Capture of Baghdad (1394)

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Capture of Baghdad
Date1394
Location
Result Mamluk-Jalayirid victory
Territorial
changes
Baghdad returns to the Jalayirid Sultanate
Belligerents
Timurid Empire Egyptian Sultanate
Jalayirid Sultanate
Commanders and leaders
Khwaja Mas'ud Sabzavari Barquq
Saad al-Din bin Ghurab
Ahmad Jalayir

The Capture of Baghdad by the Egyptian Mamluk sultan Barquq and Jalayirid sultan Ahmad Jalayir. The city was taken without resistance in 1394.[1][2][3]

Background[edit]

In 1393, Timur renewed war with Ahmad. Near the end of August, he arrived in Baghdad, where Ahmad was residing. Deciding that defending the city was impossible, Ahmad fled and traveled to Egyptian-held Syria, and was granted asylum by Sultan Barquq.[1][2][3][4]

Barquq received Ahmad with senior Egyptian statesmen. The first time the Jalayirid sultan saw Barquq, he wanted to kiss Sultan Barquq’s hand, but Barquq prevented him, hugged him, welcomed him, and gave him money, gold, concubines, and his own forces under his command. This generosity astonished Ahmad.[1][2][3][4]

Days after this reception, Mongol messengers arrived, bringing a letter from Timur requesting the handover of the Jalayirid sultan. Barquq replied to them:[1][2]

"How is it permissible, in the law of chivalry and loyalty, to handover our guest? And our lodger and the one who took refuge with us? Handing over Al-Qan Ahmad is impossible.”[1][2]

Capture[edit]

After that, Barquq led his army, accompanied by Ahmad, to the Levant to fight Timur. As they entered the Levant, news came that Timur had fled with his forces as he heard about the arrival of the Egyptian army.[1][2][3][4]

Barquq ordered Ahmad to go back to Baghdad and wrote for him a letter declaring him the Sultan of Baghdad. He gave him five hundred thousand dirhams and many horses, camels, and cloth, as well as providing him with an Egyptian military force in support. When saying goodbye, Ahmad wanted to bow and kiss the ground at the feet of Barquq, but the latter did not allow him, out of respect, and instead he stood up, hugged him, and bid him farewell before they separated.[1][2][3][4]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Al-Maqrizi, Taqi al-Din (1997). السلوك لمعرفة دول الملوك الجزء الخامس (in Arabic). دار الكتب العلمية. p. 356.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Ibn Taghribirdi, Yusuf (1993). المنهل الصافي والمستوفى بعد الوافي الجزء الثالث (in Arabic). Beirut, Lebanon: دار العلم للماليين. pp. 323, 324, 325.
  3. ^ a b c d e "وفاة الملك أحمد بن أويس الجلائري وانقضاء دولة بني جلائر المغولية". dorar.net (in Arabic). Retrieved 2023-12-24.
  4. ^ a b c d "هل سمعت عن الدولة الجلائرية.. وما علاقة هولاكو بها؟". اليوم السابع (in Arabic). 2022-08-18. Retrieved 2023-12-24.