Mighty to the End: Utilizing Military Models to Study the Structure, Composition, and Effectiveness of the Mamlūk Army

Abstract

This dissertation investigates the structure, composition, and effectiveness of the Mamlūk army through the use of two military models, the Diversified Army Model and the Ṣāliḥī Mamlūk Model, that dominated its organization between 1250 CE and 1517 CE. The Diversified Army Model was the dominant form of military organization in the polities of the Muslim world prior to the rise of the Mamlūk sultanate. The Ṣāliḥī Mamlūk Model came into existence in the late Ayyūbid period during the reign of al-Ṣāliḥ Ayyūb (r. 1240-1249 CE) and continued to dominate the military organization of the Mamlūk sultanate until the third reign of al-Nāṣir Muḥammad (r. 1310-1340 CE), when the Diversified army Model once again came to the fore. This period has often been viewed as one of major change or a turning point by several historians. However, there was a return to the Ṣāliḥī Mamlūk Model under several Circassian sultans and by the latter half of the sixteenth century, there was a merging of the two military models. The current study thus argues that the Mamlūk army was constantly in a state of change and that the reign of every sultan, not only that of al-Nāṣir Muḥammad, was a turning point for the military. Despite the transformations and changes in the structure and composition of the Mamlūk army, it remained a formidable force throughout the entire Mamlūk period. Through their training, the mamlūks became exceptional horsemen and proficient in the use of a variety of melee and ranged weapons. Furthermore, the slow promotion of officers (with a few exceptions), ensured that the men who rose up the ranks were seasoned and experienced soldiers. It was often from among these officers that a new sultan emerged. Finally, the Mamlūk army’s excellent track record on the battlefield demonstrates its enduring strength. This strength is signified by the fact that the sultanate’s force’s remained militarily effective and largely undefeated between the thirteenth and sixteenth centuries. The instances in which the Mamlūks suffered military defeats are few and far apart and until the Ottoman conquest of 1517 CE they quickly recovered from such setbacks.