Shajarat al-Durr
Encyclopedia
Shajar al-Durr (Royal name: al-Malikah Ismat ad-Din Umm-Khalil Shajar al-Durr (Arabic: الملكة عصمة الدين أم خليل شجر الدر) (nicknamed
: أم خليل, Umm Khalil; mother of Khalil) (d. 1257, Cairo) was the widow of the Ayyubid Sultan
as-Salih Ayyub
who played a crucial role after his death during the Seventh Crusade
against Egypt (1249–1250). She was regarded by Muslim historians and chroniclers of the Mamluk time as being of Turkic
origin. She became the Sultana of Egypt on May 2, 1250, marking the end of the Ayyubid reign and the starting of the Mamluk
era.
before he became a Sultan and accompanied him with his Mamluk Baibars (not Baibars who became a Sultan) at Al Karak
during his detention in 1239. Later when he became a Sultan in 1240 she went with him to Egypt and delivered their son Khalil who was called al-Malik al-Mansour. She was of Turkic origin, and was described by the historians as a beautiful, pious and intelligent woman.
On April 1249, al-Salih Ayyub, the Ayyubid Sultan and husband of Shajar al-Durr who was gravely sick in Syria, returned to Egypt and stayed in Ashmum-Tanah, near Damietta
after he heard that King Louis IX of France had assembled a crusade army in Cyprus
and was about to launch an attack against Egypt. On June 1249, the crusaders landed in the abandoned town of Damietta, at the mouth of the Nile
river. as-Salih Ayyub was carried on a stretcher to his palace in the better protected town of Al Mansurah
where he died on November 22, 1249 after he ruled Egypt about 10 years and amid one of the most earnest situations in the history of Egypt.
Shajar al-Durr informed Emir Fakhr ad-Din Yussuf Ben Shaykh (commander of all the Egyptian army) and Tawashi Jamal ad-Din Muhsin (the chief eunuch who controlled the palace) of the Sultan's death but as the country was under the attack of the crusaders they decided to conceal his death. The coffined body of the Sultan was transported by boat in secret to the castle of al-Rudah island in the Nile and, despite the deceased Sultan did not make testimony concerning who should succeed him after his death, Faris ad-Din Aktai
was sent to Hasankeyf
to call al-Muazzam Turanshah
who was the son of the deceased Sultan. Before he died, the Sultan signed thousands of blank papers which were used by Shajar al-Durr and Emir Fakhr ad-Din in issuing decrees and giving Sultanic orders and they succeeded in convincing the people and the other government officials that the Sultan was only ill—not dead. High officials, Sultanic Mamluks and soldiers were ordered - by the will of the (ill Sultan) - to give oath to the Sultan, his heir Turanshah and the Atabeg
Fakhr ad-Din Yussuf.
crossed the canal of Ashmum (known today by the name Albahr Alsaghir) and attacked the Egyptian camp in Gideila, two miles (3 km) from Al Mansurah. Emir Fakhr ad-Din was killed during the sudden attack and the crusade force advanced toward the town of Al Mansurah. Shajar al-Durr agreed about Baibars
's plan to defend Al Mansurah. The crusade force was trapped inside the town and Robert d'Artois was killed and the crusade force was annihilated by an Egyptian force and town population led by the men who were about to establish the state which would dominate the southern Mediterranean for decades : Baibars al-Bunduqdari, Izz al-Din Aybak
, and Qalawun al-Alfi
.
In February 1250 the dead Sultan's son Al-Muazzam Turanshah arrived in Egypt and was enthroned at Al Salhiyah as he had no time to go to Cairo. Feeling relieved by the arrival of the new Sultan, Shajar al-Durr announced the death of as-Salih Ayyub. Turanshah went straight to Al Mansurah and on April 6, 1250 the crusaders were entirely defeated at the Battle of Fariskur
and king Louis IX was captured.
She was mentioned in the Friday prayers in mosques with names like "Umm al-Malik khalil" (Mother of al-Malik Khalil) and "Sahibat al-Malik as-Salih" (Wife of al-Malik as-Salih). Coins were minted with her titles and she signed the decrees with the name "Walidat Khalil". Using the names of her late husband and her dead son were attempts to gain respect and legitimacy for her reign as an heir of the Sultanate.
