There are some moments, some obscure or otherwise unassuming series of events, that can surprisingly define human history in ways we can’t begin to fathom until we see the bigger picture. The battle of Ain Jalut is one of those turning points in history, without which the world we know would simply not exist. It’s indeed safe to say that without this battle and the events surrounding it, the political face of Europe and the Middle East would be wildly different today.
In short, the Battle of Ain Jalut marked the single moment where the autonomous Muslim community in the Middle East was brought back from the brink of extinction. Here’s the incredible story of the time when Muslims and Christians came together to save Islam and prevent the Muslim World from being almost completely wiped out.
The Mongol threat
During the Middle Ages, the Mongol Empire had established itself as the largest contiguous empire of all time. It stretched all the way from the Sea of Japan to Eastern Europe, extending to Siberia in the north and India in the south. The Mongol hordes were feared across the continents for their unrelenting power and insatiable drive to conquer the whole world, and to any contemporary, they seemed simply unstoppable.
Did you know…
Under Genghis Khan, the Mongols expanded to an unprecedented size for any contiguous empire before or since. Some studies even estimate that as much as 0.5% of the world population in 2003 (about 16 million men) are descendants from Genghis Khan’s lineage.
The Mongols had hardly suffered any significant military defeat in their quest for global domination—and soon, all nations realized that they were facing one of the most dangerous and effective invading armies in history. Now, the horde had their sights set upon the Levant and the rest of the Muslim kingdoms. And they wouldn’t stop until they conquered them all.
Driven to the brink
By the middle of the 13th century, Baghdad had fallen to the might of the Mongol army under the command of Genghis Khan’s own grandson, Hugalu Khan. For the first time in Muslim history, the Islamic World had no Caliph. Hugalu then moved on Aleppo, which was swiftly conquered and razed by the overwhelming Mongol force. Widespread panic in the region ensued, and soon, Damascus surrendered without a fight.
Baghdad is sacked.After the fall of Khawarezm, Baghdad and all of Syria, Egypt was left as the final stronghold of Islam in the Middle East. That, and the increasing Crusader presence along the coasts, threatened to uproot and completely destroy the Muslim World. The future of Islam itself was hanging in the balance. These were desperate times.
Did you know…
The Mamluks were slaves trained to be elite warriors, many of whom obtained great political influence throughout many Muslim-controlled territories and who, in some cases, rose to the ranks of powerful advisors or even sultans.
An unlikely Sultan in the south
Having learned of the incoming danger, an influential slave who had risen through the ranks during the past 20 years seized the throne and became the Sultan of Egypt, not long after the death of his master, the previous Mamluk ruler. The name of this slave was Saif ad-Din Qutuz, commonly known simply as Qutuz. He got the throne under the promise that he would be a capable leader against Hugalu’s army, and as such he was utterly determined to put a stop to the Mongols once and for all.
Bust of Qutuz.So, Hugalu, who now turned his attention towards Egypt, sent Qutuz an unambiguous threat demanding his immediate surrender. The message read:
“To Qutuz the Mamluk, who fled to escape our swords. You should think of what happened to other countries and submit to us. You have heard how we have conquered a vast empire and have purified the earth of the disorders that tainted it. We have conquered vast areas, massacring all the people. You cannot escape from the terror of our armies. Where can you flee? What road will you use to escape us? Our horses are swift, our arrows sharp, our swords like thunderbolts, our hearts as hard as the mountains, our soldiers as numerous as the sand. Fortresses will not detain us, nor armies stop us. Your prayers to God will not avail against us. We are not moved by tears nor touched by lamentations. Only those who beg our protection will be safe. Hasten your reply before the fire of war is kindled. Resist and you will suffer the most terrible catastrophes. We will shatter your mosques and reveal the weakness of your God and then will kill your children and your old men together. At present you are the only enemy against whom we have to march.”
Qutuz’ response was swift and clear: he killed the Mongol messengers and readied himself for war.
The road to Ain Jalut
Just then, the Great Khan died, Hulagu traveled back to Mongolia with the bulk of his army to resupply and deal with the Khan’s succession. He thus left Kitbuqa, a Nestorian Christian Naiman Turk, in charge of but a portion of the Mongolian forces in the Levant.
Kitbuqa tried to negotiate a Franco-Mongol alliance with the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem against the Muslims, but the Christians were not interested. By this point, they considered the Mongols a far greater threat than Islam, so they made a pact with the latter instead. In an extraordinary twist of history (considering they had been arch-enemies up to this point), the Crusader States allowed the Egyptian Mamluks to march through their territories, and to camp and resupply near their holdings in Acre. This was crucial: had the Crusader States joined the Mongols at this point, the face of the Middle East would be radically different in our days.
The armies soon met in the vicinity of Ain Jalut, where the die was cast on September 3, 1260.
The Battle for Islam
The Mongol force included troops from the Kingdom of Georgia and the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, which had hopelessly submitted to Mongol authority. They were the first to advance. Qutuz had the numbers and motivation, but the reputation for fearlessness and brutality preceded the Mongols.
Fortunately for the Egyptian army, they had another key advantage: they knew the terrain very well, far better than the invaders. Qutuz sought to capitalize on this fact and hid most of his army in a favorable position atop the hills, expecting to bait their enemies towards that position for an ambush. Qutuz’ main sub-commander, Baibars, was to lead a small force against the Mongols and draw them towards the hills where the main army was hiding—ready to spring the trap.
Baibars and his men fought for a long time, trying to entice Kitbuqa into committing his forces. After a while, Baibars feigned retreat, and Kitbuqa fell for it. Overconfident in the Mongols’ historic superiority, he ordered his men to chase Egypt’s small force into the highlands, completely unaware that a large enemy force was hidden among the trees. Kitbuqa thus made a fatal mistake, marching his whole army right into Qutuz’ position. As soon as the Mongols were positioned, Qutuz sprung the trap and ordered his army forward. Kitbuqa was taken completely by surprise, and his army was surrounded on all sides.
Did you know…
Ain Jalut is the very same village where, as legend goes, David defeated Goliath—a truly fitting symbolism.
But the Mongols were fierce warriors and didn’t give up easily. At some point during the ensuing chaos, the Egyptian left flank was almost destroyed by Mongol soldiers desperately looking for an escape route. Upon seeing this, Qutuz threw his helmet in the air, so that his men could see his face, and personally led a passionate charge to reinforce the failing section of his army as he shouted “O Islam! O Islam! O God grant your servant a victory against the Mongols!”
This proved highly effective, and Qutuz soon rallied his soldiers for a final push against his enemies. It didn’t take too long before the Mongols were completely routed, and those who didn’t flee were slaughtered on the spot—including Kitbuqa. Qutuz had won, stopping the Mongol invasion on its tracks and saving Islam in one fell swoop.
The far-reaching significance of Ain Jalut
The battle marked the first decisive defeat suffered by the Mongols since they started their invasion of the Islamic World and, unbeknownst to them, would also mark the beginning of the end of the mighty Mongol Empire. Facing internal strife and external attacks, the Mongols would never again reach the strength they held before Ain Jalut, nor would they threaten another invasion against the Islamic states.
Following the success at Ain Jalut, Muslims in the Middle East went from the brink of extinction to become the dominant force of the region. The Levant was liberated from Mongol rule in its entirety, and a new Caliph was installed. This asserted the autonomy of Muslim kingdoms, and established their power over the Middle East to this day. And it was all possible due to this seemingly small battle, eight centuries in the past, near the unassuming village where David supposedly slew Goliath.
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