Al-Malik al-Ashraf Tuman-bay II (1473, Aleppo — April 15, 1517, Cairo) was the last Mamluk Sultan of Egypt from the Circassian Burjit dynasty (1516-1517)
Mamluk-Ottoman conflict
The Mamluk Sultanate was a vast state, including Syria and lands in Anatolia.
In the second half of the 14th century, the Ottomans came to the borders with the Mamluks. At first, the Ottomans recognized the suzerainty of the Mamluk sultans. But already, in 1464, an Ottoman envoy who arrived at the court of the Mamluk sultan Hushkadam (1461-1467) refused to kiss the ground at the feet of the Mamluk ruler.
Thereafter, the Ottomans moved to expand eastward. The Mamluks were limited to defense.
The Mamluk Sultan of Egypt, Kansuh al-Ghuri, did his best to avoid conflict with the Ottomans. Ottoman Sultan Selim I was the opposite.
In early August 1516, the Ottomans invaded Mamluk Syria. On August 24, 1516, they inflicted a crushing defeat on the Mamluks. The Mamluk Sultan of Egypt Kansukh al-Guri was poisoned before the battle, which apparently predetermined the victory of the Ottomans.
Al-Malik al-Ashraf Kansukh al-Ghauri or Kansukh II (1441 — August 24, 1516) was the penultimate Mamluk Sultan of Egypt from the Circassian Burjit dynasty (1501-1516).
Tumanbey: The Last Mamluk Sultan of Egypt
Tumanbey, the forty-seventh and last Mamluk sultan of Egypt, has become a figure about whom only sketchy information has survived. His origins remain a mystery, and historians are still trying to ascertain the details of his early life. What is known is that he was born in 1473 and was probably the nephew of Kansukh al-Ghuri, one of the most influential Mamluk sultans of his time. Kansukh al-Ghuri bought Tumanbay but then freed him, which was a common practice among the Mamluks.
Beginning of career
Tumanbey began his career as the sultan’s valet, the amir of the jamdar. This position, though not the highest, gave him the opportunity to familiarize himself with the inner workings of the court and to learn management. Gradually he climbed up the ladder: first he became emir of ten, then emir of forty. These ranks not only testified to his growing influence, but also opened up new opportunities for him.
His extraordinary management abilities and organizational skills did not go unnoticed. Tumanbay was appointed chief cupbearer and later became head of the sultan’s office. In this capacity, he not only managed the paperwork but also supervised the most important aspects of court life.
Empowerment
Over time, Kansukh al-Ghuri came to trust Tumanbay more and more. He added to his duties the supervision of all agricultural and irrigation work in Egypt. This included building bridges, dams, and canals, as well as measuring the land and collecting agricultural produce for Cairo. Tumanbey thus became a key figure in the administration of the country, and his influence continued to grow.
Under him were five chief kashifs who governed different regions of Egypt. Tumanbey showed himself to be a talented administrator, and his decisions on appointments among the top-ranking emirs testified to his political wisdom.
Trust
Tumanbay repeatedly demonstrated his loyalty to Kansuh al-Ghuri, which allowed him to assume an even higher position as official deputy to the sultan when he left the capital. This trust was due to the fact that Tumanbey never gave cause for suspicion of treason. His management abilities and organizational talents made him an indispensable assistant to the sultan.
However, in 1516, when Kansukh al-Ghuri traveled to Syria to fight the Ottomans, it was Tumanbay who found himself on the threshold of a new era. The Ottoman Empire was expanding rapidly, and its advance into Egyptian lands was inevitable. The Sultan, having entrusted Tumanbay with the management of the country, could not know that soon his faithful assistant would become the last defender of Mamluk Egypt.
Taman-bay did not aspire to power in the conditions of the state collapse. But still at the insistence of tsardvorets accepted it on October 11, 1516.
In these circumstances, the new sultan did not change anyone in the leadership, relying on proven people.
The road to death
Selim I demanded that Tumanbay recognize the authority of the Ottoman sultan, recite his name in Friday prayers and mint it on coins.
“Be my viceroy,” Selim wrote. — To you, all from Gaza to Egypt, and to us, from Syria to the Euphrates”
Quite acceptable terms under the conditions of the time. But Tumanbay refused.
Selim I was already at Gaza. Tumanbai gathered about ten thousand of young Mamluks, black slaves and criminals released from prisons. There was no money even for the upkeep of this rabble, as the Sultan’s treasury had fallen to the Ottomans.
