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Originally Posted by Aqtai
Please don't flame me on this, because I don't have my books available to make direct quotes. 
The mamluks also tended to wear relatively heavy armour: mail, lamellar armour, mail-&-plate armour or brigandines and helmets with mail coifs. These were men originally from the Steppes of Central Asia, the Crimea and the Caucasus, having to fight in the Heat of Egypt, Palestine and Syria in heavy armour, yet I don't recall any referrences to men dying of heat stroke. However numerous Egyptian chroniclers like Ibn Iyas, El-Maqrizi and El-Ayni also pointed out that armour was not put on until the men were just about to go into battle. But in at least one battle fought against the Mongols in the early 14th century (it may have been Marg Es-Safar, correct me if I'm wrong) the mamluks remained in the saddle all night, fully armoured, and did not start fighting the Mongols till the morning. The same Egyptian historians are quick to point out when the Mongols and Cruasaders were collapsing from thirst and exhaustion. |
Actually the ability to not collapse from heat was mentioned as one of the factors of mamluk superiority - al-Jahiz:
"I tell you that I witnessed from them something wonderful and extraordinary. I saw in one of Mamun's wars two lines of horsemen... The line on the right was of composed of 100 turks. The line on the left was composed of 100 other horsemen. All were arrayed in battle order (my comments - probably while wearing armor), awaiting the arrival of Mamun (comments - who was delayed). It was midday and the heat became intense. When Mamun reached the place he found all the turks sitting on their horses, with an exception of three of four, while the others where lying on the ground, with an exception of three of four. I said to a friend - see what happened ! I swear Mamun knew them better than we when he gathered and fostered them."