preMamluk

preMamluk refers to the period in Egyptian history immediately preceding the establishment of the Mamluk Sultanate. This era is primarily characterized by the rule of the Ayyubid dynasty. Following the death of the Sultan al-Salih Ayyub in 1249, a period of instability and internal strife ensued. His son, Turan Shah, briefly succeeded him but was overthrown by the Mamluk generals, who were the slave-soldiers forming the core of the Ayyubid army. This event, occurring in 1250, marks the transition from Ayyubid rule to the Mamluk Sultanate. The preMamluk period, therefore, is a crucial juncture where the Mamluks, initially a military force serving the Ayyubids, gradually gained political and military dominance, ultimately seizing power and establishing their own independent sultanate, which would last for centuries. This transition was marked by the decline of Ayyubid authority and the rise of Mamluk influence.