Qutuz

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Saif ad-Din Qutuz also spelled Kutuz, (Arabic: سيف الدين قطز) (epithet: al-Malik al-Muzafar Saif ad-Din Qutuz (Arabic: الملك المظفر سيف الدين قطز) (died October 24,1260 , Al-Salihiyya ) was the third ^[1] of the Mamluk Sultans of Egypt in the Turkic line ^{[2] [3]} from 1259 until his death in 1260. It was said that he belonged to a royal family, his orginal name was Mahmud ben Mamdud and his mother was the sister of Sultan Jalal ad-Din Khawarezm Shah ^[4], before he was captured by the Mongols and sold as a slave, ending up in Syria, from which he was sold to an Egyptian slaves merchant who sold him to Aybak. Though Qutuz reign was of a short duration, he stands in Islamic history on same line of Saladin , Baibars and Al-Ashraf Khalil .

Contents 1 Background 2 Mongol threat 3 The Battle of Ain Jalut 4 Assassination 5 See also 6 Notes 7 References 8 External links

[edit] Background

Qutuz was appointed vice-Sultan in Egypt in 1253, under sultan Aybak. Aybak was assassinated in 1257 and Qutuz remained vice-Sultan for Aybak's son al-Mansur Ali. In November 1257 and April 1258 he defeated raids of the forces of al-Malik al-Mughith ^[5] of Al Karak which were supported by the Bahriyya Mamluks ^[6] and included Shahrzuri Kurds ^{[7] [8]} . The raids caused a dispute among the Bahriyya Mamluks in Al kark as some of them wanted to support their followers in Egypt ^[9].

In February, 1258, the Mongol army sacked Baghdad, massacred its inhabitants and killed the Abbasid Caliph Al-Musta'sim and advanced towards Syria which was ruled by the Ayyubid king an-Nasir Yusuf who was frightened after he heard that the Mongol army crossed the river Euphrates and received a threatening letter from Hulagu ^[10] . Vice-Sultan Qutuz and the Egyptian Emirs were alarmed by a massage from an-Nasir Yusuf in which he appealed for immediate help from Egypt. The Emirs assembled at the court of the 15-year-old Sultan Al-Mansur Ali and Qutuz told them that due to the earnest of the situation, Egypt should have a strong and a capable Sultan who can fight the Mongols. On November 12, 1259, Al-Mansur Ali was deposed by Qutuz who became the new Sultan promising the Emirs that they can instal any other Sultan after he defeats the Mongols ^[11] . Qutuz kept Emir Faris ad-Din Aktai al-Mostareb ^[12] as the Atabeg of the Egyptian army and began to prepare for the fight. ^[13]

[edit] Mongol threat

Further information: Mongol Invasions of Syria

Hulagu advanced towards Damascus. Some of the Syrian Emirs suggested to an-Nasir Yusuf to surrender and submit to Hulagu as the best solution to save themselves and Syria. Baibars who was present at the meeting was upset by the suggestion ^[14] and the Mamluks decided to kill an-Nasir Yusuf at the same night but he managed to escape with his brother to the Citadel of Damascus. Baibars and the Mamluks left Syria to Egypt where they were warmly welcomed by Sultan Qutuz who granted Baibars the town of Qalyub ^{[15][16] [17]}. When an-Nasir Yusuf heard that the Mongol army was approaching Aleppo he sent his wife, his son and his money to Egypt. The population of Damascus and other Syrian towns began to flee ^[18] . After sieging Aleppo for seven days the Mongols sacked it and massacred its population. When an-Nasir Yusuf heard about the fall of Aleppo he fled towards Egypt, leaving Damascus with its remaining population defenseless , but Qutuz denied him entry thus he stayed on the border of Egypt, deserted by his Emirs who left him and were allowed to enter Egypt. Sultan Qutuz ordered the seizing of the jewelry and the money of an-Nasir Yusuf which he sent to Egypt with his wife and servants. Damascus surrendered to the Mongols without fight sixteen days after the sack of Aleppo and an-Nasir Yusuf was captured on the Egyptian border and was sent to Hulagu ^{[19] [20]}

