The siege of Al-Rahba was a military engagement between the invading Ilkhanate Mongols and the Egyptian Mamluk

al-Rahba Al-Rahba (/ALA-LC: ''al-Raḥba'', sometimes spelled ''Raḥabah''), also known as Qal'at al-Rahba, which translates as the "Citadel of al-Rahba", is a medieval Arab fortress on the west bank of the Euphrates River, adjacent to the city of May ...

garrison. It was the last military engagement of the Mamluk-Ilkhanid War. In 1312, the

Mamluk Mamluk or Mamaluk (; (singular), , ''mamālīk'' (plural); translated as "one who is owned", meaning "slave") were non-Arab, ethnically diverse (mostly Turkic, Caucasian, Eastern and Southeastern European) enslaved mercenaries, slave-so ...

sultan of Egypt Sultan of Egypt was the status held by the rulers of Egypt after the establishment of the Ayyubid dynasty of Saladin in 1174 until the Ottoman conquest of Egypt in 1517. Though the extent of the Egyptian Sultanate ebbed and flowed, it generally ...

al-Nasir Muhammad Al-Malik an-Nasir Nasir ad-Din Muhammad ibn Qalawun (), commonly known as an-Nasir Muhammad (), or by his kunya: Abu al-Ma'ali () or as Ibn Qalawun (1285–1341) was the ninth Mamluk sultan of the Bahri dynasty who ruled Egypt between 129 ...

, began forming his own

emirs Emir (; ' (), also transliterated as amir, is a word of Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person possessing actual or ceremonial authority. The title has ...

instead of

Syrian Syrians () are the majority inhabitants of Syria, indigenous to the Levant, most of whom have Arabic, especially its Levantine and Mesopotamian dialects, as a mother tongue. The cultural and linguistic heritage of the Syrian people is a blend ...

ones. Having formed 46 new Emirs, he began eliminating the Emirs who had brought him to power. Only two emirs managed to escape the purge: Qaransunqur, ''nai'b'' (deputy) of

Damascus Damascus ( , ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. Kno ...

, and Aqqush al-Afram, ''nai'b'' of

Tripoli Tripoli or Tripolis (from , meaning "three cities") may refer to: Places Greece *Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in the Pelasgiotis district, Thessaly, near Larissa ...

, who escaped to the Ilkhanate territory with 600 Mamluks. The two Mamluk emirs convinced the Ilkhanate ruler,

Öljaitü Öljaitü, also known as Mohammad-e Khodabandeh (24 March 1282 – 16 December 1316), was the eighth Ilkhanid dynasty ruler from 1304 to 1316 in Tabriz, Iran. His name 'Öjaitü' means 'blessed' in the Mongolian language and his last name 'Khod ...

, to attack the Mamluks, to which he agreed. The Mongol army set out in October from the city of

Mosul Mosul ( ; , , ; ; ; ) is a major city in northern Iraq, serving as the capital of Nineveh Governorate. It is the second largest city in Iraq overall after the capital Baghdad. Situated on the banks of Tigris, the city encloses the ruins of the ...

. Mamluk spies in

Baghdad Baghdad ( or ; , ) is the capital and List of largest cities of Iraq, largest city of Iraq, located along the Tigris in the central part of the country. With a population exceeding 7 million, it ranks among the List of largest cities in the A ...

informed of this and went to inform the Mamluk Sultan of the upcoming invasion. The Mongol march was slow, only moving nine miles a day, which allowed the Mamluks to prepare before their arrival. The Mongols arrived at the walls of al-Rahba castle and began the siege of the castle on December 23, the month of

Ramadan Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting (''Fasting in Islam, sawm''), communal prayer (salah), reflection, and community. It is also the month in which the Quran is believed ...

. The castle of al-Rahba was well-supplied, garrisoned, and prepared, led by the ''nai'b'', Ibn al-Azkashi. The Mongols launched several assaults against the walls, and the Mamluks repelled several of their assaults, causing heavy casualties to the Mongols. The Mongols found themselves in a difficult position; they began running out of provisions and fodder. Mongol sources attribute the failure of the siege to the hot weather. The Mongols raised the siege on January 26 of the next year. They left all of their siege equipment, and the Mamluk garrison marched out and captured them, taking them to the citadel. The Mongols never returned to attack the Mamluks again, instead engaging in diplomacy with the Mamluks. The failure of the siege was part of the crumbling situation of the Ilkhanate. The economy was falling. The Khanate was split into two administrative governments. Öljaitü returned to drinking and would die on December 1316.James Waterson

References

Sources

*James Waterson (2022), The Knights of Islam, The Wars of the Mamluks, 1250 - 151

*E. J. Brill (1993), E.J. Brill's First Encyclopaedia of Islam Vol. V

*Josef W. Meri (2005), Medieval Islamic Civilization, An Encyclopedi

{{DEFAULTSORT:Al-Rahba, Siege of Sieges involving the Mongol Empire, Al-Rahba Conflicts in 1312

Al-Rahba Al-Rahba (/ALA-LC: ''al-Raḥba'', sometimes spelled ''Raḥabah''), also known as Qal'at al-Rahba, which translates as the "Citadel of al-Rahba", is a medieval Arab fortress on the west bank of the Euphrates River, adjacent to the city of May ...

14th century in the Mamluk Sultanate Sieges involving the Mamluk Sultanate History of Deir ez-Zor Governorate