Bahri Mamluks

The Egyptian Mamluk Sultanate during the Bahri Mamluks.

History of the Turkic peoples Pre-14th century
Turkic Khaganate 552–744
Western Turkic
Eastern Turkic
Khazar Khaganate 618–1048
Xueyantuo 628–646
Great Bulgaria 632–668
Danube Bulgaria
Volga Bulgaria
Kangar union 659–750
Turgesh Khaganate 699–766
Uyghur Khaganate 744–840
Karluk Yabgu State 756–940
Kara-Khanid Khanate 840–1212
Western Kara-Khanid
Eastern Kara-Khanid
Gansu Uyghur Kingdom 848–1036
Kingdom of Qocho 856–1335
Pecheneg Khanates 860–1091	Kimek Khanate 743–1035
Cumania 1067–1239	Oghuz Yabgu State 750–1055
Ghaznavid Empire 963–1186
Seljuk Empire 1037–1194
Seljuk Sultanate of Rum
Kerait khanate 11th century–13th century
Khwarazmian Empire 1077–1231
Naiman Khanate –1204
Qarlughid Kingdom 1224–1266
Delhi Sultanate 1206–1526
Mamluk dynasty
Khilji dynasty
Tughlaq dynasty
Golden Horde | [1][2][3] 1240s–1502
Mamluk Sultanate (Cairo) 1250–1517
Bahri dynasty
Ottoman Empire 1299-1923
Other Turkic dynasties  in Anatolia Artuqid dynasty Saltuqid dynasty in Azerbaijan Ahmadili dynasty Ildenizid dynasty in Egypt Tulunid dynasty Ikhshidid dynasty in Fars Salghurid dynasty in The Levant Burid dynasty Zengid dynasty in Yemen Rasulid dynasty

The Bahriyya Mamluks or Bahri dynasty (Turkish: Bahri Hanedanı, al-Mamalik al-Bahariyya - المماليك البحرية) was a Mamluk dynasty of mostly Cuman-Kipchak Turkic origin that ruled the Egyptian Mamluk Sultanate from 1250 to 1382. They followed the Ayyubid dynasty, and were succeeded by a second Mamluk dynasty, the Burji dynasty.

Their name "Bahriyya" means 'of the river', referring to the location of their original settlement on Al-Rodah Island in the Nile (Nahr al-Nil) in Medieval Cairo^[4] at the castle of Al-Rodah which was built by the Ayyubid Sultan as-Salih Ayyub^[5][6]

History

The Mamluks formed one of the most powerful and wealthiest empires of the time, lasting from 1250 to 1517 in Egypt, North Africa, and the Levant—Near East.

Development

In 1250, when the Ayyubid sultan as-Salih Ayyub died, the Mamluks he had owned as slaves murdered his son and heir al-Muazzam Turanshah, and Shajar al-Durr the widow of as-Salih became the Sultana of Egypt. She married the Atabeg (commander in chief) Emir Aybak and abdicated, Aybak becoming Sultan. He ruled from 1250 to 1257.^[7][8]

The Mamluks consolidated their power in ten years and eventually established the Bahri Mamluks. They were helped by the Mongols' sack of Baghdad in 1258, which effectively destroyed the Abbasid caliphate. Cairo became more prominent as a result and remained a Mamluk capital thereafter.

The Mamluks were powerful cavalry warriors mixing the practices of the Turkic steppe peoples from which they were drawn and the organizational and technological sophistication and horsemanship of the Arabs. In 1260 the Mamluks defeated a Mongol army at the Battle of Ain Jalut in present-day Israel and eventually forced the invaders to retreat to the area of modern-day Iraq.^[9] The defeat of the Mongols at the hands of the Mamluks enhanced the position of the Mamluks in the southern Mediterranean basin.^[10][11] Baibars, one of the leaders at the battle, became the new Sultan after the assassination of Sultan Qutuz on the way home.^[12][13]

In 1250 Baibars was one of the Mamluk commanders who defended Al Mansurah^[14] against the Crusade knights of Louis IX of France, who was later definitely defeated, captured in Fariskur and ransomed.^[15] Baibars had also taken part in the Mamluk takeover of Egypt. In 1261, after he became a Sultan, he established a puppet Abbasid caliphate in Cairo,^[16] and the Mamluks fought the remnants of the Crusader states in Palestine until they finally captured Acre in 1291.^[17]