After paying homage to Shajar al-Durr and matters were settled, Emir Hossam ad-Din was sent to King Louis IX who was still imprisoned in Al Mansurah and it was agreed that Louis IX leaves Egypt alive after paying half of the ransom that was imposed earlier on him in exchange for his life and Damietta. Louis surrendered Damietta and sailed to Acre
On May 8, 1250 accompanied by about 12000 war prisoners.
the Ayyubid Emir of Aleppo
and the Mamluks in Cairo answered by arresting the Emirs who were loyal to the Ayubbids in Egypt. In addition to the Ayyubids in Syria, also the Abbasid Caliph
al-Musta'sim
in Baghdad
defied the Mamluk move in Egypt and refused to recognize Shajar al-Dur as a monarch. The refusal of the Caliph to recognize Shajar al-Durr as the new Sultana was a great setback to the Mamluks in Egypt as the custom during the Ayyubid era was that the Sultan could gain legitimacy only through the recognition of the Abbasid Caliph. The Mamluks decided to instal Izz al-Din Aybak as a new Sultan. He married Shajar al-Durr who abdicated and passed him the throne after she ruled Egypt as a Sultana for about three months. Though the period of Shajar al-Durr's rule as a monarch was of short duration, it witnessed two important events in history: one, the expelling of Louis IX from Egypt which marked the end of the Crusaders' ambition to conquer the southern Mediterranean basin
and two, the death of the Ayyubid dynasty and the birth of the Mamluk state which dominated the southern Mediterranean for decades .
To please the Caliph and have his recognition, Aybak announced that he was merely a representative of the Abbasid Caliph in Baghdad. And to satisfy the Ayyubids in Syria the Mamluks nominated an Ayyubid child named al-Sharaf Musa as a cosultan. But this did not satisfy the Ayyubids and armed conflicts between the Mamluks and the Ayyubids broke out. The Caliph in Baghdad, preoccupied with the Mongols who were raiding territories not far from his capital, preferred to see the matter settled peacefully between the Mamluks in Egypt and the Ayyubids in Syria. Through negotiation and mediation of the Caliph that followed the bloody conflict, the Mamluks who manifested military superiority reached an agreement with the Ayyubids that gave them control over southern Palestine
including Gaza
and Jerusalem and the Syrian coast. By this agreement the Mamluks did not only add new territories to their dominion but also gained recognition for their new state.
In addition to the conflict with the Ayyubids of Syria, the Mamluks successfully countered serious rebellions in Middle
and Upper Egypt
. Then, Aybak, fearing the growing power of the Salihiyya Mamluks who actually with Shajar al-Durr installed him as a Sultan, had their leader Faris ad-Din Aktai murdered. The murder of Aktai was followed instantly by a Mamluk exodus to Syria where they joined the Ayyubid an-Nasir Yusuf. Prominent Mamluks like Baibars al-Bunduqdari and Qalawun al-Alfi were among those Mamluks who fled to Syria. Aybak became the sole and absolute ruler of Egypt after the Salihiyya Mamluks who were the supporters of Shajar al-Durr left Egypt and turned to his foes.
Shajar al-Durr wanted sole rule of Egypt. She concealed the Sultanate affairs from Aybak; she prevented him from seeing his other wife and insisted that he should divorce her. But, instead, Aybak, who needed to form an alliance with a strong Emir who could help him against the threat of the Mamluks who fled to Syria, decided in 1257 to marry the daughter of Badr ad-Din Lo'alo'a the Ayyubid Emir of al-Mousil. Badr ad-Din Lo'alo'a warned Aybak that Shajar al-Durr was in contact with an-Nasir Yusuf in Damascus. Shajar al-Durr, feeling at risk and betrayed by Aybak, the man who she made a Sultan, had him murdered by servants while he was taking a bath. He ruled Egypt seven years.
Shajar al-Durr claimed that Aybak died suddenly during the night but his Mamluks (Mu'iziyya) who were led by Qutuz
did not believe her. The involved servants confessed under torture. Shajar al-Durr and the servants were arrested and Aybak Mamluks (Mu'iziyya Mamluks) wanted to kill her, but the Salihyya Mamluks protected her and she was taken to the Red Tower where she stayed. The son of Aybak the 15-year-old al-Mansur Ali was installed by the Mu'ziyyah Mamluks as the new Sultan. Shajar al-Durr was beaten to death with clogs by the bondmaids of al-Mansur Ali and his mother. Her naked body was found lying outside the Citadel. The servants who were involved in the killing of Aybak were executed.
