The personality of Sultan Zahir Bibers (658-676 AH/1260-1277 AD) in the study of some European orientalists

Abstract

Sultan Al-Zahir Baybars 658-676 AH / 1260-1277 AD, one of the most famous prominent Islamic figures during the Crusades between the Islamic East and the Christian West, which was known as the Crusades, With all that Baybars' personality contained of virtuous qualities such as courage and Religious attributes, in addition to his role in defending the Islamic state, and his defeat of the Crusaders and Mongols, and despite the positive deeds and qualities that distinguished him, However, his personality was not without negatives as well, as evidenced by what Islamic sources indicated before Christianity, In this study, the researcher attempts to present the Orientalists' view of the personality of Baybars, As Sultan Baybars occupied a large space in the studies and research of Orientalists, Given his influential role in the relations between the East and the West and his role in changing the balance of power during the Crusades and the Mongol invasion. In light of the above, the researcher is trying to draw a graph of the image of Baybars among Orientalists. We can say that the European Orientalist historical discourse was greatly influenced by the burden of historical memory burdened with concerns about the conflict between the Islamic East and the European West since the Middle Ages, especially during the Crusades and the Reconquista in Spain. Through this study, the researcher attempts, by following the opinions of these Orientalists, to show Baybars' personality through Islamic sources first, and then delves into the opinions of Orientalists, trying to find similarities, differences, and deviations if an,y in what Europeans wrote about this character