Tatars

Many Tatars settled in Egypt and were employed by Baibars.^[18][19] He defeated the Mongols at the battle of Elbistan^[20] and sent the Abbasid Caliph with only 250 men to attempt to retake Baghdad, but was unsuccessful. In 1266 he devastated Cilician Armenia and in 1268 he recaptured Antioch from the Crusaders.^[21][22] In addition, he fought the Seljuks,^[23] and Hashshashin; he also extended Muslim power into Nubia^[19] for the first time, before his death in 1277.

Sultan Qalawun defeated a rebellion in Syria that was led by Sunqur al-Ashqar in 1280,^[24][25] and also defeated another Mongol invasion in 1281 that was led by Abaqa outside Homs.^[26] After the Mongol threat passed he recaptured Tripoli from the Crusaders in 1289.^[27] His son Khalil captured Acre, the last Crusader city, in 1291.^[28][29]

Territory of the Golden Horde in 1389

The Mongols renewed their invasion in 1299,^[30] but were again defeated in 1303.^[31][32] The Egyptian Mamluk Sultans entered into relations with the Golden Horde who converted to Islam^[33] and established a peace pact with the Mongols^[34] in 1322.

Sultan Al-Nasir Muhammad married a Mongol princess in 1319. His diplomatic relations were more extensive than those of any previous Sultan, and included Bulgarian, Indian, and Abyssinian potentates, as well as the pope, the king of Aragon and the king of France.^[35] Al-Nasir Muhammad organized the re-digging of a canal in 1311 which connected Alexandria with the Nile.^[34] He died in 1341.

Dissolution

The constant changes of sultans that followed led to great disorder in the provinces. Meanwhile, in 1349 Egypt and the Levant in general were introduced to Black Death, which is said to have carried off many lives of the inhabitants.^[36][37]

In 1382 the last Bahri Sultan Hajji II was dethroned and the Sultanate was taken over by the Circassian Emir Barquq. He was expelled in 1389 but returned to power in 1390, setting up the succeeding Burji dynasty.^[38]

Military organization

On a general level, the military during the Bahri Mamluks period can be divided into several aspects

• Mamluks : the core of both the political and military base, these slave soldiers were further divided into Khassaki (comparable to imperial guards), Royal Mamluks ( Mamluks directly under the command of the Sultan) and regular Mamluks (usually assigned to local Amirs).

• Al-Halqa : the primarily free born professional forces, they are also directly under the sultan's command.

• Wafidiyya : These are Turks and Mongols that migrated to the dynasty's border after the Mongol invasion, typically given land grants in exchange for military service, they are well regarded forces.

• Other levies : Primarily Bedouin tribes, but also on different occasions also different groups of Turkomans and other settled Arabs.

An outstanding achievement of Mamluk army were their success defeating the Ilkhanate Mongol army which considered invincible on the field in that era has outlined the major parts of the military quality of the Mamluk. training manuals of the Egyptian Mamluks and others reveal the methods that could produce the remarkable skills of slave soldiers mamluks. The Egyptian Mamluks were expected to be able to shoot three arrows in one and a half seconds; and capable to strike with the sword, while galloping, three times a second. They are also able to outshooting Mongols cavalry.^[39]

Another reason was recorded by Ibn Battuta that the Mongol horses were suffered by the climate of summer. Which is the similar reason the Chagatai Khanate was defeated by Mamluk dynasty of India counterpart led by Ghiyas ud din Balban, who also possessed military might in similar quality with Mamluk of Egypt, as Amir Khusrau remarks "Although each year the Mongols come from Khurasan, (they) yield up their ghosts wherever the Turks send the showers of their fatal arrows."^[40][41]

List of Bahri Sultans

• Yellow shaded row signifies nominal rule of Ayyubid dynasty under Sultan al-Ashraf Musa 1250–1254.
  • Silver shaded row signifies interruption in the rule of Bahri Mamluks by Burji dynasty.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bahri dynasty.

