Osprey Men-at-Arms 259 : The Mamluks 1250-1517

In Europe the Mamluks of Egypt are remembered as so-called 'Slave Kings' who drove out the Crusaders from the Holy Land; but they were far more than that. Though its frontiers barely changed, the Mamluk Sultanate remained a 'great power' for two and a half centuries. Its armies were the culmination of a military tradition stretching back to the 8th century, and provided a model for the early Ottoman Empire, whose own armies reached the gates of Vienna only twelve years after the Mamluks were overthrown. The Mamluk Sultanate was a military state, Mamluks [the Arabic word 'Mamluk' meant a soldier recruited as a young slave, then trained, educated and released as a full-time professional] providing the foundation of both army and government. Nor did mamluk 'men of the sword' feel any inferiority in relation to those born free, though civilian 'men of the pen' continued to play a vital administrative role, particularly in the Diwan al Jaysh or Army Ministry. David Nicolle explores the organisation and tactics of these people accompanied by a multitude of illustrations, including eight full page colour plates by Angus McBride.

Contents

• Introduction
• The Mamluk Army
• Clothing and Insignia
• Tactics
• Army Organisation
• Siege Warfare
• The Plates