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Painting representing the Christians persecuted in<br />
their church by the Mamluks (XIII-XIV centuries)<br />
The two main confrontations<br />
I n 1 2 9 4 t h e f i r s t A r a b - M a m l u k m i l i t a r y o p e r a t i o n w a s l a u n c h e d<br />
a g a i n s t t h e i n h a b i t a n t s o f J b e i l . T h i s e x p e d i t i o n w a s o r g a n i z e d b y<br />
the Sunni governors of Egypt, Damascus and Tripoli. The Mamluk<br />
Sultan, Muhammad Ibn Qalawun, promised to divide the land of the<br />
Maronites among the different feudal lords of the ‘Arabs of Leban<br />
o n ” . T h i s o f c o u r s e e n d u r e d h i m s t r o n g s u p p o r t i n t e r m s o f m e n<br />
and arms. One force came from the south and the other from Tripo<br />
l i i n t h e n o r t h a n d t h e y p l a n n e d t o m e e t i n J b e i l a n d o c c u p y i t .<br />
The plan was then to occupy the rest of the country. But the Maronite<br />
Muqaddamin or chiefs met in the city of Mayfuk the mountainous<br />
region of Jbeil and devised a clever defence strategy.<br />
They evacuated all the inhabitants of Jbeil in large ships. They<br />
d i v i d e d a l l t h e i r f o r c e s w h i c h n u m b e r e d a b o u t 1 5 t h o u s a n d m e n<br />
i n t o t h r e e s e c t i o n s . O n e w a s s t a t i o n e d i n t h e v a l l e y o f F i d a r i n t h e<br />
s o u t h o f J b e i l , a n o t h e r i n t h e v a l l e y o f M a d f u n i n t h e n o r t h n e a r<br />
T h e r e t h e y w a i t e d t h e a r r i v a l o f t h e e n e m y. T h e M u s l i m s e n t e r e d t h e c i t y a n d w e r e a m a z e d t o f i n d i t c o m p l e t e l y e m p t y<br />
b u t t h e y d e c i d e d t o d e s t r o y i t i n a n y c a s e . T h e M a r o n i t e f o r c e s t h e n d e s c e n d e d o n t h e m a n d i n f l i c t e d h e a v y l o s s e s o n t h e<br />
Muslim army. The survivors who retreated in the direction of Fidar and the others who fled by way of Madfun were annihilated<br />
by the Maronite forces which had been waiting for them. Hamdam, the leader of the Damascus force was killed<br />
in the battle and on the Maronite side the Muqaddam or chief of Hardin suffered the same fate. The Christian Maronites<br />
c a p t u r e d o v e r 4 0 0 0 h o r s e s i n t h i s b a t t l e a s w e l l a s g r e a t q u a n t i t i e s o f a m m u n i t i o n . T h e M u q a d d a m i n , w h o n u m b e r e d 3 0 ,<br />
m e t i n t h e t o w n o f M a a d t o d i v i d e u p t h e s p o i l s . N o r e p o r t o f t h i s b a t t l e i s t o b e f o u n d i n t h e o f f i c i a l h i s t o r i c a l a n n a l s<br />
o f L e b a n o n . T h e r e a s o n i s s i m p l y t o a v o i d s t i r r i n g u p b a d f e e l i n g s . B u t i t d e s e r v e s t o b e m e n t i o n e d b e c a u s e i t w a s t h e<br />
l a s t t i m e t h a t t h e C h r i s t i a n L e b a n e s e w o n a v i c t o r y b e f o r e l o s i n g t h e i r a u t o n o m y a n d i n d e p e n d e n c e u n d e r t h e M a m l u k s .<br />
The second confrontation which took place was the war between the Mamluks and the people of Kesrwan between the years 1305<br />
a n d 1 3 0 7 . K e s r w a n w a s a n a r e a i n t h e h e a r t l a n d o f t h e m o u n t a i n s o f L e b a n o n a n d w a s m a d e u p o f v e r y m i x e d g r o u p s o f p e o p l e .<br />
T h e r e w e r e S h i i t e M u s l i m s , D r u z e , M a r o n i t e s a n d A l a w i t s . I n 1 3 0 5 t h e y w e r e a t t a c k e d b y a n a r m y o f M a m l u k s c o m p r i s i n g s o m e<br />
40 000 soldiers coming from Tripoli, Damascus and Safad in the South of Lebanon. They were under the command of the gove<br />
r n o r o f D a m a s c u s . B e h i n d t h e i r m o v e l a y t h e m o t i v a t i o n o f o n e , I b n Ta y m y a t . H e w a s a n i m p o r t a n t M u s l i m i n t e r p r e t e r o f t h e<br />
M u s l i m l a w. H e p r o n o u n c e d a v e r y h a r s h q u a s i j u r i d i c a l v i e w p o i n t a g a i n s t a l l n o n - M u s l i m s . A c c o r d i n g t o h i m t h e D r u z e a n d t h e<br />
A l a w i t s w e r e n o t M u s l i m s a n d b e l o n g e d t o a l e v e l o f p e o p l e e v e n l o w e r t h a n t h a t o f C h r i s t i a n s a n d a s s u c h t h e y d e s e r v e d t o b e<br />
e l i m i n a t e d . T h e S h i i t e s w h o w e r e i n t h e a b s o l u t e m a j o r i t y i n t h e c o u n t r y w e r e t r a i t o r s a n d t h e y t o o m e r i t e d e x t e r m i n a t i o n . Wi t h<br />
this interpretation of the law to spur them on, the Mamluks launched a ‘Jihad’ or ‘Holy War’ against all who did not profess the<br />
Sunni faith or the orthodox religion of Islam. They lay waste all around them, burning, killing and wiping out all before them.
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