Shajar al-Durr was buried in a tomb, not far from the Mosque of Tulun
, which is a jewel of Islamic
funerary architecture. Inside is a mihrab
(prayer niche) decorated with a mosaic of the "tree of life," executed by artists brought from Constantinople
specifically for this commission. The wooden kufic
inscription that runs around the interior of her tomb, while damaged, is also of extremely fine craftsmanship.
, expel the Europe
an Crusaders from the Holy Land
, and remain the most powerful political force in the Middle East
until the coming of the Ottomans
.
(Life of al-Zahir Baibars), a folkloric
epic
of thousands of pages that was composed in Egypt during the early Mamluk era and took its final form at the early Ottoman
era. The tale which is a mix of fiction and facts reflects the marvel of the Egyptian commons for both Baibars and Shajar al-Durr. Fatma Shajarat al-Durr, as the tale names Shajar al-Durr, was the daughter of Caliph al-Muqtadir whose kingdom in Baghdad was attacked by the Mongols. She was called Shajarat al-Durr (tree of pearls) because her father dressed her in a dress that was made of pearls. Her father granted her Egypt as she wished to be the Queen of Egypt and as-Salih Ayyub married her in order to stay in power as Egypt was hers. When Baibars was brought to the Citadel in Cairo she loved him and treated him like a son and he called her his mother. Aybak al-Turkumani, a wicked man, came from al-Mousil to steal Egypt from Shajarat al-Durr and her husband al-Salih Ayyub. Shajarat al-Durr killed Aybak with a sword but, while fleeing from his son, she fell from the roof of the citadel and died.
Kunya (Arabic)
A kunya is a teknonym, the name of an adult derived from their child, especially their eldest son, in Arabic names.A kunya is expressed by the use of abū or umm in a genitive construction, i.e "father of" or "mother of" as a honorific in place of or alongside given names in the Arab world and the...
: أم خليل, Umm Khalil; mother of Khalil) (d. 1257, Cairo) was the widow of the Ayyubid Sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
as-Salih Ayyub
As-Salih Ayyub
Al-Malik as-Salih Najm al-Din Ayyub , also known as al-Malik al-Salih was the Ayyubid ruler of Egypt from 1240 to 1249.-Biography:...
who played a crucial role after his death during the Seventh Crusade
Seventh Crusade
The Seventh Crusade was a crusade led by Louis IX of France from 1248 to 1254. Approximately 800,000 bezants were paid in ransom for King Louis who, along with thousands of his troops, was captured and defeated by the Egyptian army led by the Ayyubid Sultan Turanshah supported by the Bahariyya...
against Egypt (1249–1250). She was regarded by Muslim historians and chroniclers of the Mamluk time as being of Turkic
Turkic peoples
The Turkic peoples are peoples residing in northern, central and western Asia, southern Siberia and northwestern China and parts of eastern Europe. They speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family. They share, to varying degrees, certain cultural traits and historical backgrounds...
origin. She became the Sultana of Egypt on May 2, 1250, marking the end of the Ayyubid reign and the starting of the Mamluk
Mamluk
A Mamluk was a soldier of slave origin, who were predominantly Cumans/Kipchaks The "mamluk phenomenon", as David Ayalon dubbed the creation of the specific warrior...
era.
Background
Shajar al-Durr was purchased as a bondmaid by as-Salih Ayyub. in the LevantLevant
The Levant or ) is the geographic region and culture zone of the "eastern Mediterranean littoral between Anatolia and Egypt" . The Levant includes most of modern Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, the Palestinian territories, and sometimes parts of Turkey and Iraq, and corresponds roughly to the...
before he became a Sultan and accompanied him with his Mamluk Baibars (not Baibars who became a Sultan) at Al Karak
Al Karak
Karak is a city in Jordan that is known for the famous crusader castle Kerak. The castle is one of the three largest castles in the region, the other two being in Syria...
during his detention in 1239. Later when he became a Sultan in 1240 she went with him to Egypt and delivered their son Khalil who was called al-Malik al-Mansour. She was of Turkic origin, and was described by the historians as a beautiful, pious and intelligent woman.
