Diplomacy of Tolerance: Politics between Cilician Armenians and Mamluks in the Late Medieval Anatolia

Abstract

The Mamluks who took the control of Ayyubids’ lands in Egypt and Bilad al-Sham in the second half of the thirteenth century, began to expand their authority to Anatolia. They organized various military operations at different time periods and achieved important successes against the two important Christian states in the region, the Principality of Antioch and the Kingdom of Cilician Armenia. As a result of their successful campaigns, they took control of Antioch in 1268. However, they did not annex Cilician Armenia until 1375. After the struggles, both parties tried to make gains by resorting to diplomacy, and as a result the Mamluks allowed them to rule by getting reparations, imposing sanctions and obtaining security and privileges for the merchants. This chapter focuses on the politics of the Mamluk Sultanate in relation to the Kingdom of Cilician Armenia in the Eastern Mediterranean between the dates 1260 and 1289. Their diplomatic relations following the military actions will be examined by considering the political and commercial benefits to the two parties. The conflicts will be analysed and the role of the Mamluks supporting the Armenian kingdom will be explained through the Mamluks’ own interests. Moreover, the chapter will attempt to answer the question why the Mamluks attacked Anatolia and did not overthrow Cilician Armenia despite looting the important cities, based on the coexistence phenomenon.