Amidst the Eurasian Steppe where the Kipchak Turks roamed, a child was born whose fate would change the course of history – starting off as a captive of the Mongols who slaughtered his family, taken to a foreign land, and eventually ruling it as Sultan. The legendary Sultan Baybars, belonging to the Borçoğlu (Borçalı) tribe of the Kipchak was tall, with a strong voice, blue eyes, and a small mole in one of his eyes. His name meant “Lion Lord,” hence the image of the lion on his banners.
Baybars was completely detached from indulgence in leisure, debauchery, and greed for money. He spent his free time engaging in military games like çevgen, archery, and hunting. He was particularly fond of çevgen, playing it twice a week when in Cairo and once a week in Damascus. By frequently dividing his soldiers into groups for mock battles, Baybars kept them disciplined and well-trained even during peacetime, avoiding laxity and laziness.
Sources note that Baybars often traveled and inspected his country in disguise, but there is no record of him indulging in pleasure or luxury. For instance during his campaign in Anatolia, when the Seljuk dignitaries in Kayseri, trying to entertain him according to their customs brought musicians and dancers, Baybars, greatly angered, dismissed the dancers, saying, “I did not come here for entertainment. This is not a place for amusement. Go entertain someone else.” As a devout Muslim, Baybars, despite bringing significant revenue to the state treasury, banned the sale of alcoholic beverages and closed down places of debauchery. He also imprisoned prostitutes unless they found husbands, thereby attempting to curb prostitution.
He was an innovative thinker and excellent stateman, which gets overlooked due to his military victories and bravery which he was far more famous for. During Baybars’ reign, one of his significant achievements was the innovations he implemented in the postal system. At the time, the existing transportation network within the Mamluk borders needed an overhaul due to its importance for military logistics. It was essential for the Sultan to receive news as quickly as possible. To establish a permanent postal system, Baybars devoted all his efforts. He first repaired the transportation network across the Mamluk State by setting up postal stations at strategic distances. Thanks to these stations, the travel time between Damascus and Cairo was reduced to four days. These stations, which even had small markets selling various goods, always had horses ready for the postal couriers’ use. These horses were only given to couriers on special orders. The couriers wore distinctive yellow silk neckbands that were easily visible. These officials were reserved for the state’s special affairs and were ordered to maintain strict confidentiality. Baybars, through this well-funded system, could receive immediate news of events in the farthest reaches of his domain and act accordingly.
Another institution established by Baybars as part of his postal system was an efficiently functioning intelligence network. Specially trained spies were tasked with gathering information about the activities of enemy states as well as conspiracies against the Sultan within his own domain, and they relayed this information directly to Baybars. To prevent any misuse of power and to maintain control, Baybars established a secondary network of spies to oversee the first group. This allowed him to keep everyone, from the highest-ranking officials to the shepherds in the most remote villages, under surveillance.
One of the aspects Baybars valued most in his state administration was secrecy. He always kept his actions and plans confidential, revealing them to no one before the appropriate time. On one occasion, when Baybars decided to perform the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca without informing anyone, he did not hesitate to punish an officer who learned of this plan and offered to accompany him, going so far as to have the officer’s tongue cut out for this breach of secrecy.
The value Baybars placed on knowledge and the effort he showed in this regard became apparent in his early years of rule. He ordered the improvement of many Mamluk cities and repaired and fortified castles like Bire and Safed, which would later be used as important bases. In 660 A.H./1262 A.D., he ordered the construction of a madrasa known as Medresai-Saidiyye. A year later, he commanded the building of another in his name. With keen interest and attention, he ensured the construction was completed in a year. Baybars also appointed judges and teachers from the Hanbali school to these madrasas, which weren’t as prevalent in the region, attempting to prevent potential sectarian conflicts between the madahib.
In our upcoming series, we will continue to delve into the fascinating life and legacy of Baybars – much of it untranslated. Stay tuned as we explore further the intriguing world of Baybars, revealing more about his achievements, challenges, and the era he so profoundly influenced.
El Errante, expert on all things Turkic, posts @elerrantenomad
End Notes:
1. Ibn Shaddad, Siret, page 48.
2. Ibn Shaddad, same reference, page 64.
3. Gaston Wiet, L’Egypte Arabe, page 428.
4. Al-Maqrizi, al-Suluk, Volume I, page 637.
5. Al-Kalkashandi, Subh al-A’sha, Volume XIV, page 156.
6. Al-Maqrizi, same reference, page 578.
7. Ibn Abd al-Zahir, Siret, page 243; Ibn Tanrıberdi, al-Nujum, Volume IX, page 94. Al-Maqrizi, same reference, page 637.
8. Ibn Tanrıberdi, same reference, page 94; J. Deguignes interprets the meaning of the name Baybars as “ruler in the Mongol language,” a bit of a stretch. “History of the Huns, Turks, Mongols, and Other Tatar Tribes” (Trc. H. Cehit) Istanbul 1924, Volume V, page 214.
9. Al-Kalkashandi, Subh al-A’sha, Volume XIV, page 155.