Editing 1281 (section)

==== Middle East ==== 
* September &ndash; Two Mongol armies (some 50,000 men) advance into [[Syria]]. One, is commanded by [[Abaqa Khan]] – who attacks the Mamluk fortresses along the [[Euphrates]] frontier. The second one, led by his brother [[Möngke Temür (Ilkhanate)|Möngke Temür]] makes contact with [[Leo II, King of Armenia|Leo III]], king of [[Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia|Cilician Armenia]], and then marches down through [[Gaziantep|Aintab]] and [[Aleppo]] into the [[Orontes River|Orontes]] valley. Where he is joined by knights of the [[Knights Hospitaller|Hospitaller Order]] and some French mercenaries. Meanwhile, Sultan [[Qalawun]] assembles his Mamluk forces at [[Damascus]].<ref>[[Steven Runciman]] (1952). ''A History of The Crusades. Vol III: The Kingdom of Acre'', p. 327. {{ISBN|978-0-241-29877-0}}.</ref>
* [[October 29]] &ndash; [[Second Battle of Homs|Battle of Homs]]: In a pitched battle, Mamluk forces (some 30,000 men) led by Qalawun destroy the Mongol center, Möngke Temür is wounded and flees. He orders a retreat, followed by a disorganized army. The Armenian-Georgian auxiliaries under Leo III fight their way back northwards. The Mongol army recrosses the Euphrates without losses, the river remains the frontier between the Mongols and the [[Mamluk Sultanate]].<ref>Steven Runciman (1952). ''A History of The Crusades. Vol III: The Kingdom of Acre'', pp. 327–328. {{ISBN|978-0-241-29877-0}}.</ref>
* [[Osman I]], founder of the [[Ottoman Empire]], becomes ''[[bey]]'' of the [[Söğüt]] tribe in central [[Anatolia]] after the death of his father, [[Ertuğrul|Ertuğrul Ghazi]]. Osman's accession to power is not peaceful, as he has to fight his relatives before he gets hold of the clan's leadership. One of Osman's major rivals is his uncle [[Dündar Bey]], who rebels against him.<ref>Shaw, Stanford (1976). ''History of the Ottoman Empire and Modern Turkey'', pp. 13–14. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. {{ISBN|978-0-521-29163-7}}.</ref>