The Medieval Gaza in the context of political dominance of the foreign military elite: between Egypt and Syria (late 14th – early 16th century)

Political stability in the Mamluk Sultanate (1250–1517) largely depended on the extent to which central authority in Cairo controlled the situation in the Syrian provinces. Damascus and Aleppo repeatedly became centers where opposition was formed and gained strength, and where uprisings began. Gaza, a small province in southern Palestine, served as a crucial link between Egypt and Syria. The caravans of pilgrims and traders passed through Gaza on the main road connecting Cairo and Damascus, while nomads interacted with the settled populations of the Mediterranean regions. This article aims to explore the strategic significance of Gaza amid the political infighting within the Mamluk Sultanate. Special attention is given to the history of the foundation of Khan Yunis, a fortified caravanserai around which the city gradually grew—today the second largest city in Gaza Strip. Based on the biographies of more than 60 amirs who held the position of governor of Gaza under the Circassian Mamluks (1382–1517), the study traces the correlation between their careers and the stability of the sultans power: almost half of the governors were killed, arrested or removed, The primary sources for this research include chronicles and biographical dictionaries from the Mamluk period by Abu Bakr Ibn Qadi Shuhba (d. 1448), Abu al-Mahasin Yusuf Ibn Taghri Birdi (d. 1469), Ali al-Sayrafi (d. 1495), ‘Ali b. Ysyf al-Busrawi (d. 1500), Abd al-Basit Ibn Shahin al-Malati (d. 1514), and Muhammad b. Ahmad Ibn Iyas (d. 1524). The study also incorporates previously published epigraphic material.