Campaign against the Crusaders Baibars

as sultan, baibars engaged in lifelong struggle against crusader kingdoms in syria, in part because christians had aided mongols. started principality of antioch, had become vassal state of mongols , had participated in attacks against islamic targets in damascus , syria. in 1263, baibars laid siege acre, capital of remnant of kingdom of jerusalem, although siege abandoned when sacked nazareth instead. used siege engines defeat crusaders in battles such fall of arsuf march 21 april 30. after breaking town offered free passage defending knights hospitallers if surrendered formidable citadel. knights accepted baibars offer enslaved anyway. baibars razed castle ground. next attacked athlith , haifa, captured both towns after destroying crusaders resistance, , razed citadels.

in same year baibars laid siege fortress of safad, held templar knights, had been conquered saladin in 1188 returned kingdom of jerusalem in 1240. baibars promised knights safe passage christian town of acre if surrendered fortress. badly outnumbered, knights agreed. when left fortress baibars had each , every knight beheaded, continuing pattern of cruelty , treachery. on capturing safed, baibars did not raze fortress ground fortified , repaired instead, strategically situated , constructed. installed new governor in safed, rank of wali

later, in 1266, baibars invaded christian country of cilician armenia which, under king hethum i, had submitted mongol empire. after defeating forces of hethum in battle of mari, baibars managed ravage 3 great cities of mamistra, adana , tarsus, when hetoum arrived mongol troops, country devastated. hetoum had negotiate return of son leo giving control of armenia s border fortresses mamluks. in 1269, hetoum abdicated in favour of son , became monk, died year later. leo left in awkward situation of keeping cilicia subject of mongol empire, while @ same time paying tribute mamluks.

this isolated antioch , tripoli, led hethum s son-in-law, prince bohemond vi. after conquering cilicila, baibars in 1267 settled unfinished business acre, , continued extermination of remaining crusader garrisons in following years. in 1268, besieged antioch, capturing city on 18 may. baibars had promised spare lives of inhabitants, broke promise , had city razed, killing or enslaving of population after surrender. prompting fall of principality of antioch. massacre of men, women, , children @ antioch single greatest massacre of entire crusading era. priests had throats slit inside churches, , women sold slavery.

then continued jaffa, belonged guy, son of john of ibelin. jaffa fell baibars on 7 march after twelve hours of fighting; of jaffa s citizens slain, baibars allowed garrison go unharmed. after conquered ashkalon , caesarea.