Mongol raids in Palestine (1300)

Mongol raids in Palestine (1300)
Part of Mongol raids into Palestine
Date 1300 Location Palestine Result Ilkhanate Victory
Belligerents
Ilkhanate Cilician Armenia	Mamluk Sultanate
Commanders and leaders
Mulay Hethum II	Al-Nasir Muhammad
Strength
20,000	1,300
Casualties and losses
Unknown

The Mongol raids into Palestine in 1300 were part of a broader set of conflicts between the Mongol Ilkhanate, under the leadership of Ghazan Khan, and the Mamluk Sultanate. This incursion followed an earlier Mongol invasion of Syria in 1299, when Ghazan's forces had temporarily taken Damascus after winning the Battle of Wadi al-Khazandar. This victory, however, did not secure lasting control, as the Mongols encountered logistical issues and had to retreat due to both Mamluk resistance and the limited grazing resources required to support their cavalry.

Details

During the early months of 1300, Ghazan’s Mongol forces launched a renewed but limited raid into Palestinian territory, reaching as far south as Gaza and Jerusalem. They encountered minimal resistance as the main Mamluk force had temporarily withdrawn, allowing the Mongols and some Armenian and Georgian allies to raid the region. Their control, however, was brief, as the Mamluks soon returned from Egypt in May 1300, prompting the Mongols to retreat once again​.

Historian Reuven Amitai highlights that the 1300 incursion, like previous Mongol efforts, involved cooperation with local Crusader forces, as the Crusader states viewed the Mongols as a counterbalance to their common enemy, the Mamluks. In some cases, Crusader forces from Cyprus were mobilized to join the Mongol campaigns, although logistical challenges and timing issues limited the effectiveness of this alliance​.

This raid illustrates the complexity of Mongol-Mamluk conflicts and the fluctuating power dynamics in the region. The Mamluk response, including strategic retreats and the burning of grazing land to undermine the Mongols’ cavalry strength, played a crucial role in limiting the success of the Mongol incursions into the Levant.