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).

Contents

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
Al-Nasir Muhammad
Mamluk Sultan
1308–1309
Succeeded by
Al-Nasir Muhammad

See also

Notes

  1. ^ 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

External links