Battle of Ain Jalut
Near Ma'ayan Harod (Hebrew) or Ayn Jalut (Arabic), Jezreel Valley, Mamluk Sultanate
What happened
Sultan Qutuz of the Mamluks of Egypt and his general Baybars fought a Mongol army led by Kitbuqa, a general left in Syria by Hulagu Khan. After taking Baghdad and Damascus, the Mongol leader Hulagu demanded that Egypt surrender, but Qutuz refused and marched north. Hulagu had taken most of his army back from the Levant, leaving Kitbuqa with a smaller force. Near the spring of Ain Jalut in Galilee, Baybars led a feigned retreat, the Mamluks counterattacked, and the Mongol army was defeated.
Why it matters
Result: Mamluk victory. Leaders: Qutuz / Baybars against Kitbuqa Noyan / Al-Ashraf Musa, Emir of Homs. Why it matters: It marked the first time the Mongols were halted in their advance, though historians debate how decisive it was.
What came next
On the way home, Qutuz was assassinated in a plot that historians link to Baybars, who then became sultan. Baybars ruled until 1277.
Did you know?
The Crusaders of Acre stayed neutral, let the Mamluk army pass through their lands, and even sold it supplies.
Timeline
- 1258 CEHulagu's Mongols take Baghdad.
- 3 September 1260 CEThe Mamluks defeat the Mongols at Ain Jalut.
- 1260 CEQutuz is assassinated on the way home and Baybars becomes sultan.
- 1277 CEBaybars dies.