Mameluke State     

     Naval Mameluke State

    In this Turkish Mameluke State, every private soldier could be promoted to the high-rank offices and this state was cited as Turkey State (=ed-Devletü't-Türkiyye) in the Arabian resources. In the organisation of this Mameluke State, the most capable young people would advance rapidly, and according to the practice that constituted the foundation of the administrative style, only those with the exceptional moral qualities could only be appointed as the leaders and rulers. Therefore, the chief leaders were selected from those who are the most distinguished among their peers, and the emirs trained with a subjection to a regular military education could establish groups organised separately from the Naval Mameluke State. These groups centralised the state and arranged their armies. These armies were able to play an important role in the Near-East history. Egypt had developed continuously in respect of economy and intellectual works without encountering any kind of transgression. Nevertheless, these hundreds of emirs who hold small feoffs in the beginning united their forces against the external threats and dangers, but they constituted separate and individual Mameluke groups due to the competition among them. Therefore, the Naval Mameluke State that gradually lost its force and power ended up a loser.

    The first sultan of the Naval Mameluke State was Aybey et-Türkmânî (1250-1257) who was married with Şeceretü'd-Dürr, the widow of Turkish roots who was the wife of el-Melikü's-Sâlih. Then, he came to power. In the beginning, he encountered with the opposition of the Naval Mamelukes. In fact, a group that was loyal to the family of el-Melikü's-Sâlih hoped that Aybey would have a position of a Tutor, and the ruler of the state would be a ruler from the Eyyubi dynasty. The conflict that burst out between the Oguz Turkmen group and the Naval Mameluke groups is of great significance. It can be stated that the establishment of a new Mameluke group by Aybey (=el-Muizzi) increased this opposition. As a result, some of the Mameluke groups that were severely punlished due to their opposition went to the side of the feudal Eyyubi rulers. Some of the other groups expanded towards Kerak, Damask (Damascus) and the Palestine. One hundred and thirty Mamelukes took refuge in the Anatolian Seljuk Sultan. Among these Mameluke groups, those who took shelter in Damascus had encouraged el-Melikü's-Sâlih İsmail (1202-1251) from Eyyubi dynasty against the Tutor. However, Aybey who provided the support of Oguz Turkmen groups was able to defeat the Eyyubi rulers that advanced towards him in Abbase. Before long, the Sultanate regent, Kutuz who was Aybey's slave from Kipchak and Harezm roots collaborated with Muizzi people and got rid of Aybey. Then, he provided the arrival of Mameluke groups to Egypt.

    Therefore, Kutuz (died in 1260) came to power through the efforts of Muizzi and Salihi groups in the course of the political depression caused by the Mongolians that captured Baghdad and abolished the Abbasi Caliphate. Kutuz attracted the attention of the Mameluke groups in his favour and attained a significant influence. He totally defeated the Mongolians supported by the Georgian and Armenian cavalryman forces in Ayn Calut (1260). The material and spiritual results of the Ayn Calut War were of great significance for both the Mameluke State and the Islam world. The Mongolians were prevented from the invasion of Syria and then Egypt and the collaboration with Franks. Furthermore, the native people felt much more trust and confidence in the Mameluke groups. By means of the Turks, Egypt turned into the only place of asylum frequented by the religion of Islam and the people running ahead of the Mongolians. However, the foundation of a new Mameluke group by Kuntuz was disadvantageous to him. Baybars who provided the support of Borlu people of the same lineage killed Kutuz (22nd October 1260) and provided the domination of Naval Mameluke groups again.

    Baybars et-Türkî (1233-1277) who was the member of Borç-oğlu or Borlu tribe from the Kipchak tribes had played the leading role in the war of Ayn Calut. First of all, he cancelled the heavy taxes imposed by Kutuz; and gave feoffs to the Naval Mamelukes. Furthermore, he divided the Turkmen tribes and communities into small groups who lived under the command and domination of their chiefs from the same lineage. Then, he settled these people in different regions (1264). All the passageways and the bottlenecks were waylaid by Turkmen people (Aleppo and Damascus Turkmen people in the future); and the other Turkmen groups established their control in the coastal regions. Baybars tried to centralise the Mameluke State like el-Melikü's-Salih. He took several precautions that entitled him with great benefits in respect of administrative, military and commercial benefits. He established a new organisation; and founded a new Mameluke group composed of the people of the same kind with him that was called as ez-Zahiri in reference with his name. On the other hand, the Turks that had come from the regions under the invasion of the Mongolians had taken shelter in the Mameluke Sultanate; and they constituted the military groups in return for money and large feoffs. Therefore, the Mameluke groups that gradually increased through the possession of specific feoffs established dominion in the fate of the state under the command of their chiefs before long.

to be continued