Battle of Cairo (1367)
| Battle of Cairo | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Mamluk rebelsSupported by:
|
Mamluk Sultanate | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Asandamur an-Nasiri (POW) |
El-Ashraf Sha'ban Asanbugha Ibn al-Abu Bakri Qushtamur al-Mansuri | ||||||
The Battle of Cairo or Asandamur's rebellion was a clash that took place in late 1367 during the reign of the Mamluk sultan al-Ashraf Sha'ban and ended with the crushing of a rebellion against his rule.[1][2][3]
Background[edit]
In late 1367, Emir Sayf al-Din Asandamur bin Abdullah an-Nasiri and his newly acquired mamluks moved against al-Ashraf Sha'ban. The revolt was also supported by Emir Khalil ibn Qawsun, the son of former regent Emir Qawsun (d. 1342).[1] Khalil had been promised the throne by Asandamur.[1]
Battle[edit]
According to a contemporary Mamluk chronicler, al-Nuwayri al-Iskandarani, al-Ashraf Sha'ban was significantly assisted by the "common people", who killed many of the mamluk rebels, "making them bite the dust".[4] The support of the commoners was enlisted by al-Ashraf Sha'ban's loyalist commanders, emirs Asanbugha Ibn al-Abu Bakri and Qushtamur al-Mansuri, both of whom withdrew from the battle in Cairo and left the commoners to fight Asandamur's forces alone.[3] The commoners were able to turn the tide in favor of al-Ashraf Sha'ban's partisans, and the latter's emirs and Royal Mamluks returned to the battle, defeated the rebels and arrested Asandamur.[2]
Aftermath[edit]
Because of their loyalty and key support during the revolt, al-Ashraf Sha'ban treated the commoners well throughout his reign.[2]
References[edit]
Bibliography[edit]
- Levanoni, Amalia (1995). A Turning Point in Mamluk History: The Third Reign of Al-Nāṣir Muḥammad Ibn Qalāwūn (1310-1341). Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-10182-1
- Levanoni, Amalia (2006). "Awlad al-nas in the Mamluk Army during the Bahri Period". In Wasserstein, David J.; Ayalon, Ami (eds.). Mamluks and Ottomans: Studies in Honour of Michael Winter. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-136-57917-2
- Steenbergen, Jo Van (2011). "On the Brink of a New Era? Yalbughā al-Khāṣṣakī (d. 1366) and the Yalbughāwīyah" (PDF). Mamluk Studies Review. 15. Middle East Documentation Center, The University of Chicago: 117–152.