On April 1249, al-Salih Ayyub, the Ayyubid Sultan and husband of Shajar al-Durr who was gravely sick in Syria, returned to Egypt and stayed in Ashmum-Tanah, near Damietta
Damietta
Damietta , also known as Damiata, or Domyat, is a port and the capital of the Damietta Governorate in Egypt. It is located at the intersection between the Mediterranean Sea and the Nile, about north of Cairo.-History:...
after he heard that King Louis IX of France had assembled a crusade army in Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
and was about to launch an attack against Egypt. On June 1249, the crusaders landed in the abandoned town of Damietta, at the mouth of the Nile
Nile
The Nile is a major north-flowing river in North Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world. It is long. It runs through the ten countries of Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Egypt.The Nile has two major...
river. as-Salih Ayyub was carried on a stretcher to his palace in the better protected town of Al Mansurah
Al Mansurah
Mansoura is a city in Egypt, with a population of 420,000. It is the capital of the Dakahlia Governorate.- Etymology :Mansoura means 'The Victorious '. The city is named after the Egyptian victory over Louis IX of France during the Seventh Crusade.-Location:Mansoura lies on the east bank of the...
where he died on November 22, 1249 after he ruled Egypt about 10 years and amid one of the most earnest situations in the history of Egypt.
Shajar al-Durr informed Emir Fakhr ad-Din Yussuf Ben Shaykh (commander of all the Egyptian army) and Tawashi Jamal ad-Din Muhsin (the chief eunuch who controlled the palace) of the Sultan's death but as the country was under the attack of the crusaders they decided to conceal his death. The coffined body of the Sultan was transported by boat in secret to the castle of al-Rudah island in the Nile and, despite the deceased Sultan did not make testimony concerning who should succeed him after his death, Faris ad-Din Aktai
Faris ad-Din Aktai
Faris ad-Din Aktai al-Jemdar Not to be confused with his namesake and contemporary the commander in chief Faris ad-Din Aktai al-Mostareb -Biography:...
was sent to Hasankeyf
Hasankeyf
Hasankeyf is an ancient town and district located along the Tigris River in the Batman Province in southeastern Turkey. It was declared a natural conservation area by Turkey in 1981...
to call al-Muazzam Turanshah
Al-Muazzam Turanshah
Turanshah, also Turan Shah was a son of Sultan As-Salih Ayyub. A member of Ayyubid Dynasty, he became Sultan of Egypt for a brief period in 1249-1250.-References:...
who was the son of the deceased Sultan. Before he died, the Sultan signed thousands of blank papers which were used by Shajar al-Durr and Emir Fakhr ad-Din in issuing decrees and giving Sultanic orders and they succeeded in convincing the people and the other government officials that the Sultan was only ill—not dead. High officials, Sultanic Mamluks and soldiers were ordered - by the will of the (ill Sultan) - to give oath to the Sultan, his heir Turanshah and the Atabeg
Atabeg
Atabeg, Atabek, or Atabey is a hereditary title of nobility of Turkic origin, indicating a governor of a nation or province who was subordinate to a monarch and charged with raising the crown prince...
Fakhr ad-Din Yussuf.
Defeat of the Seventh Crusades
The news of the death of as-Salih Ayyub reached the crusaders in Damietta in a way or another. Encouraged by the news of the death of the Sultan and by the arrival of reinforcement led by Alfonso, Count of Poitou, the brother of King Louis IX, the crusaders decided to march to Cairo. A crusade force led by Louis IX's brother Robert I of ArtoisRobert I of Artois
Robert I , called the Good, was the first Count of Artois, the fifth son of Louis VIII of France and Blanche of Castile.-Life:...
crossed the canal of Ashmum (known today by the name Albahr Alsaghir) and attacked the Egyptian camp in Gideila, two miles (3 km) from Al Mansurah. Emir Fakhr ad-Din was killed during the sudden attack and the crusade force advanced toward the town of Al Mansurah. Shajar al-Durr agreed about Baibars
Baibars
Baibars or Baybars , nicknamed Abu l-Futuh , was a Mamluk Sultan of Egypt. He was one of the commanders of the forces which inflicted a devastating defeat on the Seventh Crusade of King Louis IX of France and he led the vanguard of the Egyptian army at the Battle of Ain Jalut in 1260, which marked...
