EGYPT IN THE WORLD OF ISLAM 65rode to the front of his army, took off his helmet so he could be recognized,
and cried, “Oh Muslims! Oh Muslims! Oh Muslims!” He then moved
forward, surrounded by his escort and followed by the Mamluk army.
Qutuz plunged recklessly into the Mongol ranks, slashing at his enemy
with his own sword. The impetus of the Mamluk charge was irresistible,
and the nomadic army was swept from the field.
The Mongol leader, Kitbugha, had his horse killed underneath him, was
taken prisoner, and decapitated. The rest of the Mongol army was utterly
routed. Qutuz, with General Baybars at his side, was in the heart of the
battle.
Chased from the field at Ain Jaloot, the Mongols turned briefly at Bei-
san and the hand-to-hand battle was renewed briefly. Qutuz once more
led, crying, “Oh God, give us victory!” The Mongol army finally collapsed
and scattered. Kitbugha’s severed head was then dispatched to the Mamluk
capital, Cairo, as proof of the victory. This significant victory spared the
Arab Middle East from Mongol domination. It is interesting that the Mon-
gols were rarely defeated by any nation, and Ain Jaloot stands as a real
testament to Mamluk military efficiency.
Qutuz did not live long to enjoy his victory but was murdered by Bay-
bars on October 24, 1260. Murder would remain a common form of death
for the sultans of the Mamluk empire that Baybars would found.
Baybars consolidated his control over the Mamluk empire and began a
steady push against the remaining crusader states in Palestine. In 1264 the
Mongols returned, only to be defeated and driven back into Persia. By
1266 he captured Hebron and when the crusaders surrendered the sultan
had them slaughtered. In 1268 Baybars took Jaffa, and in 1273 he wiped
out the Assassin sect.^1 Troubles continued with a Mongol resurgence in
1277, but they were driven back yet again.
Enough cannot be said of the success of the Mamluks in defeating the
Mongols. The Mongol armies had been considered nearly invincible, and
there is justification in speculating that the Mamluk victory at Ain Jaloot
saved the West from destruction at the hands of the Mongol hordes. It
certainly saved the Arab world.
Baybars died on June 20, 1277. However, he left behind him a powerful
empire built on and around the Mamluk army. His army had actually
struck fear into the Mongols such that they never invaded Syria again
during his reign. He also fortified Alexandria and rebuilt the Egyptian
navy, giving it forty new war galleys. The astute horselord understood the
value of more than just his cavalry, for ships were useful to any Mediter-
ranean power.