Akkush Al-Barley Mamluk Emir. Date of Birth: .

1. Early Life and Military Career
2. Rebellion and Struggle for Control
3. Alliance with al-Hakim
4. Support for al-Mustansir's Campaign

Early Life and Military Career

As a Mamluk emir, Akush participated in the pivotal Battle of Ayn Jalut. His valiant efforts earned him the recognition of Sultan Qutuz, who rewarded him with an administrative role in Palestine.

Rebellion and Struggle for Control

Following the suppression of Sanjar al-Halabi's rebellion by Baybars in January 1261, Akush feared arrest. He fled with his loyalists to the north and briefly seized control of Aleppo. However, Mamluk forces repelled him in July of that year. When their troops withdrew south, Akush recaptured Aleppo, only to be expelled again in October.

Alliance with al-Hakim

During his brief reign in Aleppo, Akush allied himself with al-Hakim, a fugitive from Baghdad claiming to be a descendant of the Abbasid caliph al-Mustarshid. Akush pledged allegiance to al-Hakim as caliph, seeking to bolster his own authority. Notably, he may have been unaware of the existence of al-Mustansir, the caliph installed by Baybars in Cairo.

Support for al-Mustansir's Campaign

Akush provided al-Hakim with a contingent of Turkmen cavalry, who left Aleppo to join al-Mustansir's campaign to capture Baghdad. This action demonstrates Akush's multifaceted ambitions and his leveraging of both external and internal alliances to pursue his goals.