Author: Piling » Thu Jul 20, 2006 6:41 am
Mamluks originally, as their name showed were slaves. Mostly of them were Turks (but not all) for white Slaves in Islamic Empires came from Central Asia and Caucasus (,non-islamic countries). These Turks or Circassians served Caliphs and Sultans as their "personnal guard" independant from aristocratic families and clans and tribes. But in the same part, their power increased and they often took the power. During all the Middle-Ages until Mongols' conquest, the military and political power were in Turks and Kurds' hands. They were a military class, in fact, both people famous for being great warriors.
In Egypt, after Ayyubid Kurdish decline and fall, a Mamluk called Aybak took the power. And Mamluk dynasty, firstly Turkish, then Circassian ruled the ME until Ottoman arrival in Cairo (1516-1517). They stayed in Egypt though as local governors until Bonaparte and English conquest.
In ME there were five Kurdish dynasties absolutely independant : marwanids, Hasanwayhids, and Greater and Lesser Lurs and Ayyubids. But they were numerous Kurdish states which officially were vassals of Caliph and after of other Sultans, but have their own coins, and made Friday Preach recitated in their name (an unofficial independance but de facto, like current KRG

).