Baibars

al-Malik al-Zahir Rukn al-Din Baibars al-Bunduqdari (also spelled Baybars) (Arabic: ) (1223 – July 1, 1277) was a Mamluk Sultan of Egypt and Syria. He was a Circassian captured and sold in Kipchak.It was said that he was captured by the Mongols and sold as a slave, ending up in Syria. It's a new mistake to consider him as a Crimean Tatar or Turkic.

His first master, the emir (prince) of Hama, was superstitious of Baibars because of his unusual appearance (he was gigantically tall, with golden light blond hair, and an odd white spot in one of his blue eyes). Baibars was quickly sold to a Mamluk officer and sent to Egypt, where he became a bodyguard to the Ayyubid ruler As-Salih Ayyub.

Baibars was very sensitive about being sold very cheaply as a slave as he was blind in one eye, and when he ruled Egypt wise men did not mention this in public. Baibars was also known for going about Cairo in disguise to ask people's opinions about current events. It was fatal for anyone to say they knew who he really was on these excursions, though his stature and partial blindness would have made his true identity obvious to many. This custom of Baibars helped him to feel out the opinions of the common man.

Biography

He 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. After the battle he killed Qutuz because Qutuz killed his best friend Aktai years ago, and took power for himself.

He continued what was to become a lifelong struggle against the Crusader kingdoms in Syria, starting with the Principality of Antioch, which had attempted to ally itself with the Mongols against Baibars at Ain Jalut.

In 1263 he 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); whenever possible he took prisoners who were members of the Knights Templar and Knights Hospitaller, who were much hated in the Muslim world at the that time as they defended Christian castles and at the same time considered to be a great military threat.

In 1266 Baibars defeated the Armenians in Cilicia, the only powerful ally of Antioch. In 1268 he besieged Antioch, capturing the city on May 18. He razed the city and killed or enslaved the population, although Prince Bohemund was able to escape.

The fall of Antioch led to the brief Ninth Crusade in 1271 led by Edward I of England, who also attempted to ally with the Mongols, although they were unable to capture any territory from Baibars. Although Edward and Baibars settled on a truce, Baibars tried to have Edward killed by the Hashshashin, and Edward returned home in 1272.

Baibars then fought the Seljuk Turks in Anatolia, who were by this time subjects of the Mongols. He died in Syria in 1277.

Legacy

Baibars was a popular ruler in the Muslim World who had defeated the crusaders in 3 crusades. 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 4 days. He also built bridges, irrigation and shipping canals, improved the harbours, and built mosques.

His memoirs was recorded in Sirat al-Sultan Baibars (Life of Sultan 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 build adjacent to his Mausoleum in Damascus. The Az-Zahiriyah library, has a wealth of manuscripts in various branches of knowledge to this day.

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, but it was he who led the Mamluk forces in the most important battle of the Middle Periods, repelling a diminished Mongol force at the legendary battle of Ain Jalut in 1260.

His reign marked the start of an age of Mamluk dominance in the Eastern Mediterranean and solidified the durability of their military system. He took Saladin's military success as his ideal. He managed to put an end to 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.

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 also known for his cruelty against Crusaders whenever his armies failed to take crusade castles (of which there is only one instance).

In fiction

Baybars figures prominently in the classic 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.

Baybars is also one of the main characters of Robyn Young's book, Brethren

External links

1223 births | 1277 deaths | Crusades

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Biography

Legacy

Assessment

In fiction

External links