Most people love a good revenge story, especially when the protagonist is an underdog and the antagonist had it coming. It’s strangely satisfying to see the hero come out ahead, to say the least. And though fiction is filled with such tales, reality tends to be a bit more complicated—and often more disappointing.
But then there are those rare anecdotes in recorded history where reality truly is stranger than fiction. This is one of those tales. A long time ago, there was a man known to history as Saif ad-Din Qutuz, or simply Qutuz. His story is one that begins in the depths of fear and desperation and that rises, through hopeful fortunes and unlikely ladders, to the heights of unprecedented power. Here’s the story of this slave-turned-king, the most badass revenge tale in history.
Early years: Qutuz is enslaved
Not much is known about Qutuz’ early life, but this much is clear. He was born somewhere in Turkey in the first half of the 13th century. During this time, the fearsome Mongol Empire was ravaging Asia and the Middle East, having conquered vast swathes of land and established the biggest continuous empire the world has ever known. In short, Mongols were an unstoppable force, feared across the medieval world by Christians and Muslims alike.
At some point around 1231, Qutuz was captured by the Mongols during the fall of the Khwarazmian dynasty. He was then taken to Damascus, in Syria, where he was sold into slavery. Qutuz would never forgive his captors for what they did. He was sold to an Egyptian slave merchant, who took him to Egypt and ended up selling him to Aybak, the Mamluk sultan.
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. That was the case for Aybak. And, soon enough, that would be the case for Qutuz as well.
Did you know…
The word mamluk literally means “property” and was the Arabic term for slaves. Mamluks became an important element in war, eventually forming the basis of Islamic military power.
Egypt: Qutuz’ swift rise through the ranks
Not long after joining Aybak’s court in Cairo, Qutuz became the most important slave in the kingdom and established himself as an essential adviser to the sultan. In 1253, he was named Aybak’s vice-Sultan, exerting significant influence in Egyptian affairs.
Things were going well for Qutuz and the kingdom, until Aybak was assassinated in 1257. His widow, the legendary Shajar al-Durr, had been Sultana of Egypt before him, and by that point desired the throne back. She had made Aybak sultan in the first place, but the two had a political falling out which apparently ended with his murder. Though Shajar al-Durr initially claimed her husband died suddenly during the night, Aybak’s Mamluks, led by Qutuz, didn’t believe her. After her servants confessed during torture, Qutuz had her arrested. She was beaten to death a short time later.
Qutuz installed Aybak’s son, al-Mansur Ali, on the throne of Egypt, and continued to serve as his vice-Sultan. But war was brewing in the north, and things would soon become desperate for Egypt.
Did you know…
Shajar al-Durr was the wife of the last Egyptian sultan of the Ayyubid dynasty, becoming the sultana of Egypt herself on May 2, 1250. This marked the beginning of the Mamluk era, with many considering her officially the first Mamluk ruler in history.
Beware the Mongol Horde: Qutuz becomes Sultan of Egypt
Less than one year later, the Mongol army conquered the ancient city of Baghdad, one of the most important Islamic centers in the region. Commanded by the famous Hulagu Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan, the Mongols massacred the city’s population and killed the Abbasid Caliph.
After the sacking of Baghdad, the conquering horde moved towards Syria, then ruled by an-Nasir Yusuf. Hulagu sent Yusuf a threatening letter demanding his surrender, and Yusuf in turn sent a desperate message to Egypt, asking for their help. Qutuz and the rest of the court were alarmed, and they called for an emergency meeting to decide how to proceed. Not only Syria’s fate was on the line, but the fate of Egypt and of the whole Islamic World as well. The Mongols threatened to devastate everything, and Qutuz knew something had to be done.
The Sultan was but 15 years old, and Qutuz argued that, given the scale of the threat they were facing, Egypt needed a strong leader that could defeat the Mongol threat. So, on November 1259, Qutuz deposed Aybak’s son and took the throne for himself, promising the kingdom’s advisors that they could install a sultan of their choosing after the Mongols were dealt with.
So, it was done. Having arrived there as a lowly slave, Qutuz had now become the ruler of all Egypt. He was now in a position to take on the very people who enslaved him in the first place, and he promptly prepared for battle.
Islam on the brink of extinction
Hugalu marched in Syria, quickly conquering city after city. First, Aleppo fell, and Damascus soon followed. Things seemed dire: with the main centers of Islam in Baghdad and Syria conquered, Egypt became the last Muslim citadel that still stood. Islamic power was now concentrated on one final bastion, and the unstoppable Mongols thus turned their sights against it. They began marching on Egypt.
