Our great ancestor, Al-Malik Al-Zahir Rukn Al-Din Baybars Al-Bunduqdari, who became the pride of not only the Kazakh but also the entire Turkic peoples, stood out among the Mamluks for courage, intelligence, and military prowess.
Baybars rose from slavery to become the Sultan of Egypt and founded the Mamluk ruling dynasty which ruled over Egypt and the Levant for almost three centuries.
He established political ties with Altyn Orda and repelled the vengeful crusades. Furthermore, Baybars protected the Arab world – the bastion of Islam – against the Mongols, thus leaving an indelible mark on Egyptian and world history.
Archaeological and scientific research establishes beyond doubt that Baybars, who according to widely accepted accounts was born in 1223 in the Desht-Kipchak land between the Volga and Ural rivers, was a living proof of the contribution of the Kazakh people to the development of world civilization.
Baybar’s reign saw the establishment of several industries and crafts as well as mosques and shipyards. Under his rule, science and art flourished and a strong army with iron discipline was created. Baybar’s era also saw a renaissance in agriculture and trade.
In addition to being a brave commander, he was also known for being a resourceful politician. He became the pride not only of Egyptians but all Muslim peoples.
Since the birth of Islam in the seventh century till the time of the Mamluks, only a dozen mosques were built. The Mamluks, who ruled for two and a half centuries, established, however, 136 mosques and madrassas.
Baybars cared much for education and science and considered it a duty to support them.
In the second half of the 12th century, the Kipchak written language became the language of the palace in Egypt, and a “Tarzhiman” dictionary appeared in 1343.
The literature of the period – including the classic “Gulistan” as well as other religious, medical, military, and legal works – was translated into the Mamluk-Kipchak language.
This trend continued in the 14th and 15th centuries as treatises such as "Ad-Durra al-mudia fi-l-luyat at-Turkiya," "Al-Manhal as-safi," and "Munijat ul-guzat" were translated into Turkic.
According to data in Turkic books, published by the Russian Academy of Sciences under the heading "Languages of the World," the Holy Quran was repeatedly translated into Turkic. However, the first scholar who shed light on these translations for the first time was Kazakh historian Kurbangali in his book “Tauarih Hamsa,” published in 1910 in Kazan.
It was during these periods that the publication of Arabic-Kipchak and Arabic-Turkic dictionaries spread very quickly in the Arab world. Many people from the Kipchak-Kazakh steppes were keen on preserving their traditions and cultures in an Arab milieu.
During Baybar’s reign, Egypt flourished as irrigation systems were repaired and restored and agriculture was firmly developed. The vibrant urban centres that he further improved and developed, such as Alexandria, Damietta, and Cairo, created the most favorable conditions for trade expansion.
Baybars also heeded the common people and reformed the judicial system. He also appointed four independent judges belonging to the four classical schools of Islamic jurisprudence – Shafii, Hanbali, Maliki, and Hanafi – in Cairo in 1265. A year later, he applied that system in Damascus and other settlements.
This variety in schools accommodated the peculiarities of life, customs, language, and religion of representatives of different nationalities within the country.
After almost 10 centuries, Egypt’s judicial system still incorporates the four classical schools.
Furthermore, being such an eminent Sultan did not prevent Baybars from roaming the country by day or night disguised as a peasant to see to the affairs of the people himself.
He was also known to cruelly punish the moneybags who abused the weak and ensure that justice is done. Therefore, Baybars was considered a saint, receiving titles such as "the winner of the war" and "the beauty of religion." He even surpassed people’s favorite heroes in the Arabian Nights.
According to tradition, it was Baybars who laid down the principle that the wealth of the Emir belongs to him while the wealth of the country belongs to the people.
Baybars, the great son of the Kazakh people, reigned over a kingdom that included Egypt and parts of Syria, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey.
He had made Cairo the major city and the centre of the Islamic world. The Al-Zahir Baybars mosque is still striking in its architecture. His time was recorded in detail by two historians: Al-Maqrizi and Ibn Khaldun. Encyclopedic works contain interesting events related to his life, his military campaigns, and his deeds to strengthen the unity of the state and his people. These works also contained accounts of his diplomatic relations and rich information on the geography of the country.
Thanks to Baybar's full support for science and scientific thinking, several renown scientists appeared during his reign, including Ibn Tangirberdi, Ibn Iyas, Ibn Aybek, and Beybarys Al Dauadar.
The development of Mamluk architecture also led historians to call the Mamluk era the Golden Age of Islamic architecture. Traditional schools of drawing were also developed, fusing Arab and Persian techniques. Such fusion can be clearly seen in the paintings that adorn the pages of the book dedicated to the Maqams of al-Hariri, published in Egypt in 1234. The images in the book, now preserved in the library of Vienna, show the appearance, customs, clothing, and entertainment of the Kipchak Mamluks.
Historian Al-Aini said: “The victorious king is dark-grey, blue-eyed. The voice was earthy. There was a grandeur in him that evoked a sense of greatness and inevitable respect. He was tall. He was a brave, brave, brave, energetic, deep, determined hero, who paid great attention to the cause of the Sultanate, striving for the victory of Islam and Muslims."
* The author is an Employee of the National Academic Library of the Republic of Kazakhstan
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