Latest / The Story of Uzbekistan: Silk Road Kingdoms and Soviet Legacy — Fexingo History
The Khorezmian Guard: Slavery, Loyalty, and the Mamluks
When the Mongols sacked Khorezm in 1221, the greatest casualty wasn't just a city—it was a system. The Khorezmshah's personal guard, recruited from the steppe and trained as slave soldiers, scattered across the Islamic world. Some ended up in Egypt, where one of their number, Baybars, would become sultan and defeat the Mongols at Ain Jalut. This episode traces the journey of these Khorezmian Mamluk mercenaries: how they fought for the Ayyubids, conquered Jerusalem in 1244, and eventually became the core of the Mamluk Sultanate that ruled Egypt for centuries. We explore the irony of…
The skinny
The skinny isn't ready yet — notes appear once the transcript is processed.