Kujuk

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Dominion of Bahri Mamluks ( red )
Dominion of Bahri Mamluks ( red )

Ala'a ad-Din Kujuk ( Arabic: علاءالدين كجك ) royal name: al-Malik al-Ashraf Ala'a ad-Din Kujuk ( Arabic: الملك الأشرف علاءالدين كجك)) (b. 1334, Cairo - d. 1345, Cairo) was a Mamluk Sultan of Egypt from 1341 to 1342.

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[edit] Background

He was the grandson of Sultan al-Mansur Qalawun and the second son of Sultan Al-Nasir Muhammad to become a Sultan. His mother, Urdu, was a Mongol. After the dethroning and arrest of his brother Saif ad-Din Abu-Bakr together with his six brothers by Emir Qusson,[1] the Emirs, including Qusson, decided to crown Kujuk as the new sultan of Egypt. Kujuk was only 7 years old when he carried the royal name al-Malik al-Ashraf.

[edit] Qusson

The Emirs offered the high position of vice-Sultan to Emir Aidaghmash but he declined. The mighty Emir Qusson accepted the position of the vice-Sultan with his condition that he stays at the citadel and not moves to the office of the vice-sultan outside the citadel.[2] Since then, Qusson became the actual ruler of Egypt. Soon, many officials and Emirs who were loyal to the dethroned sultan Saif ad-Din Abu-Bakr were arrested and replaced by new staff and many Mamluks were granted the rank of Emir by Qusson. The commons of the country who disliked Qusson were not happy with this outcome.[3] The only challenge that was disturbing Qusson thoughts was Emir Ahmad,[4] brother of both the deposed Sultan and the present sultan, who lived in Al Karak. Qusson sent Emir Tughan to Al Karak to bring Emir Ahmad to Cairo to imprison him with his brothers in upper Egypt. Ahmad, who thought that Qusson wanted him back in Egypt to make him a Sultan, sent a message to Qusson informing him that he will not go back to Egypt before the prominent Emirs go to Al Karak and give him their oath and also not before he frees his brothers and send them to him in Al Karak. Qusson answered him that he was requested in Egypt not to become a Sultan but because the Emir of Al Kark complained about his behavior and that he has a present for him. Ahmad was warned about Qusson intentions and refused to go to Egypt. Upon the refusal of Ahmad to return to Egypt, Qusson and his Emirs decided to send a force to Al Karak to arrest him.

[edit] Rebellion

A new challenge emerged suddenly for Qusson when he tried to persuade the Mamluks of the late Sultan Al-Nasir Muhammed to serve him like they served their Sultan. The Mamluks of the Sultan ( al-Mamalik al-Sultaniyah ) [5] refused Qusson's demand and the relation between both began to deteriorate. A rebellion against Qusson began by the Sultani Mamluks who openly declared that they were the Mamluks of the Sultan only and not of Qusson. Qusson who learned that the Sultani Mamluks were plotting to kill him went to the Emirs and complained to them about the affair and expressed his regret for accepting the post of vice-Sultan. While the Emirs were assuring Qusson of their full support and protection, the Sultani Mamluks, dressed in armor, were gathring inside the citadel and the commons of Cairo were filling the front square and roaring " Nasiriyah..Nasiriyah " [6] in support of the Sultani Mamluks inside the Citadel. Seeing the rampaging commons attacking his stable, Qusson and his Emirs attacked the commons and killed many of them while the Sultani Mamluks were trying to defend them from the roofs of the citadel. Many Emirs from both sides were killed and the battle ended by the defeat of the Sultani Mamluks and the mob. While many Sultani Mamluks, Emirs and commons were severely punished by Qusson, he promoted many Tabaq Mamluks [7] to the rank of Emir and accorded them fiefdoms.

