Battle of Marj Dabiq
Encyclopedia
The battle of Marj Dābiq was a decisive military clash in Middle Eastern history
, fought on 24 August 1516, 44 km north of Halab (Aleppo), Syria
.
spent the winter of 1515 and the spring of 1516 in preparations for an army with which he proposed marching to the disturbed confines of Asia Minor
, and thus being ready for all contingencies. When just about to start, an Embassy arrived from Selim I
promising, still in friendly terms, to appoint, as he had been asked, an Egypt
ian vassal
to Dulkadirids, and reopen the frontier to the traffic of goods and slaves. It was by summer on May 18, 1516 when Al-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghawri
started from Cairo
with a numerous force (reportedly 20,000 knights), appointed well in all respects but in artillery.
He left Al-Ashraf Tuman bay II
at the helm of things in Cairo
, and marched in great pomp with music, singing and festivity. There followed fifteen Emirs of a thousand, besides many of less degree ; 5000 of his own Mamluks, with the militia ; and all this supplemented as he passed along by Syrian and Bedouin contingents ; so that they did not want for numbers.
The high Officers of State, Caliph
Al-Mutawakkil III
, Sheikhs and Courtiers, with Muezzin
s, Doctors and Musicians, followed in his train. On the way he received also Ahmed, son of the late Pretender to the Ottoman throne (Selim I
's nephew), and carried him along with courtly honors in the hope of drawing over his sympathizers from the Ottoman
force. Advancing slowly Al-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghawri
entered Damascus
on June 9, with carpets spread in his pathway, while Europe
an merchants scattered gold, amongst the crowd. After a few days' stay he went forward leisurely, received at Homs
and Hama
with festivities, towards Halab.
Meanwhile another Embassy arrived from the Ottoman camp which, in deceptive guise, brought costly gifts to the Sultan
and also to the Caliph
Al-Mutawakkil III
and Vizier
, with the request of Selim I
for a supply of Egyptian sugar
and confectionery
. It was also intimated that legal pronouncements against the Shah
of Persia Ismail I
had forced him again to prepare for war and take the field. The Chancellor
Mughla Baig was sent with presents in return; but by the time he reached the Ottoman camp, Selim I
had thrown off the garb of peace; and now to show his contempt of the Egyptians, treated the Embassy ignominiously, and sent back the Chancellor shaven and shorn, and mounted on a lame and wretched animal, with the rest on foot.
, discredited the report), in order to veil his treachery gave him all the more splendid a reception ; but the inhabitants were much enraged against the Mamluks for the outrages they perpetrated in the city. It was just then that Mughla Baig returning in wretched plight, brought tidings of the hostile attitude of Selim I
, and near approach of the Turkish host. All doubt now removed as to what was before them, a fresh oath of allegiance was taken by Al-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghawri
from the Emirs, Qadis, and royal Mamluks; presents also were distributed to them, which the other Mamluks not receiving were much displeased. The Sultan was again warned of Khayr Baig’s disloyalty, and advised to put him out of the way but, dissuaded by the Emir Janberdi Al-Ghazali.
, except the royal Mamluks whom the Sultan sought to spare, fought well; and at one time the Turkish outlook was so bad, that Selim I
had thoughts of falling back. But in the end, the Ottomans, superior both in numbers and artillery
gained the day. Khayr Baig hastened the end by signaling retreat. The Egyptians were soon in full flight towards Damascus
for the gates of Aleppo
were closed against them but the Caliph
Al-Mutawakkil III
and some chief Emirs went over to the enemy. Al-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghawri
himself fell upon the field and his head was carried to the Conqueror.
Accounts however vary to how Al-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghawri
met his end. It is said that Khayr Baig spread report of his death to precipitate the Egyptian flight. According to some the Sultan was found alive on the field, and his head cut off and buried to prevent its falling into the enemy's hands. The Ottoman account is that he was beheaded by a Turk whom Sultan Selim I would have put to death, but afterwards pardoned.
, welcomed by the inhabitants as a deliverer from the excesses of the Mamluk
s, entered Aleppo
in triumph. The Caliph he received kindly; but the Islamic Judges and Juristsche upbraided with their inability to check Mamluk
misrule. Joined by Khayr Baig and other Egyptian officers, he proceeded to the Citadel
.
