by Robyn Young
MAMLUKS: from the Arabic meaning slave, the name was given to the royal bodyguard, mainly of Turkish descent, bought and raised by the Ayyubid sultans of Egypt into a standing army of devout Muslim warriors. Known in their day as “the Templars of Islam,” the Mamluks achieved ascendancy in 1250 when they assassinated Sultan Turanshah, a nephew of Saladin, and took control of Egypt. Under Baybars, the Mamluk empire grew to encompass Egypt and Syria, and they were ultimately responsible for removing Frankish influence in the Middle East. After the end of the Crusades in 1291, the Mamluks’ reign continued until they were overthrown by the Ottoman Turks in 1517.
MONGOLS: nomadic tribespeople who lived around the steppes of eastern Asia until the late twelfth century when they were united under Genghis Khan, who established his capital at Karakorum and set out on a series of massive conquests. When Genghis Khan died, his empire extended across Asia, Persia, southern Russia and China. The Mongols’ first great defeat came at the hands of Baybars and Kutuz at Ayn Jalut in 1260, and their empire began a gradual decline in the fourteenth century.
PALFREY: a light horse used for normal riding.
PARLEY: a discussion to debate points of a dispute, most commonly the terms of a truce.
PRECEPTORY: Latin name for the administrative houses of military orders, which would have been like manors, with domestic quarters, workshops and usually a chapel.
RULE, THE: the Rule of the Temple drawn up in 1129, with the aid of St. Bernard de Clairvaux at the Council of Troyes, where the Temple was formally recognized. It was written as part religious rule, part military code and set out how members of the order should live and conduct themselves during their daily lives and during combat. The Rule was added to over the years and by the thirteenth century there were over six hundred clauses, some more serious than others, the breaching of which would mean expulsion for the offender.
SARACEN: in the medieval period, a term used by Europeans for all Arabs and Muslims.
SENESCHAL: the steward or chief official of an estate. In the Temple’s hierarchy, the seneschal held one of the highest positions.
SIEGE ENGINE: any machine used to attack fortifications during sieges, such as mangonels, trebuchets and espringales.
SURCOAT: a long sleeveless garment, usually worn over mail or armor.
TAKE THE CROSS: to go on Crusade, a term derived from the cloth crosses that were handed out to those who pledged to become Crusaders.
TEUTONIC KNIGHTS: military order of knights, similar to the Templars and the Hospitallers, originating in Germany. The Teutonics were founded in 1198 and during their time in the Holy Land were responsible for guarding the area northeast of Acre. By the mid-thirteenth century they had conquered Prussia, which later became their base.
VISITOR: a post within the Temple’s hierarchy created in the thirteenth century. The visitor, who was second only to the grand master, was the overlord of all the Temple’s possessions in the West.
Select Bibliography
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Robyn Young is the author of two previous novels, Brethren and Crusade. She has a master’s degree in creative writing from the University of Sussex and lives in Brighton, England.