's plan to defend Al Mansurah. The crusade force was trapped inside the town and Robert d'Artois was killed and the crusade force was annihilated by an Egyptian force and town population led by the men who were about to establish the state which would dominate the southern Mediterranean for decades : Baibars al-Bunduqdari, Izz al-Din Aybak
Aybak
Izz al-Din AybakThe name Aybeg or Aybak is a combination of two Turkic words, "Ay" = Moon and "Beg" or variant "Bak" = Emir in Arabic. - Izz al-Din AybakThe name Aybeg or Aybak is a combination of two Turkic words, "Ay" = Moon and "Beg" or variant "Bak" = Emir in Arabic. -(Al-Maqrizi, Note...
, and Qalawun al-Alfi
Qalawun
Saif ad-Dīn Qalawun aṣ-Ṣāliḥī was the seventh Mamluk sultan of Egypt...
.
In February 1250 the dead Sultan's son Al-Muazzam Turanshah arrived in Egypt and was enthroned at Al Salhiyah as he had no time to go to Cairo. Feeling relieved by the arrival of the new Sultan, Shajar al-Durr announced the death of as-Salih Ayyub. Turanshah went straight to Al Mansurah and on April 6, 1250 the crusaders were entirely defeated at the Battle of Fariskur
Battle of Fariskur
The Battle of Fariskur was fought on April 6, 1250, between the Crusaders led by Louis IX King of France and Egyptian forces led by Turanshah.-Background:...
and king Louis IX was captured.
Conflict with Turanshah
Once the Seventh Crusade was defeated and Louis IX was captured, troubles between Turanshah on one side and Shajar al-Durr and the Mamluks on the other began. Turanshah, knowing he would not have full sovereignty while Shajar al-Durr, the Mamluks and the old guards of his late father were there, detained a few officials and started to replace old officials, including the vice Sultan, with his followers who came with him from Hisnkifa then he sent a message to Shajar al-Durr while she was in Jerusalem warning her and requesting her to hand him the wealth and jewels of his late father. The request and manners of Turansha distressed Shajar al-Durr. Complaining to the Mamluks about Turanshah's threats and ungratefulness, the Mamluks and in particular their leader Faris ad-Din Aktai were enraged. In addition, Turanshah used to drink alcohol and when drunk he abused the bondmaids of his father and threatened the Mamluks. Turanshah was assassinated by the Mamluks at Fariskur on May 2, 1250. He was the last of the Ayyubids Sultans.Rise to power
After the assassination of Turanshah the Mamluks and Emirs met at the Sultanic Dihliz and decided to install Shajar al-Durr as the new monarch with Izz al-Din Aybak as Atabeg (commander in chief). Shajar al-Durr was informed at the Citadel of the Mountain in Cairo and she agreed. Shajar al-Durr took the royal name "al-Malikah Ismat ad-Din Umm-Khalil Shajar al-Durr" with a few additional titles such as "Malikat al-Muslimin" (Queen of the Muslims) and "Walidat al-Malik al-Mansur Khalil Emir al-Mo'aminin" (Mother of al-Malik al-Mansur Khalil Emir of the faithfuls)She was mentioned in the Friday prayers in mosques with names like "Umm al-Malik khalil" (Mother of al-Malik Khalil) and "Sahibat al-Malik as-Salih" (Wife of al-Malik as-Salih). Coins were minted with her titles and she signed the decrees with the name "Walidat Khalil". Using the names of her late husband and her dead son were attempts to gain respect and legitimacy for her reign as an heir of the Sultanate.
After paying homage to Shajar al-Durr and matters were settled, Emir Hossam ad-Din was sent to King Louis IX who was still imprisoned in Al Mansurah and it was agreed that Louis IX leaves Egypt alive after paying half of the ransom that was imposed earlier on him in exchange for his life and Damietta. Louis surrendered Damietta and sailed to Acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
On May 8, 1250 accompanied by about 12000 war prisoners.
