Qalawun facts for kids
Quick facts for kids al-Manṣūr Qalāwūn |
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al-Malik al-Manṣūr
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| Sultan of Egypt | |
| Reign | November 1279 – 10 November 1290 |
| Predecessor | Solamish |
| Successor | al-Ashraf Khalil |
| Born | c. 1222 |
| Died | November 10, 1290 (aged 67–68) Cairo, Egypt |
| Burial | Qalawun complex |
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| Royal name | الملك الْمَنْصُور سيف الدّين قَلَاوُونَ بن عبد الله الألفي العلائي الصَّالِحِي |
| House | Qalawunid dynasty |
| Dynasty | Bahri Mamluks |
| Religion | Sunni Islam |
Qalāwūn aṣ-Ṣāliḥī (Arabic: قلاوون الصالحي, born around 1222 – died November 10, 1290) was an important ruler in Egypt. He was the seventh Sultan of Egypt from the Bahri Mamluks group. He ruled from 1279 to 1290.
People called him al-Manṣūr Qalāwūn (المنصور قلاوون), which means "Qalāwūn the Victorious." He became very powerful in the Mamluk government. He eventually became the "victorious king" and took control of the sultanate. He started the Qalawunid dynasty, a family line that ruled Egypt for over 100 years.
The sultan before him, Barakah, was sent away from Egypt. Qalawun then fought against the Crusaders. He took over lands they held, like the County of Tripoli. He completely defeated them in 1289. Qalawun also started a siege on Acre, a major Crusader stronghold. However, he died before the city was captured. His son, al-Ashraf Khalil, took Acre in 1291. Khalil became sultan after his father.
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Becoming a Powerful Leader
Qalawun was originally one of the Bahri Mamluks. These were young men who were bought as soldiers and trained in Cairo. They were then freed by sultans or princes.
In the 1240s, Qalawun became a mamluk (a slave soldier). He was sold to someone in Sultan al-Kamil's household. Qalawun was known as al-Alfī, meaning "the Thousander." This was because Sultan as-Salih Ayyub bought him for a thousand gold coins.
At first, Qalawun could barely speak Arabic. But he grew in power and influence. He became an emir (a high-ranking leader) under Sultan Baibars. Qalawun's daughter later married Baibars' son, al-Said Barakah.
Taking Control of the Sultanate
Baibars died in 1277, and his son Barakah became sultan. In early 1279, Barakah and Qalawun were fighting in the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia. A rebellion started in Egypt, forcing Barakah to give up his rule when he returned. His younger brother, Solamish, became sultan. However, Qalawun was the real power behind the throne, acting as the atabeg (a guardian or regent).
Since Solamish was only seven years old, Qalawun argued that Egypt needed an adult ruler. Solamish was sent away in late 1279. After this, Qalawun took the title al-Malik al-Manṣūr, meaning "the victorious king."
The governor of Damascus, Sunqur al-Ashqar, did not agree with Qalawun becoming sultan. He declared himself sultan. But Qalawun defeated Sunqur in battle in 1280. In 1281, Qalawun and Sunqur made peace. This happened because Abaqa Khan, the leader of the Ilkhanate (a Mongol empire), invaded Syria. Qalawun and Sunqur worked together. They successfully stopped Abaqa's attack at the Second Battle of Homs.
Barakah and Solamish were sent away to al-Karak, an old Crusader castle. Barakah died there in 1280. Some stories suggest Qalawun was involved in his death. Barakah's brother, Khadir, took control of the castle. But in 1286, Qalawun took it over directly.
In 1282, Qalawun founded Ribat al-Mansuri. This was a hospice (a place for travelers or the sick) near the Ḥaram ash-Sharīf in Jerusalem.
Working with Other Nations
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Like Sultan Baibars before him, Qalawun made peace agreements with the remaining Crusader states. These were Christian military groups and lords who wanted to stay independent. He recognized Tyre and Beirut as separate from the Kingdom of Jerusalem. This kingdom was then centered in Acre.
These agreements were always good for Qalawun. For example, his treaty with Tyre said the city could not build new defenses. It also had to stay neutral in fights between the Mamluks and other Crusaders. Qalawun was also allowed to collect half of the city's taxes.
In 1281, Qalawun also made an alliance with Michael VIII Palaiologos. He was the emperor of the Byzantine Empire. This helped them both resist Charles I of Naples, who was a threat to both empires. In 1290, Qalawun also made trade agreements with the Republic of Genoa and the Kingdom of Sicily.
Battles Against the Crusaders
Even with the peace treaties, Qalawun attacked the strong Hospitaller fortress of Margat in 1285. He captured it and put a Mamluk army there. He also captured and destroyed the castle of Maraclea.
He took Latakia in 1287. On April 27, 1289, he captured Tripoli. This ended the Crusader County of Tripoli. The capture of Tripoli in 1289 was partly caused by the Venetians and the Pisans. They were against the growing power of Genoa in the area.
In 1290, new soldiers arrived in Acre to help the Crusaders. These soldiers caused trouble, attacking peaceful merchants and farmers, both Christians and Muslims. Qalawun sent a message asking for an explanation. He also demanded that the attackers be handed over for punishment. The Crusader leaders in Acre disagreed on how to respond. Some wanted peace, others wanted war.
Since Qalawun did not get an explanation or the attackers, he decided that the ten-year peace agreement he made with Acre in 1284 was broken. He then started a siege on the city that same year. He died in Cairo on November 10, 1290, before Acre was taken. However, his son al-Ashraf Khalil captured Acre the next year.
Qalawun's Family and Legacy
Even though Qalawun did not fully trust his son, Khalil became sultan after his death. Khalil continued his father's plan to replace Turkish Mamluks with Circassian Mamluks. This eventually led to conflicts within the Mamluk army. Khalil was killed by the Turks in 1293.
But Qalawun's legacy continued. His younger son, an-Nasir Muhammad, later became sultan.
Qalawun had several wives and children.
- His first wife was Fatima Khatun. She was the mother of his oldest son, as-Salih Ali, and his daughter Ghaziya Khatun.
- Another wife was Qutqutiya Khatun. She was the mother of his second son, Sultan al-Ashraf Khalil.
- Another wife was Sitt Ashlun Khatun. She was the mother of his third son, Sultan an-Nasir Muhammad.
His daughter Ghaziya Khatun married as-Said Barakah (Sultan Baibars' son) in 1277.
See also
- Qalawun complex
