A thin, frightened boy looked around and wrapped himself in rags. He barely had time to realize what was happening when most of his tribe was slaughtered, and he himself was captured by the Mongols. Young Baybars thought with horror about what would happen to him. What is known about the amazing fate of Baybars the First?
Kipchak in Mongol captivity
For 800 dirhams, a Damascus merchant purchased a young Kipchak boy, Baybars. Examining the slaves in the market, he initially refused to purchase the «worthless» goods – the young man had an eyesore. But then, after receiving a discount from Mongolian merchants, he decided to buy Baybars anyway – he liked his physique and muscle strength. Such a slave, as he got older, could be useful for the hardest jobs.
Like many slaves, the young man was sent to the island of Roda on the Nile. There, young slaves were trained and trained. Even at that time, it became clear that Baybars was suitable for much more responsible tasks than dragging stones or working in mines. Already in the first months of training, the young prisoner proved himself to be a talented young warrior, able to quickly learn the appropriate skills.
Soon, the capable young man was noticed by the Ayyubid Sultan of Egypt As-Salih II, who in 1246 made the slave commander of one of the personal guard units. From that moment, the rapid rise of Baybars began.
The Mongolian warrior of the 13th century / © Alexander Lunyakov
The most reputable commander
In 1250, Baybars had already led part of the Ayyubid army, and in the very first battles he proved himself to be a talented military commander. Thanks to his actions, the Crusaders were defeated, and the French king, who led them, was captured.
Having felt his military strength, Baybars realized that it opens up opportunities for him to decide the fate of the country in which he finds himself. It was strange for him to even think that he had once been an ordinary slave, afraid of his fate. Now, events were moving with astonishing speed.
Turan Shah, who was at the head of the troops, caused discontent among the Mamluks by his disdainful attitude towards the merits of the soldiers who fought against the invading neighbors. In the end, a group of emirs turned to Baybars with a request to assist in overthrowing the undesirable ruler. He thought about it for a long time, but then agreed, and on May 2, 1250, Turan Shah was assassinated, and the ruler’s widow and Mamluk Aybek, who became her new husband, were enthroned.
It seemed that the conflict had been resolved, and the situation in the country had improved. Baybars could claim the post of army commander, but no more. However, he was an ambitious and brave man. In addition, the Mongol army was approaching the Egyptian lands, and Sultan Kutuz was not ready to fight back against the enemy. It was then that Baybars realized that he had to act. What did he do? And did he manage to defend Egypt?
Baybars’ victory
The Mongols demanded the surrender of Cairo – their army reached almost the borders of the Egyptian lands. Baybars, who by that time had already become a famous military commander, understood that it was necessary to act decisively – otherwise Egypt would be under the rule of the Mongols he hated, who had once abducted him and destroyed most of his native Kipchak tribe. Baybars saw that the Egyptian ruler Kutuz was hardly capable of repelling the enemy, and therefore decided to take this matter into his own hands.
In the early autumn of 1260, the Mamluk army of Egypt and the Mongols clashed near Ain Jalut. Baybars used a cunning maneuver, managing to lure the enemy army into a trap, where it was attacked from two sides by the Mamluks. The Mongol detachments were forced to retreat in a hurry. Baybars managed to defeat the once powerful army in a matter of days.
Aibek Begalin «Kipchak» / aibekbegalin.com
Of course, he wanted a reward for his efforts, and therefore asked Sultan Kutuz to make him the ruler of the city of Haleb. But he refused to encourage the commander. It is possible that the ruler was afraid of Baybars’ authority, which was growing every day. Not only in the army, he was considered a much more respected man than the sultan.
At the height of power
Upon learning of Kutuz’s refusal, Baybars became enraged. He conspired with disgruntled emirs and accomplished what he had already done, namely, a military coup in the country. But now he did not clear the way for another person – Baybars himself took the vacant throne.
After becoming sultan, Baybars was the First to continue the struggle against the Mongols. In addition, he, who knew firsthand about the strength of the Mamluk army, expanded slave markets and slave supplies, in particular, from the Italian coast. Capable slaves, like Baybars himself, once became the backbone and strength of the Mamluk army.
Aybek Begalin «Sultan Baybars» / aibekbegalin.com
Baybars was remembered by his contemporaries primarily as a great conqueror. He successfully stormed Christian fortresses and made many trips to the lands of Palestine. Entire cities fell under the onslaught of Baybars’ army. He himself treated the war lightly, considering it a kind of «game» with death, and often sent sarcastic letters to his fleeing opponents, the nobles, where he «congratulated» them on saving their lives.
The last victory of Baybars the First was the success in the Battle of Elbistan over the army of the Georgian tsars and their associates. The triumphant Sultan drank koumiss during the feast, and a couple of days later he fell ill with a fever and died. They talked. that the drink was poisoned, but historians are inclined to believe otherwise. Probably, Baybars simply did not wash the bowl before eating the koumiss, and therefore contracted an intestinal infection, which was not uncommon during the war. Alas, the great warrior and ruler was killed by an ordinary microbe.