From Halab he marched victoriously to Damascus
where the utmost terror prevailed. But beyond some attempts to protect the city by flooding the plain around, nothing had been done to oppose the enemy. Action was paralyzed as usual by discord amongst the Emirs. Some thought of Emir Janberdi Al-Ghazali as Sultan, others of Al-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghawri’s son. But as the Ottomans approached, all either went over to them, or fled to Egypt
. Selim I
entered the city about the middle of October; and the inhabitants high and low; only too happy to escape the war, readily tendered submission to the Ottoman Conqueror. Ottoman control, despite being often jeopardized by revolts, was to last almost three centuries.
History of the Middle East
This article is a general overview of the history of the Middle East. For more detailed information, see articles on the histories of individual countries and regions...
, fought on 24 August 1516, 44 km north of Halab (Aleppo), Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
.
Battle preparations
Sultan Al-Ashraf Qansuh al-GhawriAl-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghawri
Al-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghawri was the second last of the Mamluk Sultans. One of the last of the Burji dynasty, he reigned from 1501 to 1516.On the disappearance of Sultan Al-Adil Sayf ad-Din Tuman bay I, it was not till after some days that the choice of the Emirs and Mamluks fell upon Al-Ashraf...
spent the winter of 1515 and the spring of 1516 in preparations for an army with which he proposed marching to the disturbed confines of Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
, and thus being ready for all contingencies. When just about to start, an Embassy arrived from Selim I
Selim I
Selim I, Yavuz Sultân Selim Khan, Hâdim-ül Haramain-ish Sharifain , nicknamed Yavuz "the Stern" or "the Steadfast", but often rendered in English as "the Grim" , was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1512 to...
promising, still in friendly terms, to appoint, as he had been asked, an Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian vassal
Vassal
A vassal or feudatory is a person who has entered into a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. The obligations often included military support and mutual protection, in exchange for certain privileges, usually including the grant of land held...
to Dulkadirids, and reopen the frontier to the traffic of goods and slaves. It was by summer on May 18, 1516 when Al-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghawri
Al-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghawri
Al-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghawri was the second last of the Mamluk Sultans. One of the last of the Burji dynasty, he reigned from 1501 to 1516.On the disappearance of Sultan Al-Adil Sayf ad-Din Tuman bay I, it was not till after some days that the choice of the Emirs and Mamluks fell upon Al-Ashraf...
started from Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
with a numerous force (reportedly 20,000 knights), appointed well in all respects but in artillery.
He left Al-Ashraf Tuman bay II
Tuman bay II
Al-Ashraf Tuman bay better known as Tuman bay II succeeded as Sultan of Egypt during the final period of Mamluk rule in Egypt prior to its conquest by the Ottoman Empire...
at the helm of things in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, and marched in great pomp with music, singing and festivity. There followed fifteen Emirs of a thousand, besides many of less degree ; 5000 of his own Mamluks, with the militia ; and all this supplemented as he passed along by Syrian and Bedouin contingents ; so that they did not want for numbers.
The high Officers of State, Caliph
Caliph
The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
Al-Mutawakkil III
Al-Mutawakkil III
Al-Mutawakkil III was caliph from 1508 to 1516, and again in 1517. He was the last caliph of the later, Egyptian-based period of the Abbasid dynasty...
, Sheikhs and Courtiers, with Muezzin
Muezzin
A muezzin , or muzim, is the chosen person at a mosque who leads the call to prayer at Friday services and the five daily times for prayer from one of the mosque's minarets; in most modern mosques, electronic amplification aids the muezzin in his task.The professional muezzin is chosen for his...
s, Doctors and Musicians, followed in his train. On the way he received also Ahmed, son of the late Pretender to the Ottoman throne (Selim I
Selim I
Selim I, Yavuz Sultân Selim Khan, Hâdim-ül Haramain-ish Sharifain , nicknamed Yavuz "the Stern" or "the Steadfast", but often rendered in English as "the Grim" , was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1512 to...
