That is the second part of our story of the great Sultana Shajar al-Durr .
Her 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 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.
Her Rise to power
After the assassination of Turanshah the Mamluks and Emirs 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 al-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 al-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.
Her 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 Yusuf 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 co-sultan 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 al-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.
Her End:-
By 1257 disputes and suspicion became part of the relation between Aybak, ( 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 al-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 Mamluks) 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 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, near 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.
My Comment
The end of the great Sultan was painful such as her start. This was because of excessive ambition and greed of power and authority She had been cheated by her intelligence and entered in the killing and murder. She forgot that If you had killed you will be killed(we are believe in that).
Thanks
MR
Her 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 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.
 |
| Mamluks |
Her Rise to power
After the assassination of Turanshah the Mamluks and Emirs 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 al-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 al-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.
 |
| King Louis IX |
Her 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 Yusuf 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 co-sultan 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 al-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.
Her End:-
By 1257 disputes and suspicion became part of the relation between Aybak, ( 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 al-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 Mamluks) 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 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, near 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.
My Comment
The end of the great Sultan was painful such as her start. This was because of excessive ambition and greed of power and authority She had been cheated by her intelligence and entered in the killing and murder. She forgot that If you had killed you will be killed(we are believe in that).
Thanks
MR
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