The Third Period

The Third Period began in1517 when the Mameluks could not resist the increasing supremacy of Ottoman Empire that finally caused the annexation of Egypt by the Ottomans. Despite the fact that Mameluks had lost absolute power, they still were strong enough to hold almost every high position in the country and kept authority. The “wali” or Ottoman viceroy of Sultan in Egypt had only nominal powers. In 1768 Mameluks managed to liberate Egypt from Ottoman Empire. They ruled Egypt with a title “Sheih al-Balad” and the first sheih al-balad was Ali Bey (originally from western part of Georgia, Mingrelia). He then attacked Arabia and Syria and defeated them soundly. He was called the Caliph of Mecca, which made Egypt an essentially independent state within the Ottoman Empire. Noteworthy, starting from this period, the Mameluks arrived in Egypt only from Caucasus, and Georgia in particular, since the majority of Mameluks by this time were Caucasians and they endeavored to retain the “purity” of the system. The famous Mameluk leaders, Murad Beg and Ibrahim Beg were Georgians, kidnapped in childhood from Georgia, Murad being born in Tbilisi, and Ibrahim Beg at the little village Martkopi, near the capital of Georgia.[2]

Every year during 6 centuries there were a great number of kidnapped Georgians, who were sold on markets in Izmir, Damask, Cairo and Istanbul. Approximately, 20,000-25,000 Georgians and Circassians were annually kidnapped and sold, that amounts to 8 - 10 million during the four hundreds years of supremacy of Caucasian Mameluks (present population of Georgia is about four million). A considerable part of those kidnapped went to Istanbul to fill Janissaries Corps.

Though separated from their homeland, the Mameluks never broke contact with it. In the 13^th Century, Georgian king George VI “The Splendid” corresponded with Mameluks Sultans of Egypt. It was with their great assistance that the Georgian Orthodox Church regained its Churches in the Holy Land. The Georgians became a large and powerful presence in the Holy Land and enjoyed a privileged condition above the other Christians. A contemporary, James de Vitry, wrote in 1226 that while most Christians were forced to enter Jerusalem on foot, unarmed, and to live a most tenuous existence, the Georgians were able to move freely. In fact, when Georgian pilgrims arrived they entered the city with flags unfurled and held high, with full weaponry. Nor were not required to pay the tax which was imposed upon other Christians. Relations between the Mameluks and Georgian royal house was so close the Georgian church had the faith and courage to ask the Sultan of Egypt for the Church of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem, for Calvary, for the presence of two religious in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and the keys to the Edicule of the Tomb of the Lord.

Date: 2015-02-28; view: 843