With Damascus captured, Egypt became the first target in Hulagu's schedule and thus soon four messengers from Hulagu arrived at Cairo with a threatening letter urging Qutuz to surrender and submit to the king of the kings the great Khan Hulagu ^[21]. Qutuz tore Hulagu's letter and assembled the Emirs and together they decided to execute the messengers of Hulagu. The messengers were cut in two and their heads were mounted on Bab Zuweila gate in Cairo ^[22] . Qutuz decided to go to the Mongols and fight them far away from Egypt instead of waiting for them ^[23] . Calls on Egyptians to defend Egypt and Islam were loudly echoed all over Egypt ^[24]. Moroccans who resided in Egypt fled westward while Yemenis escaped to Yemen and Hejaz ^[25] .

Qutuz went to Al-Salihiyya ^{[26] [27]} and assembled his commanders to decide when to march to the Mongols. But the Emirs showed timidity. " Emirs of the Muslims, for some time now you have been fed by the country treasury and you hate to be invaded. I will go alone and who likes to join me should do that and who does not like to join me should go back home, but who will not join will carry the sin of not defending our women. " Qutuz told the Emirs and they agreed to join him ^[28].

Qutuz ordered Baibars to lead a force to Gaza to observe the Mongols there. When Baibars arrived to Gaza the Mongols left so he recovered the city. After spending a day in Gaza, Qutuz led his army along the coast towards Acre which was a remnant of the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem. The army camped three days outside Acre ^[29] . The Franks came out of the City and offered their assistance but Qutuz thanked them and asked them to stay neutral warning them if they do the Muslim army any harm he will fight them before he fights the Mongols ^[30] . Baibars was ordered again to lead a vanguard to clash with the Mongols and lure them to Ain Jalut.

[edit] The Battle of Ain Jalut

Further information: Battle of Ain Jalut

The battle of Ain Jalut^[31] which was fought on September 3, 1260 was one of the most important battles and a turning point in history. In 1250, only ten years before the battle of Ain Jalut the same Bahariyya Mamluks ( Qutuz, Baibars and Qalawun ) led Egypt against the Seventh Crusade of Louis IX King of France. The Mongol army at Ain Jalut that was led by Kitbuqa, a Nestorian Christian, was accompanied by the Christian king of Cilician Armenia and by the Christian prince of Antioch ^[32] . Considering the fact that Egypt, after the fall of Khawarezm, Baghdad and Syria, was the last citadel of Islam in the Middle East in addition to the existence of crusade beach-heads along the coast of the Levant which were already forming a serious menace to the Islamic World ^[33] , the future of Islam and of the Christian west as well depended on the outcome of that battle ^[34] which was fought between two of the most powerful fighters of the Middle Ages, the Mamluks and the Mongols accompanied by some Christian crusaders. Islam had never been in such great jeopardy at any date since its birth ^[35] .

