MARONITE MAGAZINE

The Mamluks or the Slaves in Power
From the book "History of Lebanon" by Fr Charbel Habchi
“ T h e c a p t u re o f t h e P a t r i a rc h w a s c o n s i d e re d a s a n e v e n t o f t h e g re a t e s t i m p o r t a n c e , e v e n g re a t e r t h a t
the capitulation of a fortress”. (Mohiidin Ibn Abdelzaher)
Mamluk Sultanate
T h e y e a r 1 2 9 1 i s a n i m p o r t a n t d a t e i n t h e h i s t o r y o f t h e r e l a t i o n s b e t w e e n t h e E a s t a n d We s t i n L e b a n o n . I t m a r k s t h e e n d
o f t h e w e s t e r n p o w e r a n d p r e s e n c e i n t h e E a s t . T h e v i c t o r i e s g a i n e d b y t h e M a m l u k S u l t a n B a i b a r s ( 1 2 6 0 - 1 2 7 0 ) a g a i n s t
t h e F r e n c h w e r e b r o u g h t t o a s u c c e s s f u l c o n c l u s i o n b y t h e o t h e r e q u a l l y f a m o u s S u l t a n Q a l a w u n ( 1 2 8 0 - 1 2 9 0 ) a n d b y h i s
s o n a l - A s h r a f S a l a h - a d - D i n K h a l i l ( 1 2 9 0 - 1 2 9 4 ) . E g y p t , S y r i a , P a l e s t i n e a n d L e b a n o n q u i c k l y f e l l u n d e r t h e c o n t r o l o f t h e
Mamluks and remained so until the Ottoman conquest of 1516. According to Rene Grousset: “What has assured the succ
e s s o f t h e F r e n c h a t t h e b e g i n n i n g o f t h e 1 2 t h c e n t u r y w a s t h e i r s t r o n g m i l i t a r y m o n a r c h y i n c o n t r a s t t o t h e a n a r c h y o f
the Muslims. Now the situation was reversed with the military monarchy of the Muslims and the anarchy of the French”.