Alarming news reached Cairo from Damascus that Emir Ahmad, who was in Al Kark, was forming alliances with the Emir of Aleppo Tshatmar Homos Akhdar [8] and other Sultan's deputies in Syria, as he was planning to march to Egypt to crown himself a Sultan. Qusson, against the will of the Emirs, sent a force led by Emir Qatlubugha al-Fakhri to Al Kark to arrest Ahmad. But Qatlubugha and the companying Emirs, instead of arresting Ahmad, with the support of the deputies in Syria, gave him their oath and granted him the royal sultanic title of al-Malik al-Nasir. Qusson seized the properties of Qatlubugha and the companying Emirs and ordered Altnbugha al-Salihi, the Emir of Syria, to fight the emir of Aleppo Tshatmar Homos Akhdar. Tshatmar fled to the Byzantine city of Caesarea (Al Qaysariyah) and Altnbugha captured Aleppo and seized the possessions of Tshatmar. In the meantime, Qatlubugha captured Damascus and took possession of the domain and the properties of Qusson himself. Preparations for the return of Ahmad to Egypt as a Sultan were made by Qatlubugha who sent a message to Qusson reprimanding him about the killing of Sultan Saif ad-Din Abu-Bakr and his bad treatment of the other sons of Al-Nasir Muhammad and informing him that they, the Emirs, have decided to make Ahmad the new Sultan of Egypt. Qusson, who became very upset, granted money, gifts and titles to Sultani Mamluks and Emirs in an attempt to hold them at his side but the prominent Emirs, among them Emir Aidaghmash, who have been distressed for some time, as they were convinced that Qussan killed both Sultan Saif ad-Din Abu-Bakr and Emir Beshtik al-Nasiri, were now encouraged by the victory of Qatlubugha in Syria to oppose Qusson. The prominent Emirs decided not to wait until Qusson proclaim himself a Sultan. They, led by Emir Aidaghmash, besieged the Citadel accompanied by many Mamlukes and a great number of commons. A major street battle began after Emir Aidaghmash ordered the commons to attack and loot the stable of Qusson. Within a few hours all horses and gold that were inside were looted by the mob.[9] At the end of the battle, Qusson was forced to give up and together with his Emirs he was arrested and chained and they were taken to Alexandria during the night as to protect them from the angry commons who were rampaging and looting the houses of Qusson and other nobles. The Mamluks and Emirs who were imprisoned by Qusson were freed and the child Sultan al-Ashraf Ala'a ad-Din Kujuk was dethroned after being a Sultan for five months. Emir Baibars al-Ahmadi, followed by the happy commons, was sent to Al Kark to bring the new Sultan Shihab ad-Din Ahmad to Egypt. Qusson was killed in the prison. Ala'a ad-Din Kujuk died three years later.


Regnal titles
Preceded by
Saif ad-Din Abu-Bakr		 Mamluk Sultan
1341-1342		 Succeeded by
Shihab ad-Din Ahmad

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Qusson قوصون was the most prominent Emir during the reign of al-Nasir Muhammed. He came to Egypt from Turkic region with Khond, daughter of Uzbeg Khan, who married al-Nasir Muhammed. Qusson was not a Mamluk, though al-Nasir Muhammed paid money to his brother Susson in exchange for having Qusson at his service. First he worked as cup-bearer of the Sultan then he was promoted to the rank of an Emir and he married one of the daughters of al-Nasir Muhammed. See also Saif ad-Din Abu-Bakr
  2. ^ Qalat al-Jabal قلعة الجبل Citadel of the Mountain ( the abode and court of the sultan in Cairo ). It was situated on the Muqattam Hill where the Mosque of Muhammed ali and remains of the Citadel of Saladin stand now.
  3. ^ A verse belongs to that era said : Today our Sultan is a child while the nobles are fighting one another !
  4. ^ Emir Ahmad became Sultan an-Nasir Shihab-ad-Din Ahmad in 1342.
  5. ^ al-Mamalik al-Sultaniyah المماليك السلطانية , Sultani Mamluks were the Mamluks of the Sultan and distiguished from other Mamluks
  6. ^ Nasiriyah الناصرية were the Mamluks and followers of Sultan Al-Nasir Muhammed.
  7. ^ Tabaq Mamluks ( Mamalik al-Tabaq مماليك الطباق ) were the Mamluks still under training. They lived inside the citadel in campus which were called al- Tabaq الطباق
  8. ^ Homos Akhdar حمص أخضر ( green chickpeas ) was the nickname of Emir Tshatmar al-Badri given to him by commons.
  9. ^ The stable was a part of Qusson's palace which consisted of many buildings. It was situated near the location of where Sultan Hassan Madrassa stands today.

[edit] References

  • Abu al-Fida, The Concise History of Humanity
  • Al-Maqrizi, Al Selouk Leme'refatt Dewall al-Melouk, Dar al-kotob, 1997.
  • Idem in English: Bohn, Henry G., The Road to Knowledge of the Return of Kings, Chronicles of the Crusades, AMS Press, 1969.
  • Al-Maqrizi, al-Mawaiz wa al-'i'tibar bi dhikr al-khitat wa al-'athar,Matabat aladab,Cairo 1996, ISBN977-241-175X.
  • Idem in French: Bouriant, Urbain , Description topographique et historique de l'Egypte,Paris 1895
  • Ibn Taghri, al-Nujum al-Zahirah Fi Milook Misr wa al-Qahirah, al-Hay'ah al-Misreyah 1968
  • History of Egypt, 1382-1469 A.D. by Yusef. William Popper, translator Abu L-Mahasin ibn Taghri Birdi, University of California Press 1954
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