257, Cairo
) was the first of the Mamluk
sultans of Egypt
in the Turkic
Bahri
line.Though Aybak is regarded by historian as a Mamluk, he actually served in the court of as-Salih Ayyub as an Emir/military commander and not as a Mamluk.- Shayal, p. 153/ vol.2- Al-Maqrizi, p. 463/vol.1 - According to Ibn Taghri as-Salih Ayyub bought him before he became a Sultan and he promoted him to the position an Emir. The rank which Aybak used was of a Khawanja (خوانجا Sultan's accountant ). Ibn Taghri, PP.103-273/ The Sultanate of al-Muizz Aybak al-Turkumani.Some historians, however, consider Shajar Adurr as the first of the Mamluk Sultans. Shayal, p.115/vol.2.Al-Maqrizi, also, described Shajar Adurr as the first of the Mamluk sultans of Turkic origin. al-Maqrizi, p.459/ vol.1
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He ruled from 1250 to 1257. He was an Emir/commander of Turkic origin who served with other Turkmens
in the court of the Ayyubid sultan as-Salih Ayyub
and therefore was known among the Bahri Mamluks
as Aybak al-Turkmani. He raised to the position of Emir
(commander) and worked as a Jashnkir (taster of the sultan's food and drink) and used the rank of a Khawanja (Sultan's accountant).See note 1.
After the death of as-Salih Ayyub
during the Frankish invasion of Damietta
in 1249 and the tragic murder of his heir and son Turanshah
in 1250, Shajar al-Durr, the widow of as-Salih Ayyub, with the help and support of the Mamluks of her late husband, seized the throne and became the Sultana of Egypt. The Ayyubids lost control over Egypt.
Both the Ayyubids in Syria and the Abbasid
Caliph
al-Musta'sim
in Baghdad
defied the Mamluk move in Egypt and refused to recognize Shajart al-Dur as a SultanaThe Abbasid Caliph al-Musta'sim sent a message from Baghdad to the Mamluks in Egypt that said :"If you do not have men there tell us so we can send you men."- Al-Maqrizi, p.464/vol1 but the Mamluks in Egypt renewed their oath to the new Sultana and appointed Aybak to the important position of Atabeg
(commander in chief).
to an-Nasir Yusuf
the Ayyubbid emir of Aleppo
, Shajar al-Durr married Aybak then abdicated and passed the throne to Aybak after she ruled Egypt for 80 days.
Aybak, the new sultan of Egypt, was given the royal name al-Malik al-Muizz. Until then, Aybak relied foremost on four Mamluks: Faris ad-Din Aktai
, Baibars al-Bunduqdari
, Qutuz
and Bilban al-Rashidi.
To consolidate the position of Aybak, and attempting to satisfy their opponents in Syria
and Baghdad, the Mamluks installed the 6-year-old al-malik Sharaf Muzafer al-Din Musa,Also known as Al-Nasir Salah ad-Din Yusuf. - Al-Maqrizi, p.464/vol.1- Ibn Taghri, pp.103-273/ The Sultanate of al-Muizz Aybak al-Turkumani.Coins of Musa show he was a Sultan and not a cosultan. who was one of the Syrian branch of the Ayyubid familyal-malik Sharaf Muzafer al-Din Musa was a grandson of al-Malik al-Kamil
. Al-Maqrizi, p.464/vol.1 - Shayal, p.115/ vol.2 - Ibn Taghri, pp.103-273/ The Sultanate of al-Muizz Aybak al-Turkumani, as a Sultan and announced that Aybak is merely a representative of the Abbasid Caliph in Baghdad. In addition, and to display his loyalty to his deceased Ayyubid master as-Salih Ayyub, Aybak made funeral ceremony for as-Salih and buried him in the tomb which as-Salih built before his death near his Madrasah
in the district of Bain al-Qasrain in Cairo.The death of as-Salih Ayyub was concealed by his wife Shajar ad-Durr as Egypt was under the attack of the Seventh Crusade and his coffined body was transported by a boat in secret to the castle of al-Rudah island in the Nile where it stayed till was buried by Aybak in the Sultan's tomb near as-Salih's Madrasah. ( Al-Maqrizi, pp. 441-443/vol.1 ) See also Shajar al-Durr.