While the troops were gathering Gaza was captured by the Ottomans and they are at the Egyptian border.
In addition, the Bedouin tribes rebelled in Egypt.
The Ottomans approached Cairo on January 22, 1517. Ottomans easily bypassed artillery positions of Mamluks and seized the capital. But on January 28, the Mamelukes repulsed Cairo with a sudden raid. The Ottomans retook it only on January 31, slaughtering all the Mamluks who fell into their hands.
Tumanbai fortified himself in Upper Egypt and successfully repelled the Ottoman attack.
Then repulsed an attack by renegade Mamelukes.
Political game in Egypt: Tumanbay and Selim I.
Tumanbay, realizing that his army could not compete with the might of the Ottomans, offered peace. He agreed to mention Sultan Selim’s name in Friday prayers, to mint his name on coins, and to send haraj, a tax collected from his subjects, to Istanbul. However, this agreement had conditions: Tumanbay demanded that Selim and his army leave Egypt and no longer interfere in the affairs of the country. This offer was not a show of weakness, but an attempt to keep the peace and prevent further casualties among the population.
Selim, realizing that war could lead to heavy casualties on both sides, agreed to peace talks. He sent an embassy consisting of the four chief judges of Cairo and a representative of the caliph to Upper Egypt to finalize the agreement. However, on the approaches to al-Bahnasa (Tumanbay’s headquarters), the embassy fell victim to an attack by the Mamluks, warriors who did not share Tumanbay’s views and opposed his policies. They believed that signing peace with the Ottomans was a betrayal and decided to rebel against their sultan.
The attack on the embassy was a shocking event that showed how unstable the political situation in Egypt was. The Ottomans, who had hoped for a peaceful resolution to the conflict, became victims of violence. Four judges were killed and rich gifts intended for Tumanbay were stolen. The attack came to symbolize the growing discontent and disunity among Egypt’s elites.
The situation escalated, and soon after, Tumanbey, realizing that his peace proposals were not universally accepted, decided to act decisively. He gathered his supporters and prepared an army to fight the Ottomans.
The Pyramids of Giza: The Decisive Battle and the Fall of Tumanbey
In the history of 16th century Egypt, the battle at the Pyramids of Giza was one of the key moments that determined the fate of the country. In April 1517, when the Ottomans under Sultan Selim I clashed with the Mamluks, not only was influence in the region at stake, but also the lives of many people, including Tumanbay himself, the last Mamluk sultan.
Preparing for the battle
Selim I, known for his determination and strategic thinking, realized that he had to use all available resources to achieve victory. He assembled a powerful army that included both infantry and artillery. The Ottomans set up their cannons on the banks of the Nile, which gave them a significant advantage. The continuous fire from the artillery left the Mamluks no chance for a successful mounted attack, which was their traditional tactic.
On the other hand, Tumanbay, with his experience and courage, tried to organize his forces, but his strategy was undermined by the unexpected withdrawal of the Bedouins who were supposed to support him in the battle. This betrayal was the decisive moment that determined the outcome of the battle.
Defeat and flight
After the defeat, Tumanbey and his closest associates were stranded. They found temporary shelter in a Bedouin tribe whose sheikh appeared to have his own scores to settle with the Ottomans. This sheikh had previously been captured by Sultan Kansukh al-Ghuri, but thanks to Tumanbay’s intercession he was pardoned. Now, with Tumanbay’s fate hanging in the balance, the sheikh was faced with a difficult choice.
Selim I, anxious to avoid unnecessary bloodshed, decided to use diplomacy. He offered the Bedouin sheikh a deal: if he extradited Tumanbey, the Ottomans would not take a single dirham from his land, and the sheikh himself would take an honorable place among all the Bedouins of Egypt. This offer proved too tempting, and the sheikh, despite his former ties with Tumanbey, agreed.
Tumanbey’s Execution
On April 13, 1517, Tumanbey was extradited to the Ottomans. His execution was not only a tragedy for his supporters, but also symbolized the end of the Mamluk era in Egypt. Tumanbey’s death meant not only the loss of the last representative of the Mamluk dynasty, but also the beginning of a new era — the era of Ottoman rule.
Selim I, victorious, strengthened his position in the region and continued his conquests, which later led to the creation of one of the most powerful empires in history. The Pyramids of Giza, witnesses to many historical events, became the silent guardians of this tragic chapter in Egypt’s history.