Battle of Mari
| Battle of Mari | |
|---|---|
Darbsak | |
| Result | Mamluk victory |
Thoros †
thousands of Armenians were massacred and 40,000 enslaved[2]
The Battle of Mari, also called the Disaster of Mari, was a battle between the
Battle
The conflict started when the Mamluk Sultan
Hetoum I's two sons, Leo (the future king Leo II) and Thoros, led the defense by strongly manning the fortresses at the entrance of the Cilician territory with a 15,000 strong army. The confrontation took place at Mari, near Darbsakon on 24 August 1266, where the heavily outnumbered Armenians were unable to resist the much larger Mamluk forces. Thoros was killed in battle, and Leo was captured and imprisoned.[2] The Armeno-Mongol son of the Constable Sempad, named Vasil Tatar, was also taken prisoner by the Mamluks and was taken into captivity with Leo, although they are reported to have been treated well.[3]
Aftermath
Following their victory, the Mamluks invaded Cilicia, ravaging the three great cities of the Cilician plain:
When Hetoum I arrived with Mongol troops, the country was already devastated. Hetoum I had to negotiate the return of his son Leo by giving control of Armenia's border fortresses to the Mamluks. In 1269, Hetoum I abdicated in favour of his son, and became a monk, but died a year later.[4] Leo was left in the awkward situation of keeping Cilicia as a subject of the Mongol Empire, while at the same time he was paying tribute to the Mamluks.[5]
Notes
References
- Chahin, Mack (2001). The Kingdom of Armenia: A History. Richmond: Curzon. ISBN 0700714529.
- Grousset, Renée (1934). Histoires des Croisades, III. Paris: Librairie Plon.
- ISBN 978-2271051059.
- Stewart, Angus Donal (2001). The Armenian Kingdom and the Mamluks. Leiden: Brill. ISBN 9004122923.