Things now seem increasingly desperate for the crusaders, and in May 1272, Hugh III of Cyprus, the nominal king of Jerusalem, signs a ten–year truce with Baibars.

Edward is initially defiant, but an attack by a Muslim assassin in June forces him to abandon any further campaigning.

Although he manages to kill the assassin, he is struck in the arm by a dagger feared to be poisoned, and becomes severely weakened over the following months.

It not until September 24 that Edward leaves Acre for home.

The Arsenites in Constantinople and elsewhere fanatically oppose the pro-Latin policy of Eastern Roman Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos, professing obedience to the Holy See in the name of their emperor, accept papal supremacy over the Greek Church.

Bonaventure, after having successfully defended his order against the reproaches of the anti-mendicant party, had been elected Minister General of the Franciscan Order.

On November 24, 1265, he had been selected for the post of Archbishop of York; however, he was never consecrated and resigned the appointment in October 1266.

Bonaventure has steered the Franciscans on a moderate and intellectual course that will make them the most prominent order in the Catholic Church until the coming of the Jesuits.

His theology is marked by an attempt completely to integrate faith and reason.

He thinks of Christ as the “one true master” who offers humans knowledge that begins in faith, is developed through rational understanding, and is perfected by mystical union with God.

Bonaventure had been instrumental in procuring the election of Pope Gregory X, who on May 28, 1273, had rewarded him with the title of Cardinal Bishop of Albano, and insisted on his presence at the Second Council of Lyon, convoked to bring about church reform, to launch of a new Crusade to the Holy Land, and to achieve union between the Eastern and Western churches.

Bonaventure and Albertus Magnus are among the better known participants in the council; Thomas Aquinas had died on his way to attend.

The council, convened to consider the liberation of the Holy Land via Crusades and address the East-West Schism with the Eastern church, eventually approves a tithe to support efforts to liberate the Holy Land from Muslims, and works out a tenuous reunion of the two churches (but the Eastern clergy, whose hostility toward the West had greatly intensified after the sacking of Constantinople in 1204 by the Fourth Crusade, will never actually accept it).

The council defines the official Roman Catholic teaching on purgatory (from the Latin purgare, "to cleanse") as the place or state after death where those who have died in a state of grace but not free from imperfection expiate their remaining sins before entering the visible presence of God and the saints. (The damned, on the other hand, go straight to Hell.)

Bonaventure, known as the Seraphic Doctor, resigns soon afterwards as Franciscan minister general on account of illness, which proves mortal.

After his significant contributions lead to a union of the Greek and Latin churches, Bonaventure dies suddenly and in suspicious circumstances on July 15, 1274.

The Catholic Encyclopedia has citations that suggest he was poisoned.

Baibars invades Cilicia for a second time in 1275.

Armenia fights off an invasion by Turkmens in 1276, but the Constable Sempad, King Leo's uncle, is killed in combat.

Hugh III, thoroughly frustrated after eight years of attempting to establish his authority on the mainland, returns to Cyprus in 1276.

Baibars has played an important role in bringing the Mongols to Islam, having developed strong ties with the Mongols of the Golden Horde and taken steps for the Golden Horde Mongols to travel to Egypt.

The arrival of the Golden Horde Mongols to Egypt had resulted in a significant number of Mongols accepting Islam.

Baibars is a popular ruler in the Muslim World who has defeated the crusaders in three campaigns, and the Mongols in the Battle of Ain Jalut, which many scholars deem of great macro-historical importance.

In order to support his military campaigns, Baibars has commissioned arsenals, warships and cargo vessels.

He is also arguably the first to employ explosive hand cannons in war, at the Battle of Ain Jalut.

His military campaigns have also extended into Libya and Nubia.

He is also an efficient administrator who takes interest in building various infrastructure projects, such as a mounted message relay system capable of delivery from Cairo to Damascus in four days.

He has also built bridges, irrigation and shipping canals, improved the harbors, and built mosques.

He is also a patron of Islamic science, such as his support for the medical research by his Arab physician, Ibn al-Nafis.

As a testament of a special relationship between Islam and cats, Baibars leaves a cat garden in Cairo as a waqf, providing the cats of Cairo with food and shelter.

Baibars marches from Syria into the Mongol-dominated Seljuq Sultanate of Rûm on April 15, 1277, and attacks the Mongol occupation force in the Battle of Elbistan (Abulustayn).

Upon reaching Elbistan with at least ten thousand horseman, Baibars makes ready for battle with the Mongols, expecting them to be around thirty thousand.

However, although the Mongol forces are smaller than the Mamluk army, the Georgians and Rumis help bolster their numbers.

The Mongols attack first and charge the Mamluk heavy cavalry.

At the start of the battle many of the Bedouin irregulars in the Mamluk army are also killed.

Their attack is concentrated on the left flank of the Mamluk army, which results in the Sultan's standard bearers (sanjaqiyya) being killed.

The Mamluks, however, are able to regroup and launch a counterattack.

Baibars himself goes with a few troops to deal with the Mongol right flank that is pounding his left flank.

Baibars orders a force from the army from Hama to reinforce his left.

The large Mamluk numbers are able to overwhelm the Mongol force, who, instead of retreating, dismount from their horses.

Some Mongols are able to escape and take up positions on the hills.

Once they become surrounded they again dismount and fight to the death.

During the battle, the Mongols destroy the Mamluk left wing, consisting of many Bedouin irregulars, but are ultimately defeated.

It seems that both sides were expecting assistance from the army o Pervâne and his Seljuqs.

Pervâne had attempted to ally himself with both factions to keep his options open, but had led the battle with the Seljuq Sultan to Tokat.

The Seljuq army had been present near the battle, but did not take part.

After the battle, many Rumi soldiers are taken captive; others join the Mamluks willingly.

Pervane's son Muhadhdhab al-Din is captured; in addition, many Mongol officers and common soldiers are taken prisoner.

Two of the soldiers captured, Qipchaq and Salar, will become mamluks of Qalawun and will become very important amirs.

The Mongol officers' lives are spared as well.

Following his victory at Elbistan, Baibars marches unopposed to Kayseri (Qaysariyya) in the heart of Anatolia in triumph and enters it on April 23, 1277; just over a month after the battle.

The Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha happens around this time.

Abaqa, at the news of his troops' defeat, hastens to Anatolia in July 1277 and sternly punishes the Seljuq Turks, sources citing massacres of tens of thousands of people.

Deeming him responsible for Baybars's foray into Anatolia, Abaqa also has Pervâne killed on August 2, 1277.

The succession of Baibar's son, Cairo-born al Said Barakah, goes smoothly, and al-Said sets about limiting the power of the amirs from his father's administration.

One, his father's viceroy, dies under suspicious circumstances.

Others are jailed and then released.

In their place, al-Said promotes his own mamluks.