to conquer Egypt and overthrow Aybak but his forces were defeated by Emir Faris ad-Din Aktai
. Then he led a huge army and clashed with Aybak's army near Al-Salihiyya
but at the end of the battle he was forced to flee to Damascus while his son Turanshah,Not to be confused with his namesake Sultan Turanshah
the son of as-Salih Ayyub. his brother Nosrat ad-Din and al-Malik al-Ashraf the Emir of Aleppo were among the prisoners caught by Aybak's army. Aybak's triumphs over the Ayyobids of Syria consolidated his position as a ruler of Egypt. Through negotiation and mediation of the Abbasid Caliph, Aybak freed the Ayyubid prisoners and gained control over southern Palestine including Gaza and Jerusalem and the Syrian coast. Feeling secure by his victories and his agreement with the Ayyubids, Aybak imprisoned the young Ayyubid cosultan Musa and appointed Qutuz
as vice-sultan in 1252.
, Aybak became convinced that Aktai and his Mamluks had the intention to overthrow him and, thus, he decided to get rid of them.
and a few Mamluks, Aybak invited Aktai to the citadel and had him murdered. Watching the head of Aktai thrown out the citadel, the Bahariyya Mamluks, among them Baibars al-Bunduqdari and Qalawun al-Alfi
, fled during the night to Damascus, Al-Karak and the Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm . Aybak plundered the properties of the Bahariyya Mamluks and retracted Alexandria
which Aktai controlled as own domain since 1252. Those who could not flee were either imprisoned or executed. As soon as he finished with Aktai and his Bahariyya Mamluks, Aybak dethroned the child cosultan al-Shraf Musa and sent him back to his aunts' house which was his home before they made him a cosultan. Now Aybak was the absolute and sole ruler of Egypt and parts of Syria but shortly afterwards he settled a new agreement with an-Nasir Yusuf which limited his power to Egypt only.
In 1255 a new rebellion led by his namesake Izz al-Din Aybak al-Afram arose in upper Egypt and forces of an-Nasir Yusuf arrived to the Egyptian border, this time accompanied by the Bahariyya Mamluks who fled to Syria, including Baibars al-Bunduqdari and Qalawun al-Alfi.
The 11-years-old son Ali was installed by Aybak Mamluks ( Mu'iziyya Mamluks ), who were led by Qutuz, as the new sultan taking the royal name al-Malik al-Mansur Nour ad-Din Ali with Qutuz as a vice-sultan.
. He built a Madrasah
in Cairo known by the name al-Madrasah al-Mu'izzyah.
Aybak ruled in a turbulent time. In addition to his conflicts with an-Nasir Yusuf in Syria and Emir Aktai and his Mamluks in Egypt, there were threats from external forces, namely the Crusaders
and Louis IX of France
who were in Acre
waiting for a chance to score a success against the Muslims after their humiliating defeat in Egypt in 1250See Battle of Al Mansurah
and Battle of Fariskur
and the Mongols led by Hulagu who were starting to raid the eastern borders of the Islamic world.In 1252 during Aybak reign Mongols raided towns and territories on the eastern border of the Islamic world. - Al-Maqrizi, p.477/vol.1
Before their deaths, Aybak and Shajar al-Durr firmly established the Mamluk dynasty
that would ultimately repulse the Mongols
, expel the European Crusaders from the Holy Land
, and would remain the most powerful political force in the Middle East
until the coming of the Ottomans
.
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
) was the first of the Mamluk
Mamluk
A Mamluk was a soldier of slave origin, who were predominantly Cumans/Kipchaks The "mamluk phenomenon", as David Ayalon dubbed the creation of the specific warrior...
sultans of Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
in the Turkic
Turkic peoples
The Turkic peoples are peoples residing in northern, central and western Asia, southern Siberia and northwestern China and parts of eastern Europe. They speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family. They share, to varying degrees, certain cultural traits and historical backgrounds...
