h Louis IX. was
captured, and had helped to murder Turanshah. Sultan Bibars, who proved
to be one of the most competent of the Bahri Mamelukes, made Egypt the
centre of the Moslem world by re-establishing in theory the Abbasid
caliphate, which had lapsed through the taking of Bagdad by Hulagu,
followed by the execution of the caliph. Bibars recognized the claim of
a certain Abu'l-Qasim Ahmed to be the son of Zahir, the 35th Abbasid
caliph, and installed him as Commander of the Faithful at Cairo with the
title _al-Mostansir billah_. Mostansir then proceeded to confer on
Bibars the title sultan, and to address to him a homily, explaining his
duties. This document is preserved in the MS. life of Bibars, and
translated by G. Weil. The sultan appears to have contemplated restoring
the new caliph to the throne of Bagdad: the force, however, which he
sent with him for the purpose of reconquering Irak was quite
insufficient for the purpose, and Mostansir was defeated and slain. This
did not prevent Bibars from maintaining his policy of appointing an
Abbasid for the purpose of conferring legitimacy on himself; but he
encouraged no further attempts at re-establishing the Abbasids at
Bagdad, and his principle, adopted by successive sultans, was that the
caliph should not leave Cairo except when accompanying the sultan on an
expedition.

The reign of Bibars was spent largely in successful wars against the
Crusaders, from whom he took many cities, notably Safad, Caesarea and
Antioch; the Armenians, whose territory he repeatedly invaded, burning
their capital Sis; and the Seljukids of Asia Minor. He further reduced
the Isma'ilians or Assassins, whose existence as a community lasted on
in Syria after it had nearly come to an end in Persia. He made Nubia
tributary, therein extending Moslem arms farther south than they had
been extended by any previous sultan. His authority was before his death
recognized all over Syria (with the exception of the few cities still in
the power of the Franks), over Arabia, with the exception of Yemen, on
the Euphrates from Birah to Kerkesia (Circesium) on the Chaboras
(Khabur), whilst the amirs of north-western Africa were tributary to
him. His successes were won not only by military and political ability,
but also by the most absolute unscrupulousness, neither flagrant perjury
nor the basest treachery being disdained. He was the first sultan who
acknowledged the equal authority of the four schools of law