Bahri dynasty

Quick Facts: Who was Bahri dynasty?

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Bahri dynasty

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The Mamluk rulers who governed the Sultanate of Egypt from 1250 to 1382.

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Origins & Early Life

The Bahri Mamluks (Arabic: المماليك البحرية, romanized: al-Mamalik al-Baḥariyya), sometimes referred to as the Bahri dynasty, were the rulers of the Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt from 1250 to 1382, following the Ayyubid dynasty. 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. The Bahri Mamluks were of mostly Kipchak Turkic origin. Fourteen of eighteen sultans between 1279 and 1390 belonged to the Qalawunid lineage.

Career & Major Achievements

After 1382/1390, they were succeeded by a second Mamluk regime, the Burji Mamluks, who were largely of Circassian origin. The name Bahri or Bahriyya means 'of the river', referring to the location of their original barracks on Roda Island in the Nile (Nahr al-Nil) in Cairo, at the citadel of Al-Rodah which was built by the Ayyubid sultan as-Salih Ayyub. Arabic sources throughout the Mamluk period, especially during the Bahri period, referred to the Mamluk state as Dawlat al-Atrak, Dawlat al-Turk, or al-Dawla al-Turkiyya, meaning 'State of the Turks'. This name emphasized the Turkic ethnic origins of the Mamluks who founded the Bahri dynasty, while Mamluk writers generally avoided explicit reference to their slave ("mamluk") origins. The Mamluks formed one of the most powerful and wealthiest empires of the time, lasting from 1250 to 1517 in Egypt, North Africa, and the Levant—Near East.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

In 1250, when the Ayyubid sultan as-Salih Ayyub died, the Mamluks he had owned as slaves murdered his son and heir al-Muazzam Turanshah, and Shajar al-Durr the widow of as-Salih became the Sultana of Egypt. She married the Atabeg (commander in chief) Emir Aybak and abdicated, Aybak becoming Sultan. He ruled from 1250 to 1257. The Mamluks consolidated their power in ten years and eventually established the Bahri dynasty. They were indirectly helped by the Mongols' sack of Baghdad in 1258, which effectively destroyed the Abbasid caliphate.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1250: 1250 Milestone — The Bahri Mamluks (Arabic: المماليك البحرية, romanized: al-Mamalik al-Baḥariyya), sometimes referred to as the Bahri dynasty, were the rulers of the Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt from 1250 to 1382, following the Ayyubid dynasty.
2. 1258: 1258 Milestone — They were indirectly helped by the Mongols' sack of Baghdad in 1258, which effectively destroyed the Abbasid caliphate.
3. 1279: 1279 Milestone — Fourteen of eighteen sultans between 1279 and 1390 belonged to the Qalawunid lineage.
4. 1382: 1382 Milestone — After 1382/1390, they were succeeded by a second Mamluk regime, the Burji Mamluks, who were largely of Circassian origin.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Bahri dynasty

True or False: “Did the Bahri Mamluks establish a purely hereditary system of rule immediately upon taking power in 1250?”

Answer (FALSE ❌): While they attempted to establish hereditary lines, the role of sultan often passed to another powerful Mamluk, indicating instability rather than pure heredity.

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