Baybars I bī´bärs [key], 1223–77, Mamluk sultan (1260–77) of Egypt and Syria. Once a Turkish slave, Baybars became a commander of the Ayyubid and then Mamluk armies. In 1260 he led Mamluk troops to victory against the Mongols at the Battle of Ayn Jalut. When reporting to the sultan, Baybars killed him with a sword and became the fourth Mamluk sultan. His reign was marked by continuous military campaigns against Persian Mongols and Christian crusaders. He died in Damascus by mistakenly drinking poison.
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