's nephew), and carried him along with courtly honors in the hope of drawing over his sympathizers from the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
force. Advancing slowly Al-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghawri
Al-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghawri
Al-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghawri was the second last of the Mamluk Sultans. One of the last of the Burji dynasty, he reigned from 1501 to 1516.On the disappearance of Sultan Al-Adil Sayf ad-Din Tuman bay I, it was not till after some days that the choice of the Emirs and Mamluks fell upon Al-Ashraf...
entered Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
on June 9, with carpets spread in his pathway, while Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an merchants scattered gold, amongst the crowd. After a few days' stay he went forward leisurely, received at Homs
Homs
Homs , previously known as Emesa , is a city in western Syria and the capital of the Homs Governorate. It is above sea level and is located north of Damascus...
and Hama
Hama
Hama is a city on the banks of the Orontes River in west-central Syria north of Damascus. It is the provincial capital of the Hama Governorate. Hama is the fourth-largest city in Syria—behind Aleppo, Damascus, and Homs—with a population of 696,863...
with festivities, towards Halab.
Meanwhile another Embassy arrived from the Ottoman camp which, in deceptive guise, brought costly gifts to the Sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
and also to the Caliph
Caliph
The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
Al-Mutawakkil III
Al-Mutawakkil III
Al-Mutawakkil III was caliph from 1508 to 1516, and again in 1517. He was the last caliph of the later, Egyptian-based period of the Abbasid dynasty...
and Vizier
Vizier
A vizier or in Arabic script ; ; sometimes spelled vazir, vizir, vasir, wazir, vesir, or vezir) is a high-ranking political advisor or minister in a Muslim government....
, with the request of Selim I
Selim I
Selim I, Yavuz Sultân Selim Khan, Hâdim-ül Haramain-ish Sharifain , nicknamed Yavuz "the Stern" or "the Steadfast", but often rendered in English as "the Grim" , was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1512 to...
for a supply of Egyptian sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
and confectionery
Confectionery
Confectionery is the set of food items that are rich in sugar, any one or type of which is called a confection. Modern usage may include substances rich in artificial sweeteners as well...
. It was also intimated that legal pronouncements against the Shah
Shah
Shāh is the title of the ruler of certain Southwest Asian and Central Asian countries, especially Persia , and derives from the Persian word shah, meaning "king".-History:...
of Persia Ismail I
Ismail I
Ismail I , known in Persian as Shāh Ismāʿil , was a Shah of Iran and the founder of the Safavid dynasty which survived until 1736. Isma'il started his campaign in Azerbaijan in 1500 as the leader of the Safaviyya, an extremist heterodox Twelver Shi'i militant religious order and unified all of Iran...
had forced him again to prepare for war and take the field. The Chancellor
Chancellor
Chancellor is the title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the Cancellarii of Roman courts of justice—ushers who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from the...
Mughla Baig was sent with presents in return; but by the time he reached the Ottoman camp, Selim I
Selim I
Selim I, Yavuz Sultân Selim Khan, Hâdim-ül Haramain-ish Sharifain , nicknamed Yavuz "the Stern" or "the Steadfast", but often rendered in English as "the Grim" , was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1512 to...
had thrown off the garb of peace; and now to show his contempt of the Egyptians, treated the Embassy ignominiously, and sent back the Chancellor shaven and shorn, and mounted on a lame and wretched animal, with the rest on foot.
Betrayal in the Mamluk camp
At Halab, Khayr Baig the Mamluk Governor, who was secretly with the Porte (though the Sultan, advised of this by the Governor of DamascusDamascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
, discredited the report), in order to veil his treachery gave him all the more splendid a reception ; but the inhabitants were much enraged against the Mamluks for the outrages they perpetrated in the city. It was just then that Mughla Baig returning in wretched plight, brought tidings of the hostile attitude of Selim I
Selim I
Selim I, Yavuz Sultân Selim Khan, Hâdim-ül Haramain-ish Sharifain , nicknamed Yavuz "the Stern" or "the Steadfast", but often rendered in English as "the Grim" , was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1512 to...
, and near approach of the Turkish host. All doubt now removed as to what was before them, a fresh oath of allegiance was taken by Al-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghawri
Al-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghawri
Al-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghawri was the second last of the Mamluk Sultans. One of the last of the Burji dynasty, he reigned from 1501 to 1516.On the disappearance of Sultan Al-Adil Sayf ad-Din Tuman bay I, it was not till after some days that the choice of the Emirs and Mamluks fell upon Al-Ashraf...
from the Emirs, Qadis, and royal Mamluks; presents also were distributed to them, which the other Mamluks not receiving were much displeased. The Sultan was again warned of Khayr Baig’s disloyalty, and advised to put him out of the way but, dissuaded by the Emir Janberdi Al-Ghazali.
