Abbasid takeover of Egypt

After 1200?
Well, butterflying the Mongols would open a window, but it doesn't mean wthe Abbasids can actually use it, given their long fall from grace. While they had indeed recovered some territory, they'd have to conquer Syria first if they were to go further, and i bet that both the Ayyubids and the Crusaders would object to that.
 

raharris1973

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I guess I should say it like this: they are in Egypt already. What needs to happen that they become the rulers of the former Mamluk state?

Political acumen and charisma so good that it wins over a critical mass of actual Mamluk power-holders and soldiers and convinces them for reasons of policy and faith to reform the government system to feature Abbasid family rule. This probably comes with promises of worldly and spiritual benefits for those Mamluks who come on side as individuals so that they do not mobilize against the Abbasids as the Mamluks as a corporate institution are dismantled.

Another alternative might if the in the middle of the Ottoman-Mamluk wars after the Mamluks or mostly beaten another enemy comes in to critically distract the Ottomans so they allow an Abbasid regime to exist as an allied state. Not really likely, but imagine either some much stronger pressure from a European enemy (perhaps disrupt the Reformation in Europe) or a second coming of Tamerlane might be just the thing to do it and leave a vacuum the Abbasids could fill.
 
Yeah, pretty much - that's why if they pulled it off it would be the comeback story for the ages.
Yeah but from what I understand they were never really popular in Egypt. A Baghdad based resurgence is more likely, though still unlikely. I guess one option would be if they take back power via a third party. Perhaps a proto-nationalist group in Egypt that dislikes the Mamluks' foreign heritage overthrows them and reinstalls the Caliph as the ruler of the government?
 
One of the Caliph were briefly made Sultan as a compromise candidate when the Mamelukes could not find an appropriate Sultan,could a competent Caliph play the role of an arbitrator between different Mameluke officers and stay longer?
 
Kneecap the Ottomans, and potentially allow a Sunni Persia to develop from the wreckage of Tamerlanes empire. Tricky but not completely impossible.
 
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