Just like with Syria, Hugalu sent a message demanding Egypt’s surrender. Qutuz’ response was swift and unambiguous: he executed the messengers and displayed their heads on the walls of Cairo. War was now inevitable.
Did you know…
Qutuz himself declared that his given name was Mahmud ibn Mamdud. He also claimed he was the descendant of an important ruler of the once huge Khwarezmian Empire, which fell to the Mongols along with the rest of Syria.
Well aware of the dangers, Qutuz decided to go on the offensive. He would battle for the fate of Egypt and the whole of Islam well away from his own kingdom, taking the fight to the Mongols in the north. People fled the region in fear and desperation as the land trembled under the sheer size of the marching forces.
Around this time, another Mamluk, called Baibars, entered the picture. As Syria was falling, Baibars proved himself a rather competent leader and reached Egypt just in time to join Qutuz’ army. The stage was finally set.
Sack of Baghdad.
March unto Ain Jalut
Under Qutuz’ orders, Baibars secured Gaza for Egypt, where their army camped for about a day. Qutuz then managed to make an unlikely pact with the Christian Kingdom of Jerusalem—a most unusual arrangement, since Christians had been traditionally fierce enemies of the Muslims in the region following the Crusades. Both, however, found in the Mongols a common enemy, so Qutuz marched his army through Acre, which was under Christian control, without issue. There he camped, resupplied, and got ready to face the Mongol army just a short distance away.
But something had happened in the heart of the Mongol Empire which would change everything. A combination of fortuitous and logistical issues forced Hugalu to travel East with the bulk of his army, leaving only a fraction in Syria. The Great Khan, emperor of the Mongols, had just died, and Hugalu needed to deal with the succession. In addition, Hugalu was having trouble maintaining such a large army, so he marched home to gather supplies, after which he planned to return to Syria—something that the uneasy political climate in his homeland would render impossible.
But the Mongol force in Syria remained a big threat, even with depleted forces. When that army crossed the Jordan River on September, 1260, Qutuz advanced to meet them.
A most fateful battle
The two armies met in the vicinity of the village of Ain Jalut. Baibars led the vanguard with a small force and swiftly attacked the Mongols to try to lure them into a trap. The Mongols fell for it. The opposing forces clashed, with a slight advantage for the Mamluk army, in a battle that would last for hours and leave thousands dead.
At some point, the Mongol attack scattered the Egyptian left flank, so Qutuz threw away his helmet so that his people could see him as he shouted “O Islam,” personally leading a charge against the enemy. This inspired his soldiers, who rallied behind their leader in a passionate struggle for the future of their religion and everything they held dear. The Egyptians were fighting for the very survival of everything they knew. The Mongols weren’t. The latter were soundly beaten.
Did you know…
After the battle, many of the surviving Mongols, together with their Christian and Muslim allies, fled to Syria, where they were hunted by the local population—all of whom had a score to settle against their ruthless invaders.
This 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 Mongol Empire.
The fall of Qutuz
Qutuz liberated Damascus and sent Baibars to finish off the Mongols remaining at Homs. Qutuz then began dividing the reconquered territories between individuals of his choosing, and even empowered himself to install a new Caliph for the Muslim world. The whole Levant was liberated from the Mongols at this point. As soon as Hugalu heard about the loss at Ain Jalut, he intended to avenge it. But conflicts throughout other regions in the Mongol Empire prevented him from ever doing so.
Things were looking well for the slave-turned-king. His actions single-handedly brought the Islamic World in the Middle East back from the brink of extinction, and he got his epic revenge against those who had enslaved him in the process. But as he was returning home to Cairo after the battle, Qutuz was assassinated by his own people. Almost all accounts of the murder place Baibars at the heart of the conspiracy against the sultan, although the motives behind his betrayal remain obscure. Some say it was because Qutuz had promised Baibars the city of Aleppo, but then granted it to someone else. Others claim that Baibars was seeking to avenge the killing of his friend under Aybak’s reign.
Whatever the motive was, Baibars returned to Cairo a hero for the victory over the Mongols. He became the new Sultan of Egypt, and quickly secured the love of the people by cancelling Qutuz’ aggressive war taxes. In the end, Qutuz fell as swiftly as he had risen. But his legacy, as both legendary war-hero and savior of the Islamic World in the Middle East, remains strong to this day.
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