The Mamluks, or slave soldiers, of the Muslim Empire, had one of the largest impacts on the Middle East, after the birth of Islam. The Mamluk loyalty and combative prowess, engendered by the institution’s social cycle, provided the backbone of Islamic military power and led to triumphs that forever altered the course of Islamic history. In this essay, I will explore the importance and development of the Mamluk allegiance and ability, key victories, and their eventual rise to power as a kingdom borne of former slaves. The beginnings of the Mamluk institution are lost in the fog of history, though their existence is first mentioned as early as the Umayyad reign(661-750). By the first half of the ninth century, under the Caliph al-Mutasim, …show more content…
The nomads, from which the prospective slaves were drawn, did not always cooperate, and if the previously willing group of nomads had left the region, the new group might resist the Muslim empire’s attempts at recruitment. Internal conflicts, famine and plague reduced the number of prospective slaves as well. The usually long distance between the Muslim state and the Mamluk homeland proved to be disadvantageous; the route could be threatened, compromised or completely cut off. Besides the potential problems in acquiring the slaves, the element of time posed another very real drawback. The years of Islamic education, military training, and the simple matter of reaching manhood took an extensive amount of time and finances. This intensive training, while essential for fostering the allegiance for which Mamluks were renowned, also meant the Muslim ruler would have to wait several years to amass proper military …show more content…
After the death of the last Ayyubid ruler in 1250, a Mamluk named Baybars I seized control. Under the rule of Baybars in 1260, the Mamluks defeated the Mongols in the battle of Ayn Jalut. This landmark victory marked the first time a Mongol advance had been permanently halted. Interestingly enough, it can be argued that the Mongols may have been their own gravediggers in this instance. In 1241, about 19 years prior, Baybars, (originally a Kipchak Turk) and his people, had been forced to flee across the Black Sea when the Mongols attacked. From there, Baybars was taken captive and moved southward through varying slave-markets. His eventual induction into the Mamluk institution allowed him to climb the ranks. In 1260, he was finally in a position to seize control of the empire and eventually, he lead the Mamluk sultanate to their victory against the Mongol advance in Ayn Jalut. Baybar’s rule lasted until 1277, almost twice as long as the average Mamluk sultan. At the empire’s fall in 1517, “the average reign of the forty-seven Mamluk sultans lasted less than six
Between the early 1200's and the mid 1300's the Mongol Empire, led by Genghis Khan, took control of around 9,300,000 square miles of Eurasia. Genghis Khan first started conquering neighboring clans before setting his sight on the rest of the world. When they would conquer a city, the Mongols would give the city a chance to surrender and if they declined and the Mongols succeeded in conquering them, then all of the citizens would be slaughtered. Under Genghis Khan, the Mongol Empire grew to encompass Central Asia, parts of the Middle East, and east to the borders of the Korean Peninsula. In 1227, Genghis Khan died, which led to the empire being divided into four khanates that would be ruled by his sons and grandsons. Genghis Khan's descendants
Ansary, Mir Tamim. Destiny Disrupted: A History of the World through Islamic Eyes. New York: PublicAffairs, 2009. Print.
Lewis, Bernard. The Middle East: A Brief History of the Last 2,000 Years. New York: Scribner,
Ibn Munqidh, Usama. "From Memoirs." McNeill, William and Marilyn Robinson Waldman. The Islamic World. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1973. 184-206.
There were two men that wanted to be the first caliph (successor) of Muhammad. The first man, named Abu Bakr, many people believed he was a good candidate because he was an old friend and was one of the first ones to convert to Islam. Yet others believed that Ali Talib was the best choice because he was a cousin and a son in law to the prophet. The disputes between the two groups of people would lead to a split; the followers of Abu Bark became the Sunnis and the followers of Ali became the Shia. At the end, the majority of people decided to choose Abu Bark and he became Islam’s first caliph. Abu Bark was Muhammad’s caliph for only two years until he died; even though it was a short period of time, he accomplished big things. For example, the spread of Islam to Byzantines and the Persians. The other caliphs (Umar, Uthman and Ali) expanded the Islamic empire rapidly and grew faster than any other religion. The Muslims conquered a massive amount of land from Indus River, across North Africa and into Spain. There were many factors that help Islam succeed; for example, people would rather fight for God and their salvation instead of fighting for a king, the use of military force by the Muslims and how easy it was to convert to
The Favorability of the Social and Religious Situation in Arabia around 600 AD Toward the Rise of Islam
grew and lasted for about 108 years until they failed by trying to conquer India and were weak the Ming Dynasty overthrew the rulers. The Mongols were not afraid to kill. If one person refuses to do something for them their whole clan will pay, they would leave no survivors. That's what helped make them so successful, many had heard about their gruesome approach and surrendered and accepted submissions. The Mongolians of the Asian Steppe had a positive impact on the world during their rule of the Asian continent from 1206 to 1368 by influencing trade, warfare and uniting China.
Hourani, Albert. A History of the Arab Peoples. Cambridge, MA: Belknap of Harvard UP, 1991. Print.
Islam has a deep history, beginning with ideas originating before Muhammad and spanning to the present day. Before Islam, the Bedouin people’s faith contained a belief in supreme beings alongside animism. They also put a large emphasis on ancestor worship (Swartz 15). Some groups...
Furthermore, this background gave Marwan a front-row seat as he watched the quasi-religious office of caliph evolve. Contemporary Umayyad caliphs were inaugurated with special oaths that carried religious as well as politico-legal considerations: caliphs were bound to uphold not only "the sunna of God and his Prophet, but also of his predecessors as caliph" (Blankenship 1994, pp. 76-78). In any event, after ascending to the role of caliph himself, Marwan proved to be an imposing military commander and adept political leader, and he oversaw significant consolidation of the authority of the Umayyads as he ruled from the multi-ethnic and multi-religious
The Islamic tradition, as reflected in Naguib Mahfouz’s Zaabalawi, has over the course of history had an incredible impact on Arab culture. In Mahfouz’s time, Islamic practices combined with their political relevance proved a source of both great power and woe in Middle Eastern countries. As alluded to in Zaabalawi, Mahfouz asserts the fact that not all Muslims attain religious fulfillment through this common tradition, and other methods outside the scope of Islam may be necessary in true spiritual understanding.
...f the warring tribes was obtaining booty, or riches, not following the scriptures of the Quran or examples of Mohammed
Lane, Edward William. Arabian Society in the Middle Ages. New York: Barnes and Noble, 1971.
The Fatimid’s had been rumored to be tolerant, compassionate and focused on unifying Islam; however, it has been proved that this was not always the case. Orientalists have acknowledged their contribution towards the advancement of Islam and claim that the Christian and Jewish communities excelled during this time; but it did not come without its deceptions and deviations from Islamic norms and rules. This historiography will explore whether the Fatimids were actually the tolerant Muslims whose actions, belief systems and practices evidenced the growth of Islam and tolerance of other religions, or if they were merely politi...
Kenneth Jost. 2005. “Understanding Islam.” Annual Editions: Anthropology 11/12, 34th Edition. Elvio Angeloni. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.