Bahri
Bahri dynasty
The Bahri dynasty or Bahriyya Mamluks was a Mamluk dynasty of mostly Kipchak Turkic origin that ruled Egypt from 1250 to 1382 when they were succeeded by the Burji dynasty, another group of Mamluks...
line.Though Aybak is regarded by historian as a Mamluk, he actually served in the court of as-Salih Ayyub as an Emir/military commander and not as a Mamluk.- Shayal, p. 153/ vol.2- Al-Maqrizi, p. 463/vol.1 - According to Ibn Taghri as-Salih Ayyub bought him before he became a Sultan and he promoted him to the position an Emir. The rank which Aybak used was of a Khawanja (خوانجا Sultan's accountant ). Ibn Taghri, PP.103-273/ The Sultanate of al-Muizz Aybak al-Turkumani.Some historians, however, consider Shajar Adurr as the first of the Mamluk Sultans. Shayal, p.115/vol.2.Al-Maqrizi, also, described Shajar Adurr as the first of the Mamluk sultans of Turkic origin. al-Maqrizi, p.459/ vol.1
Origin and early career
Turkmen people
The Turkmen are a Turkic people located primarily in the Central Asian states of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and northeastern Iran. They speak the Turkmen language, which is classified as a part of the Western Oghuz branch of the Turkic languages family together with Turkish, Azerbaijani, Qashqai,...
in the court of the Ayyubid sultan as-Salih Ayyub
As-Salih Ayyub
Al-Malik as-Salih Najm al-Din Ayyub , also known as al-Malik al-Salih was the Ayyubid ruler of Egypt from 1240 to 1249.-Biography:...
and therefore was known among the Bahri Mamluks
Bahri dynasty
The Bahri dynasty or Bahriyya Mamluks was a Mamluk dynasty of mostly Kipchak Turkic origin that ruled Egypt from 1250 to 1382 when they were succeeded by the Burji dynasty, another group of Mamluks...
as Aybak al-Turkmani. He raised to the position of Emir
Emir
Emir , meaning "commander", "general", or "prince"; also transliterated as Amir, Aamir or Ameer) is a title of high office, used throughout the Muslim world...
(commander) and worked as a Jashnkir (taster of the sultan's food and drink) and used the rank of a Khawanja (Sultan's accountant).See note 1.
After the death of as-Salih Ayyub
As-Salih Ayyub
Al-Malik as-Salih Najm al-Din Ayyub , also known as al-Malik al-Salih was the Ayyubid ruler of Egypt from 1240 to 1249.-Biography:...
during the Frankish invasion of Damietta
Damietta
Damietta , also known as Damiata, or Domyat, is a port and the capital of the Damietta Governorate in Egypt. It is located at the intersection between the Mediterranean Sea and the Nile, about north of Cairo.-History:...
in 1249 and the tragic murder of his heir and son Turanshah
Al-Muazzam Turanshah
Turanshah, also Turan Shah was a son of Sultan As-Salih Ayyub. A member of Ayyubid Dynasty, he became Sultan of Egypt for a brief period in 1249-1250.-References:...
in 1250, Shajar al-Durr, the widow of as-Salih Ayyub, with the help and support of the Mamluks of her late husband, seized the throne and became the Sultana of Egypt. The Ayyubids lost control over Egypt.
Both the Ayyubids in Syria and the Abbasid
Abbasid
The Abbasid Caliphate or, more simply, the Abbasids , was the third of the Islamic caliphates. It was ruled by the Abbasid dynasty of caliphs, who built their capital in Baghdad after overthrowing the Umayyad caliphate from all but the al-Andalus region....
Caliph
Caliph
The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
al-Musta'sim
Al-Musta'sim
Al-Musta'sim Billah was the last Abbasid Caliph in Baghdad; he ruled from 1242 until his death.-Biography:...
in Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
defied the Mamluk move in Egypt and refused to recognize Shajart al-Dur as a SultanaThe Abbasid Caliph al-Musta'sim sent a message from Baghdad to the Mamluks in Egypt that said :"If you do not have men there tell us so we can send you men."- Al-Maqrizi, p.464/vol1 but the Mamluks in Egypt renewed their oath to the new Sultana and appointed Aybak to the important position of Atabeg
Atabeg
Atabeg, Atabek, or Atabey is a hereditary title of nobility of Turkic origin, indicating a governor of a nation or province who was subordinate to a monarch and charged with raising the crown prince...
(commander in chief).
