The previous article discussed the Mamluks in the Ayyubid era, when Ayyubid princes resorted to forming their own private forces of Mamluks. This significantly increased the influence of the Turks in the country. They were capable of supporting Sultan Al-SalihNajm al-Din Ayyub to become the ruler of Egypt. Some historians consider Queen Shajar al-Durr to be the first sultan of the Mamluk state, while others consider her the last Ayyubid sultan to rule Egypt. Subsequently, Izz al-Din Aybak al-Turkmani ruled Egypt after Shajar al-Durr married him and ceded the throne to him three months into her reign. Historians also differed in their view of Sultan Aybak; some described him as weak in influence, asserting that the princes only elected him so they could depose him at will, while others saw him as a sultan characterized by political acumen, firmness, and courage.
Aybak confronted the Ayyubid threat, resulting in battles between the Ayyubid army and the Mamluks in the cities of Bilbays and Al-Salihiyya. These clashes ended with the defeat of the Ayyubids and their return to Syria. The conflict between the two parties continued until the Abbasid Caliph Al-Musta’sim intervened, and a peace treaty was concluded between them in 1253 CE (651 AH). In the same year, Sultan Aybak faced a popular revolt by the Bedouins who had settled in Egypt since the Arab conquest and, over time, became settled farmers known as “The Bedouins of Al-Muzara’a” It is mentioned about them: “It appears that these Bedouins disdained the Mamluks and refused to submit to their rule as they are originally slaves, considering themselves more deserving of rule than them. Their refusal took the form of an armed revolt led by Al-Sharif Hisn al-Din ibnTha’lab. It is clear that the causes of the revolution stemmed from two main motives: political, and economic. From a political standpoint, the Bedouin rebellion aimed to eliminate the rule of Mamluks and restore Egypt to the fold of free Arab governance. Economically, the Mamluks arbitrarily sat the prices of agricultural products, which negatively impacted the economic conditions of the farmers.”
The revolutionary movement spread to the general populace.They rallied around Al-Sharif Hisn al-Din, who established an independent Arab state in Middle Egypt and Sharqiyya. He requested assistance from the Ayyubid king Al-Nasir Yusuf, ruler of Syria, but received no help due to ongoing peace negotiations between Al-Nasir Yusuf and Aybak at the time. The Mamluks used violence and force to suppress the Bedouin revolt. Aybak dispatched a military campaign led by Aktay, who managed to defeat the rebels in Bilbays. However, Al-Sharif Hisn al-Din continued to rule Middle Egypt until Al-ZahirBaybars assumed power and killed him.
The influence of the Bahri Mamluks and the standing of their leader, Faris al-Din Aktay, increased after their victory over the Franks and subsequently their suppression of the Arab revolt. This led Aktay to claim the port of Alexandria for himself, and Aybak was unable to oppose him. The demands of the Bahri Mamluks for grants and fiefdoms also escalated, and conspiracies to depose Aybak began. Aktay attacked and humiliated Sultan Aybak, desiring the sultanate, and was supported by his followers among the Bahri Mamluks, who titled him “Al-Malik Al-Jawad” (The Generous King). Aqtai was engaged to the daughter of Al-MuzaffarTaqi al-Din Omar, the ruler of Hama, for himself, and demanded that Aybak reside in the Citadel of the Mountain, the seat of government, justifying this by stating that his wife was of royal lineage. Aybak recognized Aqtai’s danger and his ambition to rule the country, so he arranged for his assassination in the Citadel, enlisting the support of his loyal Mamluks, known as the Mu’izzi Mamluks (named after Aybak’s title, Al-Malik Al-Mu’izz). His plan succeeded, as Aktay was killed by the Mu’izzi Mamluks led by Qutuz. Meanwhile, a number of Aqtai’s followers, including,Baybars, Qalawun, and Sunqur, fled to Syria after learning of their leader’s death. This incident led to the division of the Mamluks into two warring factions: the Bahri Mamluks and the Mu’izzi Mamluks, creating chaos in the country, especially with the approaching Mongol threat to Egypt and Syria. And…stories of “Beautiful Egypt” are endless!
The General Bishop
President of the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center