Baibars, who was known to be a swift commander, succeeded in his maneuver and lured the Mongol army to the Ain Jalut where the Egyptian army led by Qutuz waited. The Egyptians at first failed to counter the Mongol attack and were scattered after the left flank of their army suffered a severe damage but Qutuz stood firm, he threw his helmet to the air and shouted " O Islam " and advanced towards the damged side followed by his own unit ^[36]. The Mongols were pushed back and fled to a vicinity of Bisan followed by Qutuz Forces but they managed to gather and returned to the battlefield making a successful counterattack. Qutuz cried loudly three times " O Islam ! O God grant your slave Qutuz a victory against the Mongols ". The Mongols were totally defeated by Qutuz' enthusiast army and fled to Syria where they became a prey for the local population ^[37] . Qutuz kissed the ground and prayed while the soldiers collected the booties. Kitbuqa the Commander of the Mongol army was killed and his head was sent to Cairo ^[38]. This was the first defeat suffered by the Mongols since they attacked the Islamic world. Qutuz entered Damascus with his army and sent Baibars to Homs to liquidate the remaining Mongols. Alam ad-Din Sonjar was nominated by Qutuz as the sultan's deputy in Damascus and a new Abbasid Chaliph was about to be installed by Qutuz ^[39] . All the levant from the border of Egypt to the river Euphrates was freed from the Mongols. By this remarkable and prestigious victory the Mamluks stretched their sovereignty to the Levant and were recognized by the Ayyubids and the others as legitimate rulers. When Hulagu heard about the defeat of the Mongol Army he executed an-Nasir Yusuf near Tabriz ^[40] . Hulagu kept threatening the Mamluk Sultanate, but soon he was struck hardly by conflicts with the Mongols of the Golden Horde, in the the western half of the Eurasian Steppe, who converted to Islam (see Berke-Hulagu war). Hulagu died in 1265. He never could to revenge the defeat of the the Mongols at Ain Jalut.

[edit] Assassination

On his way back to Cairo, Qutuz was assassinated in Al-Salihiyya while he was on a hunting expedition by Emir Badr ad-Din Baktut, Emir Ons and Emir Bahadir al-Mu'izzi ^[41] . It was believed by some historians that Baibars was involved in the conspiracy and either wanted to revenge the killing earlier of his friend and leader of the Bahariyya Faris ad-Din Aktai during Sultan Aybak reign ^[42] or because Qutuz did not grant him Aleppo as he promised him before the battle of Ain Jalut ^[43] . Qutuz was buried in the town of Al-Qusair then was reburied in a cemetery in Cairo ^[44] . Baibars returned to Cairo which was decorated and celebrating the victory over the Mongols ^[45] , and became the new Sultan. Baibars was at once admired by the people as he relinquished the war taxes which were imposed by Qutuz ^[46] .

Qutuz ruled Egypt for one year. He had no children. He was remembered by Muslim historians as a virtuous and an extremely courageous Sultan.

Regnal titles
Preceded by al-Mansur Ali	Mamluk Sultan 1259–1260	Succeeded by Baibars

[edit] See also

• Al-Mansur Ali
• An-Nasir Yusuf
• Baibars
• Bahri dynasty
• Kipchaks
• Berke-Hulagu war

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

• Abu al-Fida, The Concise History of Humanity
• Al-Maqrizi, Al Selouk Leme'refatt Dewall al-Melouk, Dar al-kotob, 1997.
• Idem in English: Bohn, Henry G., The Road to Knowledge of the Return of Kings, Chronicles of the Crusades, AMS Press, 1969.
• Al-Maqrizi, al-Mawaiz wa al-'i'tibar bi dhikr al-khitat wa al-'athar,Matabat aladab,Cairo 1996, ISBN977-241-175X.
• Idem in French: Bouriant, Urbain , Description topographique et historique de l'Egypte,Paris 1895
• Hassan, O, Al-Zahir Baibars, Dar Alamal, Cairo 1997, ISBN 977-5823-09-9
• Ibn Taghri, al-Nujum al-Zahirah Fi Milook Misr wa al-Qahirah, al-Hay'ah al-Misreyah 1968
• History of Egypt, 1382-1469 A.D. by Yusef. William Popper, translator Abu L-Mahasin ibn Taghri Birdi, University of California Press 1954
• Shayyal, Jamal, Prof. of Islamic history, Tarikh Misr al-Islamiyah (History of Islamic Egypt), dar al-Maref, Cairo 1266, ISBN 977-02-5975-6
• Toynbee, Arnold J., Mankind and mother earth, Oxford university press 1976
• Riley-Smith, The Crusades
• Holt, P.M. & Lewis, Bernard. "The Cambridge History of Islam"

[edit] External links

• The Lion of Ain Jaloot---Google Video
• Map of Qalyub
• Al-Salihiyah on Map
• Map of the location of the Battle of Ain Jalut