People who rose from slavery and turned into rulers or statesmen
Mamluks
Bahri Mamluks, Bahri dynasty, Qutuz
The Bahri Mamluks, sometimes referred to as the Bahri dynasty, were the rulers of the Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt from 1250 to 1382. The members of the Mamluk ruling class were purchased as slaves (mamluks) and manumitted, with the most powerful among them taking the role of sultan in Cairo. While several Bahri Mamluk sultans tried to establish hereditary dynasties through their sons, these attempts were ultimately unsuccessful, with the role of sultan often passing on to another powerful Mamluk.
After 1382/1390, they were succeeded by a second Mamluk regime, the Burji Mamluks, who were largely of Circassian origin.
Qutuz
- Defeated the Mongols and arguably, saved Islam.
- Sold into slavery in Egypt, he rose to become vice-sultan for more than 20 years, becoming the power behind the throne.
- He was prominent in defeating the Seventh Crusade, which invaded Egypt in 1249–1250.
- When Egypt was threatened by the Mongols in 1259, he took control of the military and deposed the reigning sultan, 15-year-old Sultan Al-Mansur Ali. The centers of Islamic power in Syria and Baghdad were conquered by the Mongols, and the center of the Islamic Empire moved to Egypt, which became their next target. Qutuz led an Egyptian Mamluk army north to confront the Mongols who had made a pact with Egypt’s long-time enemy the Crusaders.
- The Battle of Ain Jalut was fought on 3 September 1260 in southeastern Galilee, between the Egyptian Mamluk army and the Mongols. The Mongols were crushingly defeated by Qutuz’s forces, in what has been considered a historical turning point. Although Qutuz’s reign was short, he is known as one of the most popular Mamluk sultans in the Islamic world and holds a high position in Islamic history.
Burji Mamluks, Bahri dynasty, Qutuz
The Burji Mamluks, sometimes referred to as the Burji dynasty, were the rulers of the Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt from 1382 until 1517. As with the preceding Bahri Mamluks, the members of the Burji Mamluk ruling class were purchased as slaves (mamluks) and manumitted, with the most powerful among them taking the role of sultan in Cairo.