Hunting and hunting trips during the Mamluk Sultans

The Mamluk State, which was founded in the 1250 by the free mamluks of the Ayyubids, took over most of the traditions and customs of the Seljuks through the Ayyubids. One of these traditions was hunting trips, which were seen to be applied in the Ayyubid State, which was a manifestation of the furusiyyah system. Due to the structure of the system of administration in the Mamluk State, military sports such as hunting, furusiyyah and archery had an important place in the entertaintmen life of the mamluks. Particularly hunting, was a valuable and entertaining activity for the Mamluk sultans and their amirs. On the occasion of hunting expeditions, the mamluk had the opportunity to perform military sports, which they valued education and various military games, wich they developed as a kind of preparation for war, in hunting grounds. These trips were a manifestation of the power of state and especially the equestrianism of the sultan and their mamluks. Over time, hunting trips became a tradition and an organization. Sultans organized dozens of trips for hunting and various nature trips with crowded regiments. Mamluk sultans, who organized in hunting trips for various purposes, carried out their hunting trips mostly for the purpose of doing military sports, resting, establishing closeness with their own people and maintaining administrative order and contol. They brought various cadres to the civil services for hunting trips, which had a wide influence area and regulated hunting activities. In this way, they made their hunting trips more efficient and accurate. In this thesis, hunting and hunting trips in the period of the Mamluk sultans were examined. İt is aimed to reveal the nature of hunting sports and the effects of hunting trips in the period of Mamluks sultans. The basis of this thesis, which consists of five chapters, covers the nature of the hunting of the Mamluk sultans, it's effect on the administrative structures, the hunting trips of the sultans and the military, administrative, political, social and economic dimensions of these expeditions. Keywords: Mamluks, hunting, hunting trips, furusiyyah, emîr-i şikâr