Conflict with the Ayyubids
The news of the murder of al-Muazzam Turanshah and the inauguration of Shajar al-Durr as the new Sultana reached Syria. The Syrian Emirs were asked by Cairo to pay homage to Shajar al-Durr but they refused and the Sultan's deputy in Al Karak rebelled against Cairo. The Syrian Emirs in Damascus gave Damascus to an-Nasir YusufAn-Nasir Yusuf
An-Nasir Yusuf An-Nasir Yusuf (Arabic: الناصر يوسف ) An-Nasir Yusuf (Arabic: الناصر يوسف ) (Royal Name: al-Malik al-Nasir Salah al-Din Yusuf (Arabic: الملك الناصر صلاح الدين يوسف )(1228–1260 ) was the Ayyubid ruler of most of Syria, including Aleppo (1236–1260) and Damascus (1250–1260)...
the Ayyubid Emir of Aleppo
Aleppo
Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
and the Mamluks in Cairo answered by arresting the Emirs who were loyal to the Ayubbids in Egypt. In addition to the Ayyubids in Syria, also the Abbasid Caliph
Caliph
The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
al-Musta'sim
Al-Musta'sim
Al-Musta'sim Billah was the last Abbasid Caliph in Baghdad; he ruled from 1242 until his death.-Biography:...
in Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
defied the Mamluk move in Egypt and refused to recognize Shajar al-Dur as a monarch. The refusal of the Caliph to recognize Shajar al-Durr as the new Sultana was a great setback to the Mamluks in Egypt as the custom during the Ayyubid era was that the Sultan could gain legitimacy only through the recognition of the Abbasid Caliph. The Mamluks decided to instal Izz al-Din Aybak as a new Sultan. He married Shajar al-Durr who abdicated and passed him the throne after she ruled Egypt as a Sultana for about three months. Though the period of Shajar al-Durr's rule as a monarch was of short duration, it witnessed two important events in history: one, the expelling of Louis IX from Egypt which marked the end of the Crusaders' ambition to conquer the southern Mediterranean basin
Mediterranean Basin
In biogeography, the Mediterranean Basin refers to the lands around the Mediterranean Sea that have a Mediterranean climate, with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers, which supports characteristic Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub vegetation...
and two, the death of the Ayyubid dynasty and the birth of the Mamluk state which dominated the southern Mediterranean for decades .
To please the Caliph and have his recognition, Aybak announced that he was merely a representative of the Abbasid Caliph in Baghdad. And to satisfy the Ayyubids in Syria the Mamluks nominated an Ayyubid child named al-Sharaf Musa as a cosultan. But this did not satisfy the Ayyubids and armed conflicts between the Mamluks and the Ayyubids broke out. The Caliph in Baghdad, preoccupied with the Mongols who were raiding territories not far from his capital, preferred to see the matter settled peacefully between the Mamluks in Egypt and the Ayyubids in Syria. Through negotiation and mediation of the Caliph that followed the bloody conflict, the Mamluks who manifested military superiority reached an agreement with the Ayyubids that gave them control over southern Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
including Gaza
Gaza
Gaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...
and Jerusalem and the Syrian coast. By this agreement the Mamluks did not only add new territories to their dominion but also gained recognition for their new state.
In addition to the conflict with the Ayyubids of Syria, the Mamluks successfully countered serious rebellions in Middle
Middle Egypt
Middle Egypt is the section of land between Lower Egypt and Upper Egypt, stretching upstream from Asyut in the south to Memphis in the north. At the time, Ancient Egypt was divided into Lower and Upper Egypt, though Middle Egypt was technically a subdivision of Upper Egypt. It was not until the...
and Upper Egypt
Upper Egypt
Upper Egypt is the strip of land, on both sides of the Nile valley, that extends from the cataract boundaries of modern-day Aswan north to the area between El-Ayait and Zawyet Dahshur . The northern section of Upper Egypt, between El-Ayait and Sohag is sometimes known as Middle Egypt...
. Then, Aybak, fearing the growing power of the Salihiyya Mamluks who actually with Shajar al-Durr installed him as a Sultan, had their leader Faris ad-Din Aktai murdered. The murder of Aktai was followed instantly by a Mamluk exodus to Syria where they joined the Ayyubid an-Nasir Yusuf. Prominent Mamluks like Baibars al-Bunduqdari and Qalawun al-Alfi were among those Mamluks who fled to Syria. Aybak became the sole and absolute ruler of Egypt after the Salihiyya Mamluks who were the supporters of Shajar al-Durr left Egypt and turned to his foes.
