Mamluk Consolidation and Administration

Following the decline of the Ayyubid dynasty and the retreat of the Crusader states, a new power emerged in the Levant: the Mamluks. These were not a hereditary ruling class but a unique military elite, originally recruited as slave soldiers, who rose through the ranks to seize control of Egypt and Syria in the mid-13th century. Their victory over the Mongols at Ain Jalut in 1260, fought partly on Palestinian soil, solidified their dominance and marked a turning point in the region's history.

The Mamluk Sultanate, with its capital in Cairo, quickly consolidated its hold over a vast territory that included Palestine. This land, strategically vital as a bridge between Egypt and Syria and a frontier against potential renewed Crusader threats, became an integral part of the Mamluk realm. The Mamluks inherited many administrative structures from the Ayyubids but adapted them to their own military-centric system.