Baibars II
Not to be confused with his more famous namesake, Baibars al-Bunduqdari
Baibars al-Jashnakir (d.1310) ( Arabic: بيبرس الجاشنكير ) or Baibars II. Royal name: al-Malik al-Muzaffar Rukn al-Din Baibars al-Jashnakir al-Mansuri, (Arabic: الملك المظفر ركن الدين بيبرس الجاشنكير المنصورى) (Nickname: Abu al-Fath (Arabic: أبوالفتح)) . (d.1310, Cairo). The 12th Mamluk Sultan of Egypt who ruled for a short period (1308–1309).
Background
He was a Circassian Mamluk of Sultan Qalawun and served at the court of Qlawun's Sons Al-Ashraf Khalil and Al-Nasir Muhammad. He became an Emir (a prince) then a Jashnakir.[1] During the second reign of Sultan Al-Nasir Mohammed from 1299 to 1309 he was the Vice-Sultan of Egypt. In 1302 he took part in suppressing a rebellion in upper Egypt and in 1303 he was a commander in the Egyptian army that defeated the Mongols led by Qutlugh-Shah at the Battle of Shaqhab.
Rise to power and fall
With Emir Sayf al-Din Salar he dominated the young Sultan al-Nassir Muhammad who, feeling distressed, moved to Al Karak and resigned in 1309. Baibars al-Jashnakir became a Sultan after the position was imposed on him by Emir Sayf al-Din Salar and the Burji Mamluks.
The brief period of his reign (ten months and 24 days) was marked by economical and political unrest in addition to threats from crusaders and Mongols. The poverty-stricken commons kept rampaging the streets of Cairo, calling him Rakin (useless) instead of Rukn (principal) demanding the return of Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad to Egypt. In 1309 Baibars al-Jashnakir stepped down and fled with his Mamluks from the angry mob.Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad returned to Egypt and Baibars al-Jashnakir was arrested and executed.
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Mamluk Sultan 1308–1309 |
Succeeded by Al-Nasir Muhammad |
See also
Notes
- ↑ Jashnakir جاشنكير was an important function at the Sultan's court. A Jashnakir tasted the food of the Sultan to assure it was poison free.
References
- Al-Maqrizi, Al Selouk Leme'refatt Dewall al-Melouk, Dar al-kotob, 1997. In English: Bohn, Henry G., The Road to Knowledge of the Return of Kings, Chronicles of the Crusades, AMS Press, 1969.
- Ibn Taghri, al-Nujum al-Zahirah Fi Milook Misr wa al-Qahirah, al-Hay'ah al-Misreyah 1968
- Mahdi, Dr. Shafik, Mamalik Misr wa Alsham ( Mamluks of Egypt and the Levant), Aldar Alarabiya, Beirut 2008
- Sadawi. H, Al-Mamalik, Maruf Ikhwan, Alexandria.
- Eternalegypt.org
