Barid System in Baybars period

In the Mamluks State (648-923/1250-1517), Bahri Mamluks (648-784/1250-1382) especially Baybars Period (658-676/1260-1277) stands out as a period in which political, administrative and military organizations were formed and shaped. al-Malik al-Ẓāhir Rukn al-Dīn Baybars al-Bunduqdārī is considered the main founder of the Mamluk State, thanks to the effective wars he waged with the Crusaders and Mongols, his successful diplomatic activities to prevent his opponents from getting along with each other, and the new arrangements he brought in domestic politics. The most vital institution among the arrangements he made is the institution of barîd. Baybars used mounted post by engraving the Asian steppe culture on the Abbasid barîd, whose traces were about to disappear. He also established the barid with a unique structure by including early warning methods such as pigeon-post and beacons (optical signals, manāwir) into the system in a functional way. The reasons behind the success of Baybars barîd are the use of various communication methods under a single item and the combination of three systems in order to transmit a single news quickly and fertilely. In this context, the aim of the study is to reveal the difference of the Baybars period by examining the communication and intelligence institution shaped in the Islamic geography in particular Baybars. In the introduction part of the study, information is given about the organization of the Mamluk State. In the first chapter, the course of barîd in the history of Islam is emphasized. In the second part, the barîd organization of the Baybars period, which is the subject of research, is given before and after, the formation, operation and financing channels of the Baybars barîd are mentioned and its importance is emphasized. Keywords: Barîd, Baybars, Mamluk, intelligence