Who were the Mamluks?
Arab Muslims conquered Egypt in the 7th century from the Byzantines. Islam became the dominant religion replacing the Coptic Christian Church. Egyptians also adopted many Arab cultural norms. Egypt then became part of the Abbasid empire. To control the region, Muslim enlisted Mamluk slave soldiers. Mamluks were not native to Egypt but were slave soldiers of Turkic origin. The Mamluk would reach important positions in the government and in the army. The Mamluks eventually overthrew the Abbasids.
Governing
Centralized ruleThe Abbasid Ruled from their capital at Baghdad. One of the regions they ruled was North Africa including what used to be Egypt. To rule they needed a Large Army. The Abbasid would take boys and train them as elite soldiers. These slave soldiers were called Mamluks.
These Mamluk slaves eventually came to power in Egypt. Once in power the Mamluks continued to use all the same governing techniques that the Abbasid used to centralize rule. Because they had become Muslims, the religion of Islam became the state's religion. Cairo, the capital of the Mamluks would become a center of trade and culture since they were insulated from the Mongols after defeating them |
Large ArmyThe Mamluks’ opportunity to overthrow their masters came at the end of the 1240s. In 1249, the Seventh Crusade saw European invaders trying to control Egypt. The Mamluks army helped expel the Crusaders making them very powerful. This victory brought an end to the 7th crusade and eventually gave them more power.
The large army eventually allowed the Mamluk leaders to gain the position of Sultan or leader. It was from this position that the Mamluks took control of Egypt and began the Mamluk Sultanate. Their large army would also be able establish the Sultanate form 1250-1517 when the Ottomans would eventually take over. |
MongolsOnce the Mongols had taken over parts of the middle east they established the Ilkhanate. They attempted to take control of North Africa.
n 1260, the Mongols advanced into Syria to take over the Mamluks region. The Mamluks defeated the Mongols after some heavy fighting in the battle of The Battle of Ayn Jalut. Part of the reason was not only the exceptional fighting skills of the Mamluks but that the Mongols also had to go back to the capital to pick a successor because the Khan had died. The Mamluks were able to keep their freedom from the Mongol expansion. |
Cultural Impact
Islamic Cairo is one of the best places in the city to see Mamluk architecture, such as the Mosques of Sultan Hassan and Al Rifai © Leonid Andronov / Shutterstock