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Contemporary and opponent of St Louis of France and Edward I of England, Sultan and Baybars I of Egypt (c. 1220-1277) began his career as a military slave but died, like his contemporaries, a conqueror, a formidable ruler and one of the dominant personalities of the 13th century world. Though little known in the west today, he was in fact a key figure in world history. He turned back the Mongol invasion force and saved Islam and Christendom alike from the hitherto-invincible successors of Genghis Khan. Baybars more than any other Sarecen leader, finally threw the Crusaders out of the Holy Land. He was also the true founder of the Mamluk Sultante that ruled Egypt and Syria until the Ottoman conquest in 1517.