The Armenian kingdom and the Mamluks : war and diplomacy during the reigns of Hetʻum II (1289-1307)

This volume gives an in-depth account of the relations between the Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt and Syria and the Armenian Kingdom, centred on Cilicia in southern Asia Minor, in the period after the collapse of the Crusader States. As well as diplomatic encounters, the work describes in detail, for example, the course of the Mamluk invasions of Cilicia, and the Armenian involvement with the Mongol invasions of Mamluk Syria. The work is substantially based on sources written in Arabic in the Mamluk Sultanate. Using them in conjuction with more 'pro-Armenian' sources, it demonstrates the value of these Arabic histories, which provide many new insights and details. Both in its subject, and in its use of sources, this work demonstrates an important new direction for scholars of the Middle East. Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Table of Contents 6 Acknowledgements 8 List of Illustrations 9 Note on Place-Names, Names and Dates 11 Introduction 14 Previous Scholarship 16 Sources 31 The Geography of the Armenian Kingdom 37 Part One Historical Background 44 I. Armenians, Mamluks, Mongols and Franks 46 The Armenian Kingdom 46 The Mamluks 48 The Mongols and the Ilkhanate 51 The Franks and the Crusader States 53 II. From the Rise of the Mamluks to the Truce of 684/1285 56 Origins of the Mamluk-Armenian Conflict 56 The Mamluk Offensive under Baybars 61 The Reign of Qalawun 66 The Truce of 684/1285 68 Part Two The Reigns of King Hetʿum II 76 III. The Reigns of King Hetʿum II (1289–1307) 78 The End of the Crusader States 79 The Successors of Hülegü 81 The Conquests of al-Ashraf Khalīl 84 The Abdications of King Hetʿum 107 The Mamluk Campaign of 697/1298 119 The Rebellion of Sülemish 141 Ghazan’s Invasions of Syria 149 The Attack on Sis, 701/1302 166 The Mamluk Expedition of 703/1304 172 The Mamluk Raid into Cilicia, 704–5/1305–6 177 The Murder of Hetʿum 184 The Ilkhan Khar-Banda Öljeitü 194 Conclusions 198 Epilogue: The Continued Decline and Eventual Fall of the Armenian Kingdom 198 The Mamluks and the Armenian Kingdom during the Reigns of Hetʿum II 201 Illustrations 208 Bibliography 220 Index 228 The Medieval Mediterranean Peoples, Economies and Cultures, 400–1453 238 Introduction -- Previous Scholarship -- Sources -- The Geography Of The Armenian Kingdom -- Historical Background -- Armenians, Mamluks, Mongols, And Franks -- The Armenian Kingdom -- The Mamluks -- The Mongols And The Ilkhanate -- The Franks And The Crusader States -- From The Rise Of The Mamluks To The Truce Of 684/1285 -- Origins Of The Mamluk-armenian Conflict -- The Mamluk Offensive Under Baybars -- The Reign Of Qalawun -- The Truce Of 684/1285 -- The Reigns Of King Hetʻum Ii -- The Reigns Of King Hetʻum Ii (1287-1307) -- The End Of The Crusader States -- The Successors Of Hülegü -- The Conquest Of Al-ashraf Khalīl -- The Abdications Of King Hetʻum -- The Mamluk Campaign Of 697/1298 -- The Rebellion Of Sülemish -- Ghazan's Invasions Of Syria -- The Attack On Sis, 701/1302 -- The Mamluk Raid Into Cilicia, 704-5/1305-6 -- The Murder Of Hetʻum -- The Ilkhan Khar-banda Öljeitü -- Conclusions -- Epilogue: The Continued Decline And Eventual Fall Of The Armenian Kingdom -- The Mamluks And The Armenian Kingdom During The Reigns Of Hetʻum Ii. By Angus Donal Stewart. Based On The Author's Thesis (ph. D.)--university Of St. Andrews, 2000. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [199]-206) And Index. This work gives an in-depth account of the relations between the Mamluk Sultan and the Armenians, in the period after the Crusader States. It provides new insights into the history of the Middle East, and the position within it of the Armenian kingdom.