Rise to power
Feeling uneasy when the Syrian Emirs refused to pay homage to Shajar Addur and granted DamascusDamascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
to an-Nasir Yusuf
An-Nasir Yusuf
An-Nasir Yusuf An-Nasir Yusuf (Arabic: الناصر يوسف ) An-Nasir Yusuf (Arabic: الناصر يوسف ) (Royal Name: al-Malik al-Nasir Salah al-Din Yusuf (Arabic: الملك الناصر صلاح الدين يوسف )(1228–1260 ) was the Ayyubid ruler of most of Syria, including Aleppo (1236–1260) and Damascus (1250–1260)...
the Ayyubbid emir of Aleppo
Aleppo
Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
, Shajar al-Durr married Aybak then abdicated and passed the throne to Aybak after she ruled Egypt for 80 days.
Aybak, the new sultan of Egypt, was given the royal name al-Malik al-Muizz. Until then, Aybak relied foremost on four Mamluks: Faris ad-Din Aktai
Faris ad-Din Aktai
Faris ad-Din Aktai al-Jemdar Not to be confused with his namesake and contemporary the commander in chief Faris ad-Din Aktai al-Mostareb -Biography:...
, Baibars al-Bunduqdari
Baibars
Baibars or Baybars , nicknamed Abu l-Futuh , was a Mamluk Sultan of Egypt. He was one of the commanders of the forces which inflicted a devastating defeat on the Seventh Crusade of King Louis IX of France and he led the vanguard of the Egyptian army at the Battle of Ain Jalut in 1260, which marked...
, Qutuz
Qutuz
Saif ad-Din Qutuz, also spelled Kutuz, was the third of the Mamluk Sultans of Egypt in the Turkic line from 1259 until his death in 1260. It was under his leadership that the Mamluks achieved success against the Mongols in the key Battle of Ain Jalut...
and Bilban al-Rashidi.
To consolidate the position of Aybak, and attempting to satisfy their opponents in Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
and Baghdad, the Mamluks installed the 6-year-old al-malik Sharaf Muzafer al-Din Musa,Also known as Al-Nasir Salah ad-Din Yusuf. - Al-Maqrizi, p.464/vol.1- Ibn Taghri, pp.103-273/ The Sultanate of al-Muizz Aybak al-Turkumani.Coins of Musa show he was a Sultan and not a cosultan. who was one of the Syrian branch of the Ayyubid familyal-malik Sharaf Muzafer al-Din Musa was a grandson of al-Malik al-Kamil
Al-Kamil
Al-Kamil was a Kurdish Ayyubid sultan who ruled North Africa. During his tenure as sultan, the Ayyubids defeated two crusades. In a temporary agreement with the Crusaders, he ceded Jerusalem to the Christians.-Biography:He was the son of sultan al-Adil, a brother of Saladin...
. Al-Maqrizi, p.464/vol.1 - Shayal, p.115/ vol.2 - Ibn Taghri, pp.103-273/ The Sultanate of al-Muizz Aybak al-Turkumani, as a Sultan and announced that Aybak is merely a representative of the Abbasid Caliph in Baghdad. In addition, and to display his loyalty to his deceased Ayyubid master as-Salih Ayyub, Aybak made funeral ceremony for as-Salih and buried him in the tomb which as-Salih built before his death near his Madrasah
Madrasah
Madrasah is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, whether secular or religious...
in the district of Bain al-Qasrain in Cairo.The death of as-Salih Ayyub was concealed by his wife Shajar ad-Durr as Egypt was under the attack of the Seventh Crusade and his coffined body was transported by a boat in secret to the castle of al-Rudah island in the Nile where it stayed till was buried by Aybak in the Sultan's tomb near as-Salih's Madrasah. ( Al-Maqrizi, pp. 441-443/vol.1 ) See also Shajar al-Durr.
Ayyubid challenge
An-Nasir Yusuf sent his forces to GazaGaza
Gaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...
to conquer Egypt and overthrow Aybak but his forces were defeated by Emir Faris ad-Din Aktai
Faris ad-Din Aktai
Faris ad-Din Aktai al-Jemdar Not to be confused with his namesake and contemporary the commander in chief Faris ad-Din Aktai al-Mostareb -Biography:...