End
By 1257 disputes and suspicion became part of the relation between Aybak, a Sultan who was searching for security and supremacy, and his wife Shajar al-Durr, a former Sultana who had a strong will and managed and saved a country that was on edge of collapse during an external invasion.Shajar al-Durr wanted sole rule of Egypt. She concealed the Sultanate affairs from Aybak; she prevented him from seeing his other wife and insisted that he should divorce her. But, instead, Aybak, who needed to form an alliance with a strong Emir who could help him against the threat of the Mamluks who fled to Syria, decided in 1257 to marry the daughter of Badr ad-Din Lo'alo'a the Ayyubid Emir of al-Mousil. Badr ad-Din Lo'alo'a warned Aybak that Shajar al-Durr was in contact with an-Nasir Yusuf in Damascus. Shajar al-Durr, feeling at risk and betrayed by Aybak, the man who she made a Sultan, had him murdered by servants while he was taking a bath. He ruled Egypt seven years.
Shajar al-Durr claimed that Aybak died suddenly during the night but his Mamluks (Mu'iziyya) who were led by Qutuz
Qutuz
Saif ad-Din Qutuz, also spelled Kutuz, was the third of the Mamluk Sultans of Egypt in the Turkic line from 1259 until his death in 1260. It was under his leadership that the Mamluks achieved success against the Mongols in the key Battle of Ain Jalut...
did not believe her. The involved servants confessed under torture. Shajar al-Durr and the servants were arrested and Aybak Mamluks (Mu'iziyya Mamluks) wanted to kill her, but the Salihyya Mamluks protected her and she was taken to the Red Tower where she stayed. The son of Aybak the 15-year-old al-Mansur Ali was installed by the Mu'ziyyah Mamluks as the new Sultan. Shajar al-Durr was beaten to death with clogs by the bondmaids of al-Mansur Ali and his mother. Her naked body was found lying outside the Citadel. The servants who were involved in the killing of Aybak were executed.
Shajar al-Durr was buried in a tomb, not far from the Mosque of Tulun
Mosque of Ibn Tulun
The Mosque of Ahmad Ibn Ţūlūn is located in Cairo, Egypt. It is arguably the oldest mosque in the city surviving in its original form, and is the largest mosque in Cairo in terms of land area....
, which is a jewel of Islamic
Islamic architecture
Islamic architecture encompasses a wide range of both secular and religious styles from the foundation of Islam to the present day, influencing the design and construction of buildings and structures in Islamic culture....
funerary architecture. Inside is a mihrab
Mihrab
A mihrab is semicircular niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the qibla; that is, the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca and hence the direction that Muslims should face when praying...
(prayer niche) decorated with a mosaic of the "tree of life," executed by artists brought from Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
specifically for this commission. The wooden kufic
Kufic
Kufic is the oldest calligraphic form of the various Arabic scripts and consists of a modified form of the old Nabataean script. Its name is derived from the city of Kufa, Iraq, although it was known in Mesopotamia at least 100 years before the foundation of Kufa. At the time of the emergence of...
inscription that runs around the interior of her tomb, while damaged, is also of extremely fine craftsmanship.
Impact
Before their deaths, Aybak and Shajar al-Durr firmly established the Mamluk dynasty that would ultimately repulse the MongolsMongol Empire
The Mongol Empire , initially named as Greater Mongol State was a great empire during the 13th and 14th centuries...
, expel the Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an Crusaders from the Holy Land
Holy Land
The Holy Land is a term which in Judaism refers to the Kingdom of Israel as defined in the Tanakh. For Jews, the Land's identifiction of being Holy is defined in Judaism by its differentiation from other lands by virtue of the practice of Judaism often possible only in the Land of Israel...
, and remain the most powerful political force in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
until the coming of the Ottomans
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
.
Shajar al-Durr in Egyptian folklore
Shajar al-Durr is one of the characters of Sirat al-Zahir BaibarsSirat al-Zahir Baibars
Sirat al-Zahir Baibars سيرة الظاهر بيبرس , also known as "al-Sirah al-Zahiriya", is a long Egyptian folkloric epic poem that narrates the life and heroic achievements of the Mamluk Sultan al-Zahir Baibars al-Bunduqdari....