Battle
The army then set forward, and on August 20, 1516 encamping on the plain of Marj Dabiq, a day's journey north of Halab, awaited there the enemy's approach; for on this plain it was that the Empire's fate was now to be decided. The EgyptiansEgyptians
Egyptians are nation an ethnic group made up of Mediterranean North Africans, the indigenous people of Egypt.Egyptian identity is closely tied to geography. The population of Egypt is concentrated in the lower Nile Valley, the small strip of cultivable land stretching from the First Cataract to...
, except the royal Mamluks whom the Sultan sought to spare, fought well; and at one time the Turkish outlook was so bad, that Selim I
Selim I
Selim I, Yavuz Sultân Selim Khan, Hâdim-ül Haramain-ish Sharifain , nicknamed Yavuz "the Stern" or "the Steadfast", but often rendered in English as "the Grim" , was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1512 to...
had thoughts of falling back. But in the end, the Ottomans, superior both in numbers and artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
gained the day. Khayr Baig hastened the end by signaling retreat. The Egyptians were soon in full flight towards Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
for the gates of Aleppo
Aleppo
Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
were closed against them but the Caliph
Caliph
The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
Al-Mutawakkil III
Al-Mutawakkil III
Al-Mutawakkil III was caliph from 1508 to 1516, and again in 1517. He was the last caliph of the later, Egyptian-based period of the Abbasid dynasty...
and some chief Emirs went over to the enemy. Al-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghawri
Al-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghawri
Al-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghawri was the second last of the Mamluk Sultans. One of the last of the Burji dynasty, he reigned from 1501 to 1516.On the disappearance of Sultan Al-Adil Sayf ad-Din Tuman bay I, it was not till after some days that the choice of the Emirs and Mamluks fell upon Al-Ashraf...
himself fell upon the field and his head was carried to the Conqueror.
Accounts however vary to how Al-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghawri
Al-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghawri
Al-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghawri was the second last of the Mamluk Sultans. One of the last of the Burji dynasty, he reigned from 1501 to 1516.On the disappearance of Sultan Al-Adil Sayf ad-Din Tuman bay I, it was not till after some days that the choice of the Emirs and Mamluks fell upon Al-Ashraf...
met his end. It is said that Khayr Baig spread report of his death to precipitate the Egyptian flight. According to some the Sultan was found alive on the field, and his head cut off and buried to prevent its falling into the enemy's hands. The Ottoman account is that he was beheaded by a Turk whom Sultan Selim I would have put to death, but afterwards pardoned.
Aftermath
Selim ISelim I
Selim I, Yavuz Sultân Selim Khan, Hâdim-ül Haramain-ish Sharifain , nicknamed Yavuz "the Stern" or "the Steadfast", but often rendered in English as "the Grim" , was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1512 to...
, welcomed by the inhabitants as a deliverer from the excesses of the Mamluk
Mamluk
A Mamluk was a soldier of slave origin, who were predominantly Cumans/Kipchaks The "mamluk phenomenon", as David Ayalon dubbed the creation of the specific warrior...
s, entered Aleppo
Aleppo
Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
in triumph. The Caliph he received kindly; but the Islamic Judges and Juristsche upbraided with their inability to check Mamluk
Mamluk
A Mamluk was a soldier of slave origin, who were predominantly Cumans/Kipchaks The "mamluk phenomenon", as David Ayalon dubbed the creation of the specific warrior...
misrule. Joined by Khayr Baig and other Egyptian officers, he proceeded to the Citadel
Citadel
A citadel is a fortress for protecting a town, sometimes incorporating a castle. The term derives from the same Latin root as the word "city", civis, meaning citizen....
.
From Halab he marched victoriously to Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
where the utmost terror prevailed. But beyond some attempts to protect the city by flooding the plain around, nothing had been done to oppose the enemy. Action was paralyzed as usual by discord amongst the Emirs. Some thought of Emir Janberdi Al-Ghazali as Sultan, others of Al-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghawri’s son. But as the Ottomans approached, all either went over to them, or fled to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. Selim I
Selim I
Selim I, Yavuz Sultân Selim Khan, Hâdim-ül Haramain-ish Sharifain , nicknamed Yavuz "the Stern" or "the Steadfast", but often rendered in English as "the Grim" , was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1512 to...
entered the city about the middle of October; and the inhabitants high and low; only too happy to escape the war, readily tendered submission to the Ottoman Conqueror. Ottoman control, despite being often jeopardized by revolts, was to last almost three centuries.