Intelligence organiation in the Monol and Mamluk

Communication and information exchange between people dates back to the beginning of humanity. Humanity has been in constant communication in line with its inherent characteristics and the opportunities available to sustain its life. Because communication is an indispensable element in order to both continue their lives and improve their living conditions. For this reason, humanity has shown a continuous activity and development in communication throughout its history. The entire history of humanity, from the first societies to modern societies and states, is full of examples in this regard. Communication is of vital importance for states and nations, and at the same time, this issue is the most fundamental determinant of the level of culture and civilisation of a society. In this respect, the state of communication in the early periods when the foundations of the Mongol and Mamluk states were laid is extremely important. Despite such importance, the lack of an independent study on the news-receiving organisations in these periods prompted us to research these issues as a doctoral thesis. Our study consists of an introduction and four chapters. In the introduction, the history of newsgathering is brought up to the Mongols and Mamluks. In the first chapter, under the heading of Newsgathering (yam) Organisation in the Mongols (1206-1502), etymological discussions about yam, the history of newsgathering in the Mongol Empire and its successors, the functioning of the yam organisation and its officials are discussed. In the second chapter, under the title of Intelligence in the Mongols, intelligence is defined, its types are listed, concepts such as spy, munhî, and the activities of the Mongols in espionage are examined. In the third chapter, under the title of Intelligence (berîd) Organisation in the Mamluks (1250-1517), the concept of berîd, human and other elements of communication were explained. In the last part, Intelligence in the Mamluks is mentioned and the communication activities of both states are analysed in detail. Keywords: Mongol, Mamluk, Berîd, Yam, Official Mail, Correspondence, Espionage, Intelligence.