Sultan Ath-Thaahir Baybars

Al-Malik Ath-Thaahir Rukn Ad-Deen Baybars Al-Bunduqdari, was the most
eminent of the Mamluk Sultans of Egypt andSyria, which he ruled from
1260 to 1277 CE. He is renowned both for his military campaigns
against the Mongols and Crusaders, and for his internal administrative
reforms.
Baybars was born in the country of the Kipchak Turks on the northern
shores of theBlack Sea. After the Mongol invasion of theircountry
around the year 1242 CE, Baybars, along with many of other Kipchak
Turks, was sold into slavery. Turkish-speaking slaves, who had become
the military backbone of most Islamic states, were highly prized, and
eventually, Baybars came into the possession of Sultan As-Saalih Najm
Ad-Deen Ayyuub of the Ayyuubid dynasty ofEgypt. Baybars was sent for
military training to an island in theNile, like all the Sultan's newly
acquired slaves, and demonstrated outstanding military abilities. Upon
his graduation, he was granted freedom and appointed commander of a
group of the Sultan's bodyguards.
Baybars gained his first major military victory as commander of the
Ayyuubid army at the city of al-Mansoorah in February 1250 CE against
the Crusaders' army led by Louis IX of France, who was captured and
later released for a large ransom. Filled with a sense of pride at
their military strength and growing importance inEgypt, a group of
Mamluk officers in the same year murdered the newSultan, Turan Shaah.
The death ofthe last Ayyuubid Sultan was followed by a period of
confusionthat continued throughout the first years of the Mamluk
Sultanate.
Having angered the first Mamluk Sultan, Aybak, Baybars fled with other
Mamluk leaders toSyriaandstayed there until 1260 CE, when they were
welcomed back toEgyptby the third Sultan, al-Mudhaffar Sayf Ad-Deen
Qutuz. He restored them to their place inthe army and conferred a
village upon Baybars.
OnSeptember 3, 1260CE within a few months of Baybars' arrival, he
distinguished himself as the leader of the vanguard of the Muslim army
against the Tartars)Mongols( in a furious battle at 'Ayn Jaloot )the
Pool of Goliath( nearJerusalem. Though the Tartars fought well, they
were nomatch for the Muslims, who werefar more in number and were able
to conceal their numbers until the last devastating moment. The
Tartars were pursued beyondAleppoand swept out ofSyria.
For his military achievement, Baybars expected to be rewardedwith the
town ofAleppo; but Sultan Qutuz disappointed him. After the
assassination of Sultan Qutuz, Baybars seized the throne to become the
fourth Mamluk Sultan.
Baybars' ambition was to emulate the Muslim hero Salahuddeen
)Saladin(, the founder of the Ayyuubid dynasty in the Jihaad against
the Crusaders inSyria. As soon as he was acknowledged as Sultan,
Baybars set about consolidating and strengthening his military
position. He rebuilt all the Syrian citadels and fortresses that had
been destroyed by the Mongols and built new arsenals, warships,and
cargo vessels. To achieve unity of command against the Crusaders,
Baybars united MuslimSyria andEgyptinto a single state.He seized three
important towns from the Ayyuubid princes, thus ending their rule
inSyria. From 1265 to 1271 CE, Baybars conducted almost annual raids
against the Crusaders. In 1265 CE, he received the surrender of Arsuf
from the Knights Hospitalers )a Christian military group(. He occupied
Atlit andHaifa, and in July 1266 CE he received the town ofSafedfrom
the Knights Templar )another Christian military group( garrison after
a heavy siege. Two years later, Baybars turned towardJaffa, which he
captured without resistance. The most important town taken by Baybars
wasAntioch)May, 1268 CE(. His seizureof additional strongholds in1271
CE sealed the Crusaders' fate; theywere never able to recover from
their territorial losses. Baybars' campaigns made possible the final
victories won by his successors.
Baybars' permanent goal was to contain the continued Mongol attacks
onSyriafrom the north and east that threatened the veryheart of the
Islamic East. During the 17 years of his reign, he engaged the Mongols
of Persia in nine battles. WithinSyria, Baybars dealt with the
Assassins, a deviant sect that attributes itself falsely to Islam.
After seizing their major strongholds between 1271 and 1273 CE, he
wiped out the Syrian members ofthe group.
Baybars also took the offensive against the Christian Armenians who
were allies of the Mongols, devastating their lands and plundering
their major cities. In 1276 CE, having defeated the Seljuq troops and
their Mongol allies, he personally
seizedCaesarea)modernKayseriinTurkey( inCappadocia. To secureEgypton
the south and west, Baybars sent military expeditions
intoNubiaandLibya, taking personal command in 15 campaigns and often
endangering his life.
In the interest of good diplomatic relations with theByzantine Empire,
Baybars sent envoys to the court of Michael VIII Palaeologus
inConstantinople. The Byzantine sovereign thereupon ordered the
restoration of the ancient mosque and permitted Egyptian merchants and
ambassadors to sail through theHellespontandBosporus, a body of water,
which connectsEuropeandAsia. One of Baybars' principal goals during
his reign was to acquire more Turkish slaves to be used inthe Mamluk
army; another was tocontract an alliance with the Mongols of the
Golden Horde inSouth Russiaagainst the Mongolsof Persia. In 1261 CE
Baybars sent an ambassador to the Sicilian king Manfred. Other
emissaries toItalyfollowed, and in 1264 CE Charles ofAnjou, later king
ofNaplesandSicily, sent an emissary with letters and gifts toCairo, a
remarkable testimony to Baybars' strength and influence. Baybars was
also able to sign commercial treaties with such distant sovereigns as
James I of Aragon and Alfonso X of León andCastile.
In a brilliant political move, Baybars invited a fugitive descendant
of the Abbaasid dynasty ofBaghdadtoCairoand established him as Caliph
—head of the Muslim community — in 1261 CE. Baybars wished to
legitimize his Sultanate and to give pre-eminence to his rule in the
Muslim world. However, the Abbaasid caliphs inCairohad no practical
power in the Mamluk state.
Baybars was more than a militaryleader or a diplomatic politician. He
built canals, improved harbors, and established a regular and fast
postal service betweenCairoandDamascus, one that required only four
days. He built the great mosque and the school bearing his name
inCairo. He was also the first ruler inEgyptto appoint chief justices
representing the four main schools of Islamic law.
A sportsman as well as a warrior,Baybars was fond of hunting, polo,
jousting, and archery. He was also a practicing Muslim, a generous
almsgiver, and watchful of the morals of his subjects—he issued a
prohibitionagainst the use of wine in 1271 CE.
He died inDamascusafter drinking a cup of poison intendedfor someone
else and was buried inDamascusunder the dome of the present
ath-Thaahiriyah Library, which he had established.