. Then he led a huge army and clashed with Aybak's army near Al-Salihiyya
Al-Salihiyya
Al-Salihiyya was a Palestinian Arab village in the District of Safad. It was depopulated during the 1948 War on May 25, 1948 by the Palmach's First Battalion of Operation Yiftach. It was located 25 km northeast of Safad, situated on the intersection of the Jordan River and Wadi Tur'an.In...
but at the end of the battle he was forced to flee to Damascus while his son Turanshah,Not to be confused with his namesake Sultan Turanshah
Al-Muazzam Turanshah
Turanshah, also Turan Shah was a son of Sultan As-Salih Ayyub. A member of Ayyubid Dynasty, he became Sultan of Egypt for a brief period in 1249-1250.-References:...
the son of as-Salih Ayyub. his brother Nosrat ad-Din and al-Malik al-Ashraf the Emir of Aleppo were among the prisoners caught by Aybak's army. Aybak's triumphs over the Ayyobids of Syria consolidated his position as a ruler of Egypt. Through negotiation and mediation of the Abbasid Caliph, Aybak freed the Ayyubid prisoners and gained control over southern Palestine including Gaza and Jerusalem and the Syrian coast. Feeling secure by his victories and his agreement with the Ayyubids, Aybak imprisoned the young Ayyubid cosultan Musa and appointed Qutuz
Qutuz
Saif ad-Din Qutuz, also spelled Kutuz, was the third of the Mamluk Sultans of Egypt in the Turkic line from 1259 until his death in 1260. It was under his leadership that the Mamluks achieved success against the Mongols in the key Battle of Ain Jalut...
as vice-sultan in 1252.
Rebellion
In 1253 a serious rebellion led by Hisn al-Din Thalab in upper and middle Egypt was crashed by Aktai the leader of the Bahri Mamluks. By defeating the Ayyubid forces of an-Nasir Yusuf and the crashing of the rebellion of Thalab the power of Emir Aktai and his Mamluks increased and they began to form a new threat to the authority of Aybak. When Aktai asked Aybak to allow him to live inside the citadelCitadel of the Mountain was the abode and court of the sultan in Cairo with his future wife who was the sister of al-Malik al-Mansour the Emir of HamaHama
Hama is a city on the banks of the Orontes River in west-central Syria north of Damascus. It is the provincial capital of the Hama Governorate. Hama is the fourth-largest city in Syria—behind Aleppo, Damascus, and Homs—with a population of 696,863...
, Aybak became convinced that Aktai and his Mamluks had the intention to overthrow him and, thus, he decided to get rid of them.
Crackdown on Mamluks
In a conspiracy with QutuzQutuz
Saif ad-Din Qutuz, also spelled Kutuz, was the third of the Mamluk Sultans of Egypt in the Turkic line from 1259 until his death in 1260. It was under his leadership that the Mamluks achieved success against the Mongols in the key Battle of Ain Jalut...
and a few Mamluks, Aybak invited Aktai to the citadel and had him murdered. Watching the head of Aktai thrown out the citadel, the Bahariyya Mamluks, among them Baibars al-Bunduqdari and Qalawun al-Alfi
Qalawun
Saif ad-Dīn Qalawun aṣ-Ṣāliḥī was the seventh Mamluk sultan of Egypt...
, fled during the night to Damascus, Al-Karak and the Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm . Aybak plundered the properties of the Bahariyya Mamluks and retracted Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
which Aktai controlled as own domain since 1252. Those who could not flee were either imprisoned or executed. As soon as he finished with Aktai and his Bahariyya Mamluks, Aybak dethroned the child cosultan al-Shraf Musa and sent him back to his aunts' house which was his home before they made him a cosultan. Now Aybak was the absolute and sole ruler of Egypt and parts of Syria but shortly afterwards he settled a new agreement with an-Nasir Yusuf which limited his power to Egypt only.
In 1255 a new rebellion led by his namesake Izz al-Din Aybak al-Afram arose in upper Egypt and forces of an-Nasir Yusuf arrived to the Egyptian border, this time accompanied by the Bahariyya Mamluks who fled to Syria, including Baibars al-Bunduqdari and Qalawun al-Alfi.
