to 894 back these formidable foldiers to their obedience. J.C. 1484, to 1489. He went himself to their camp; he loaded the Heg. 889, chiefs and foldiers with careffes, which fear alone rendered fincere, and fwore to them several times, by the prophet and the foul of his father, that he had no design to destroy them, nor even to dimi̟nish their number. Thefe fubmiffions appeafed the infurrection; the janiffaries, returned to Conftantinople, and order was re-established in a few days. Bajazet foon perceived the neceffity of letting loose these lions against fome foreign prey, to avoid being devoured by them himself. In or- War with der that the war, for which he defigned them, melukes: the Mam their ori might have fome duration, he chose them ene- gin Egypt, like fo many other kingdoms, had formerly belonged to the emperors of Constantinople. The Grecian yoke became infupportable to these people: they called the caliphs to their affiftance. These laft drove out the Greeks, and foon oppreffed their new subjects, who did but change tyrants. The Abbafian caliphs were, in their turn, driven from Egypt by the Fatimite caliphs. Godfrey of Bouillon, the founder of the kingdom of Jerufalem, made war against thefe people. They had recourse to the soudan of Syria, who fent them Sarracon, a renowned general, to 1489. to 894. J.C.1484, general, at the head of a formidable army. Heg. 889, This Syrian, the avenger of the caliphs, prefently oppreffed them; he confined their authority to things of religion, and reserved to himself the temporal power. Saladin, his fucceffor, fought and defeated the Chriftians in Syria and Palestine, and at last drove them from Jerufalem. The defcendants of this prince poffeffed the throne of Egypt after him. One of them, called Nodggemedin Salé, who regarded the Egyptians much less like his fubjects than his slaves, in order to accustom them to their chains, forbade them the use of arms. He brought into Egypt a fet of foreigners, who defended and oppreffed the natives at the fame time. Nodggemedin Salé formed a confiderable army of Scythians or Tartars, who, almoft all, had been flaves; he ordered that these troops fhould never be recruited but by foreigners or flaves like themfelves, irrevocably excluding all the native Egyptians, without diftinction, from the army, as well as every other employment. These foreigners, protectors, or rather oppreffors, of the native inhabitants, were called Mammelukes. It was with thefe Mammelukes that Nodggemedin Salé combated the Chriftians; it was with them that Touramcha, his fon and fucceffor, made Lewis IX. prisoner near Damietta; but he was masfacred by them, almost under the eyes of the French king. After this, the Mammelukes feized the to 1489. το 894. the throne of Egypt, and, following always the J.C. 1484, laws which Nodggemedin Salé had given them, Heg. 889, they condemned his family to obfcurity, which foon became extinct. Ibec was the first soudan taken from this redoubtable foldiery, which preferved afterward the right of raifing or depofing the fovereigns of Egypt, whom they always chofe from the family of Ibec. But thefe princes remained no longer on the throne than was pleasing to the Mammelukes. Before the Turks extended their empire, the riches, force, and authority of the foudan of Egypt, caused him to be regarded as the chief of the Mahometan law. This power flourished during three hundred years. Their maxim was, rather to meditate the maintaining of themselves, than to make conquefts, and they abstained from making war against the Muffulmen, before they were themselves attacked. Bajazet, master of Caramania, ought naturally to defire the conqueft of Syria and Egypt, or twice beat. rather, as we have faid, in the neceffity of em- Mammeploying the janiffaries, he refolved to fend them concludes a against the Mammelukes, fo like themselves by them. their bravery, and the fear in which they kept their mafter. A quarrel between two princes, who paid tribute to the two empires, was the pretext of the war between the Turks and the foudan of Egypt. Adoulet, (who was the Turkish vaffal,) poffeffed a fiall territory on the confines of Circaffia; he was attacked by his neighbour Ee Bajazet, en by the lukes, peace with to 1489. to 894. J.C. 1484, neighbour Catebai, a vaffal of the foudan of Heg. 889, Egypt, and petty fovereign like Adoulet. Bajazet declared he would fend a confiderable army against the Mammelukes. It was with difficulty that the latter could prevail with themselves to fight against Sunnite Mahometans. But when they learned that the fultan was advancing towards Syria at the head of his troops, it became indifpenfable to make a defence; they gathered together their forces, and marched against those who would be their enemies. The two armies mét in Caramania, near mount Aman, a famous place, where Alexander defeated Darius. The Turks, fatigued with a long and precipitate march, and embarraffed with their baggage, were employed in pitching their tents, when they were smartly charged by the Mammelukes. Their cavalry, fresh and well disciplined, falling fword in hand on these dispersed foldiers, began the combat by the carnage which fhould have ended it. Some battalions of janiffaries formed in the rear of the camp, and gave the fpahis time to mount their horfes. Surprised as the Turks were, they made rather a vigorous refiftance; but it was neceffary to yield to circumftances and number. Bajazet, having fallen back feveral leagues, rallied his dispersed troops in an advantageous camp, which Muftapha, his grand vizier, had chofen for him. The night was approaching, when the Mammelukes appeared on the border of a river to 1489. to 894. which feparated them from thofe whom they J.C. 1484, had purfued. At break of day they found a Heg. 889, ford, paffed the river, and recommenced the battle. The emperor's prefence fuftained fome time the courage of the Turks; but the number of the Mammelukes, which augmented every inftant, and their recent victory, which rendered them as high spirited as their enemies were dejected, made them triumph a fecond time. Bajazet loft his cannon and baggage in this fecond overthrow; he retired towards his own country, always facing about to these troops, who fharply pursued him, and every day weakened his army. The Turks had never experienced a greater defeat fince Tamerlane; they took advantage of the repugnance which the Mammelukes had to dip their hands in Mahometan blood. All vanquishers as were these laft, they confented to a peace, which Bajazet obtained by only giving up fome places on the confines of Caramania. Hungary. A little while after, the emperor tried his forces War with in Europe against the Croatians. His generals took one part of their provinces, and cut in pieces the troops of Matthias, king of Hungary, who came to the affiftance of his allies. The conqueft was kept by the Turks.. It was fome years after this, that Bajazet and his fons were delivered of Zizim, that rival of their grandeur, who had fo warmly difputed a throne, which, he pretended, belonged to him. It is Ee 2 neceffary |