(Life of al-Zahir Baibars), a folkloric
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
epic
High fantasy
High fantasy or epic fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy that is set in invented or parallel worlds. High fantasy was brought to fruition through the work of authors such as J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis, whose major fantasy works were published in the 1950s...
of thousands of pages that was composed in Egypt during the early Mamluk era and took its final form at the early Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
era. The tale which is a mix of fiction and facts reflects the marvel of the Egyptian commons for both Baibars and Shajar al-Durr. Fatma Shajarat al-Durr, as the tale names Shajar al-Durr, was the daughter of Caliph al-Muqtadir whose kingdom in Baghdad was attacked by the Mongols. She was called Shajarat al-Durr (tree of pearls) because her father dressed her in a dress that was made of pearls. Her father granted her Egypt as she wished to be the Queen of Egypt and as-Salih Ayyub married her in order to stay in power as Egypt was hers. When Baibars was brought to the Citadel in Cairo she loved him and treated him like a son and he called her his mother. Aybak al-Turkumani, a wicked man, came from al-Mousil to steal Egypt from Shajarat al-Durr and her husband al-Salih Ayyub. Shajarat al-Durr killed Aybak with a sword but, while fleeing from his son, she fell from the roof of the citadel and died.
Coins of Shajar al-Durr
Such names and titles were inscribed on the coins of Shajar al-Durr: al-Musta'simiyah al-Salihiyah Malikat al-Muslimin walidat al-Malik al-Mansur Khalil Amir al-Mu'minin. (The Musta'simiyah the Salihiyah Queen of the Muslims Mother of King al-Mansur Khalil Emir of the faithful) and Shajarat al-Durr. Also names of the Abbasid Chaliph were inscribed on her coins: Abd Allah ben al-Mustansir Billah.See also
- List of rulers of Egypt
- al-Muazzam TuranshahAl-Muazzam TuranshahTuranshah, also Turan Shah was a son of Sultan As-Salih Ayyub. A member of Ayyubid Dynasty, he became Sultan of Egypt for a brief period in 1249-1250.-References:...
- an-Nasir YusufAn-Nasir YusufAn-Nasir Yusuf An-Nasir Yusuf (Arabic: الناصر يوسف ) An-Nasir Yusuf (Arabic: الناصر يوسف ) (Royal Name: al-Malik al-Nasir Salah al-Din Yusuf (Arabic: الملك الناصر صلاح الدين يوسف )(1228–1260 ) was the Ayyubid ruler of most of Syria, including Aleppo (1236–1260) and Damascus (1250–1260)...
- AybakAybakIzz al-Din AybakThe name Aybeg or Aybak is a combination of two Turkic words, "Ay" = Moon and "Beg" or variant "Bak" = Emir in Arabic. - Izz al-Din AybakThe name Aybeg or Aybak is a combination of two Turkic words, "Ay" = Moon and "Beg" or variant "Bak" = Emir in Arabic. -(Al-Maqrizi, Note...
- Bahri dynastyBahri dynastyThe Bahri dynasty or Bahriyya Mamluks was a Mamluk dynasty of mostly Kipchak Turkic origin that ruled Egypt from 1250 to 1382 when they were succeeded by the Burji dynasty, another group of Mamluks...
- Battle of Al MansurahBattle of Al MansurahThe Battle of Al Mansurah was fought from February 8 to February 11, 1250 between crusaders led by Louis IX, King of France, and Ayyubid forces led by Emir Fakhr-ad-Din Yussuf, Faris ad-Din Aktai and Baibars al-Bunduqdari.-Background:...
- Battle of FariskurBattle of FariskurThe Battle of Fariskur was fought on April 6, 1250, between the Crusaders led by Louis IX King of France and Egyptian forces led by Turanshah.-Background:...
- MamlukMamlukA Mamluk was a soldier of slave origin, who were predominantly Cumans/Kipchaks The "mamluk phenomenon", as David Ayalon dubbed the creation of the specific warrior...
External links
- Encyclopædia Britannica Online - Growth of Mamluk armies
- Women in World History - Female Heroes from the Time of the Crusades: Shagrat al-Durr