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I'm reading a book about the Napoleonic Wars and came across the Mamluks in Egypt. I had heard of them, but never paid much attention to them! No idea who they were or where they came from...What an interesting group of people:Mamluk - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I'm reading a book about the Napoleonic Wars and came across the Mamluks in Egypt. I had heard of them, but never paid much attention to them! No idea who they were or where they came from...What an interesting group of people:Mamluk - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I have an old print on my living room wall of the tombs of the Mameluks in Cairo.
They were, I believe, similar to the Jannisaries in the Ottoman Empire, another fascinating military caste who exerted great influence on the Ottoman Empire.
Yes, the Jannisaries were the group I thought of when I read about the Mamluks. Acording to the book I'm reading...which may or may not be true..they did not have children with their wives or concubines..so more slaves had to be obtained to keep things going.
The wiki entry has lots of info but from what I gather (without cheating and reading the wiki entry in detail) is that they originate from the Steppes and were recruited by Muslim's as slave/soldiers. Based on the Koran, Muslim could not kill Muslim, so they hired (or purchased as slaves) these soldiers to do their killing for them (how convenient).
Over time this class became more and more assimilated into the culture they were serving, ultimately to become a social class of some standings themselves.
They were mercenary soldiers in the service of the Islamic rulers of Egypt. In the 13th century they took over egypt and then defeated the Mongols in one of the decisive, if poorly remembered, battles in history to break their control of the ME. Nominally the turkish sultan took over Egypt in the 16th century, but like many such conquest the reality was different. They continued to rule Egupt in fact until the early 19th century.
Maybe the Shakers should have taken note of their playbook!
I'll go stand in the corner now.
As long as you brought it up: The Shakers were a dumping ground for unwanted children, whom the Shakers raised. But they gave them an education in earning a livelihood and at age 18 they were free to go, often with a small subsidy. Most did.
As long as you brought it up: The Shakers were a dumping ground for unwanted children, whom the Shakers raised. But they gave them an education in earning a livelihood and at age 18 they were free to go, often with a small subsidy. Most did.
I am well aware of who the Shakers were, but I prefer to see thier practice of taking in orphans and abandoned children as more nobler than you apparently do. The Shakers were a vibrant community who produced many lyrical musical offerings as well as beautifully crafted furniture. Sadly, at the time many did not spiritually embrace their vision of Utopia. Now let's get back to the original topic: the Mamluks.
The Mamluks built some very interesting structures, one being the Sultan Hassan complex (madrasa and mosque). Hillenbrand's book "Islamic Architecture" has an excellent description of Mamluk architecture, and a decent amount of historical context.
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