• Turkic peoples
• Timeline of Turks (500-1300)
• List of Turkic dynasties and countries
• Aybak
• History of Arab Egypt
• Mamluk
• Qala'un Mosque
• Shajar al-Durr
• List of Sunni Muslim dynasties
• Nâçerî

References

• Abu al-Fida, The Concise History of Humanity.
• Al-Maqrizi, Al Selouk Leme'refatt Dewall al-Melouk, Dar al-kotob, 1997.
• Idem in English: Bohn, Henry G., The Road to Knowledge of the Return of Kings, Chronicles of the Crusades, AMS Press, 1969.
• Al-Maqrizi, al-Mawaiz wa al-'i'tibar bi dhikr al-khitat wa al-'athar,Matabat aladab, Cairo 1996, ISBN 977-241-175-X
• Idem in French: Bouriant, Urbain, Description topographique et historique de l'Egypte,Paris 1895.
• Ayalon, D.: The Mamluk Military Society. London, 1979.
• Ibn Taghri, al-Nujum al-Zahirah Fi Milook Misr wa al-Qahirah, al-Hay'ah al-Misreyah 1968
• Idem in English: History of Egypt, by Yusef. William Popper, translator Abu L-Mahasin ibn Taghri Birdi, University of California Press 1954.
• Shayyal, Jamal, Prof. of Islamic history, Tarikh Misr al-Islamiyah (History of Islamic Egypt), dar al-Maref, Cairo 1266, ISBN 977-02-5975-6
• www.SumitBahri.com: website

Turkic topics
Languages	Afshar Altay Äynu Azerbaijani Bashkir Bulgar Chagatai Chulym Chuvash Crimean Tatar Cuman Dolgan Fuyü Gïrgïs Gagauz Ili Turki Karachay-Balkar Karaim Karakalpak Karamanli Turkish Kazakh Khakas Khalaj Khazar Khorasani Turkic Kipchak Krymchak Kumyk Kipchak languages Kyrgyz Nogai Old Turkic Ottoman Turkish Pecheneg Qashqai Sakha Salar Shor Siberian Tatar Tatar Tofa Turkish Turkmen Tuvan Urum Uyghur Uzbek Western Yugur
Peoples	Ahiska Altays Azerbaijanis Balkars Bashkirs Bulgars Chulyms Chuvash Crimean Tatars Cumans Dolgans Dughlats Gagauz Iraqi Turkmen Karachays Karaites Karakalpaks Karluks Kazakhs Khakas Khalajs Khazars Khorasani Turks Kimek Kipchaks Krymchaks Kumandins Kumyks Kyrgyz Nogais Oghuz Turks Qarapapaqs Qashqai Qizilbash Salar Shatuo Shors Sybyrs Syrian Turkmen Tatars Telengits Teleuts Tofalar Turgesh Turkish people in Bulgaria Turkish Cypriots in Kosovo in the Republic of Macedonia in Romania in Western Thrace Turkmens Tuvans Uyghurs Uzbeks Western Yugurs Yakuts Yueban
Politics	Grey Wolves Kemalism Burkhanism Pan-Turkism Turanism
Origins	Turkestan History Timeline 500–1300 migration Nomadic empire Tian Shan / Altai Mountains Otukan
Locations	Sovereign states Azerbaijan Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus1 Turkey Turkmenistan Uzbekistan Autonomous areas Altai Republic Bashkortostan Chuvashia Gagauzia Kabardino-Balkaria Karachay-Cherkessia Karakalpakstan Khakassia Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic Sakha Republic Tatarstan Tuva Xinjiang
Studies	Old Turkic alphabet Proto-Turkic language Turkology
Religions	Turkic mythology Tengrism Shamanism Islam Alevism Batiniyya Bayramiye Bektashi Order Christianity Hurufism Kadiri Khalwati order Malamatiyya Qalandariyya Qizilbash Rifa'i* Safaviyya Zahediyeh Vattisen Yaly
Traditional sports	Kyz kuu Jereed Buzkashi Dzhigit Chovgan
Organizations	Turkic Council International Organization of Turkic Culture (TÜRKSOY) Organization of the Eurasian Law Enforcement Agencies with Military Status (TAKM)
1 State with limited international recognition.