Bizarre end
Being in need to form an alliance with an important Emir who can help him against the threat of the Mamluks who fled to Syria, Aybak decided in 1257 to marry the daughter of Badr ad-Din Lu'lu' the Emir of al-Mousil. Shajar al-Durr, who already had disputes with Aybak,Aybak's conflict with the Mamluks and his attempt to increase his supremacy over political matters had its effect on his relation with Shajar Al-Durr. According to Al-Maqrizi, Aybak decided to liquidate Shajar Al-Durr after he was warned that she contacted An-Nasir Yusuf and promised him to make him the Sultan of Egypt. Al-Maqrizi, pp.493-494/vol.1 felt betrayed by the man who she made a Sultan and had him murdered after he ruled Egypt seven years. On the day of his death he was about 60 years old and had a few sons, among them Nasir ad-Din khan and al-Mansur Ali.The 11-years-old son Ali was installed by Aybak Mamluks ( Mu'iziyya Mamluks ), who were led by Qutuz, as the new sultan taking the royal name al-Malik al-Mansur Nour ad-Din Ali with Qutuz as a vice-sultan.
Impact
Aybak was not liked nor respected by the Egyptians though he was remembered by the historian as a courageous and generous Sultan.In Sirat al-Zahir Baibars, which is a fiction mixed with reality and a product of folklore, Aybak appears as a wicked and a feeble man. See Sirat al-Zahir BaibarsSirat al-Zahir Baibars
Sirat al-Zahir Baibars سيرة الظاهر بيبرس , also known as "al-Sirah al-Zahiriya", is a long Egyptian folkloric epic poem that narrates the life and heroic achievements of the Mamluk Sultan al-Zahir Baibars al-Bunduqdari....
. He built a Madrasah
Madrasah
Madrasah is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, whether secular or religious...
in Cairo known by the name al-Madrasah al-Mu'izzyah.
Aybak ruled in a turbulent time. In addition to his conflicts with an-Nasir Yusuf in Syria and Emir Aktai and his Mamluks in Egypt, there were threats from external forces, namely the Crusaders
Crusaders
The Crusaders are a New Zealand professional rugby union team based in Christchurch that competes in the Super Rugby competition. They are the most successful team in Super Rugby history with seven titles...
and Louis IX of France
Louis IX of France
Louis IX , commonly Saint Louis, was King of France from 1226 until his death. He was also styled Louis II, Count of Artois from 1226 to 1237. Born at Poissy, near Paris, he was an eighth-generation descendant of Hugh Capet, and thus a member of the House of Capet, and the son of Louis VIII and...
who were in Acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
waiting for a chance to score a success against the Muslims after their humiliating defeat in Egypt in 1250See Battle of Al Mansurah
Battle of Al Mansurah
The Battle of Al Mansurah was fought from February 8 to February 11, 1250 between crusaders led by Louis IX, King of France, and Ayyubid forces led by Emir Fakhr-ad-Din Yussuf, Faris ad-Din Aktai and Baibars al-Bunduqdari.-Background:...
and Battle of Fariskur
Battle of Fariskur
The Battle of Fariskur was fought on April 6, 1250, between the Crusaders led by Louis IX King of France and Egyptian forces led by Turanshah.-Background:...
and the Mongols led by Hulagu who were starting to raid the eastern borders of the Islamic world.In 1252 during Aybak reign Mongols raided towns and territories on the eastern border of the Islamic world. - Al-Maqrizi, p.477/vol.1
Before their deaths, Aybak and Shajar al-Durr firmly established the Mamluk dynasty
Bahri dynasty
The Bahri dynasty or Bahriyya Mamluks was a Mamluk dynasty of mostly Kipchak Turkic origin that ruled Egypt from 1250 to 1382 when they were succeeded by the Burji dynasty, another group of Mamluks...
that would ultimately repulse the Mongols
Mongols
Mongols ) are a Central-East Asian ethnic group that lives mainly in the countries of Mongolia, China, and Russia. In China, ethnic Mongols can be found mainly in the central north region of China such as Inner Mongolia...
, expel the European Crusaders from the Holy Land
Holy Land
The Holy Land is a term which in Judaism refers to the Kingdom of Israel as defined in the Tanakh. For Jews, the Land's identifiction of being Holy is defined in Judaism by its differentiation from other lands by virtue of the practice of Judaism often possible only in the Land of Israel...
, and would remain the most powerful political force in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
until the coming of the Ottomans
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
.