Military Leadership

Baybars I (c. 1223-1277 CE) was the fourth Mamluk sultan of Egypt and Syria, one of Islamic history's most formidable military commanders. Rising from slavery to become sultan, he defeated the Mongols, expelled the Crusaders from the Levant, and established the Mamluk Sultanate as a major power.

Salah al-Din (Saladin, 1137-1193 CE) was the Kurdish Muslim commander who founded the Ayyubid dynasty and united Egypt, Syria, and Mesopotamia. He recaptured Jerusalem from the Crusaders in 1187 CE after his victory at the Battle of Hattin, becoming renowned for his military genius and chivalry.