1. a member of a military class that ruled Egypt and Syria from the 13th to 16th centuries
Usage: historical
2. a slave soldier in medieval Muslim armies
Usage: historical

Examples

• The Mamelukes controlled Egypt for over two centuries.
• Napoleon defeated the Mameluke cavalry at the Battle of the Pyramids.
• Young boys were trained as Mamelukes from an early age.
• The Mameluke sultanate was eventually conquered by the Ottoman Empire.
• Historians study the military tactics of the Mamelukes.
• The Mamelukes were originally recruited as slave soldiers.