382 



EGYPT. 



Hilary, 



.: .M an.l 

 A. li. !?:* 



Shajir Aldor 

 and Turan 

 Shaw. 



Mamelukes. 

 A. D. 1230. 



niege wan continued, and the town of Damictt.i fell. 

 Elated ith tlii-. Muve->, they pushed into the interior 

 (' tin- country ; but were vanqui-hcd by the 1 '-.'>- 

 tians, and were compelled to ui- tor mercy. The sid- 

 Uii of Egypt became |>owcrful in Syria, M well M at 

 home ; and, when Frederick II. of Germany found it 

 neces-ary t.i return to Furopo, he entered into a league 

 with Alcamel, which was wise and profitable tor both. 

 Alcamel died at Damascus, and Aladel, one of his 

 . gons, was raised to the throne; but Nojmoddin, his 

 eldest brother, lai<l claim to the kingdom. A bloody 

 contest would probably have ensued ; but, in the mean 

 time, Aladel died or disappeared : and his brother Noj- 

 moddin was peaceably proclaimed sultan. He, too, 

 acquired influence with the most powerful party of the 

 crusades ; for Richard, the earl of Cornwall, percei- 

 ving that the sultan of Egypt was more powerful than 

 the Syrian lords of Carac and Damascus, entered into 

 an alliance with Nojmoddin, and renewed the treaty 

 which Frederick of Germany had made with Alcamel 

 his predecessor. By this covenant, the Christians were 

 protected, and the views of Nojmoddin encouraged, in 

 opposition to his Syrian rivals. 



In tliis settled state of affairs, Nojmoddin passed into 

 Syria, and, with the help of some uncultivated tribes, 

 determined to overpower his eastern enemies. That 

 part of the crusading armies which was favourable to 

 the lords of Syria, joined them in opposing the sultan 

 of Egypt ; but Xojmoddin overthrew them with great 

 slaughter. In the mean time, a host of warriors from 

 Europe arrived in the port of Damietta, with Louis IX. 

 of France as their leader. In the absence of the sul- 

 tan, and when the nation was unprepared for this 

 unexpected attack, the armies of the -crusade entered 

 Damietta. The news of this event were quickly car- 

 ried into Syria ; and Nojmoddin having raised the siege 

 of Emessa, hastened to Egypt to protect his kingdom ; 

 but he died by the way, and left a vacancy in the go- 

 vernment when a vigorous administration was peculiar- 

 ly wanted. 



The country received a seasonable relief by the ad- 

 dress of Shajir Aldor, the favourite female of the late 

 sultan. Pretending that Nojmoddin was indisposed on 

 his journey, the principal lords of the country were 

 induced to swear allegiance to his only son Turan 

 Shaw. The veil was then taken off, and the young 

 prince was proclaimed sultan, upon his arrival from 

 Damascus with a numerous army. 



The European soldiers had by this time penetrated 

 far into the country ; but they paid dearly for their 

 rashness ; and Louis himself was taken prisoner. Tu- 

 ran Shaw had the name of Sultan, but none of its pow- 

 ers ; for Shajir Aldor, and her adherents about the court, 

 directed in reality the affairs of state. The young sul- 

 tan was sensible of his situation, and determined to as- 

 sert his proper rights. Being strictly watched, Shajir 

 Aldor was aware of his intention, and he was violently 

 put to death. 



The young prince having been assassinated, Slxajir 

 Aldor was declared to be sovereign of the country. She 

 wa prayed for in the mosques, and her name was im- 

 preued on the coins. This active and designing wo- 

 man was raised to the throne by the power and influ- 

 ence of the Mamelukes. These were a body of Turk- 

 ish slaves, who had gradually acquired authority at the 

 Egyptian court. When Saladin usurped the sovereign- 

 ty of Egypt, he durst not entrust himself to the nation- 

 al troop*, but placed about his throne a powerful body- 

 guard of slaves from Kipzac, whom the Moguls acqui- 



red in war, and sold into bondage. Successive sultans 

 im ivased the jviwer of those attendants by new privi- 

 : and, upon the death of Nojmoddin, they had in 

 reality the disjxisal of the sovereign j>owcr. 



_. one of the Mamelukes, who, from their power 

 in the state, were called emirs, was chosen to be the 

 prime minister, or rather regent of the kingdom. Hut 

 still the people were dissatisfied with the government 

 of a woman, and the management of a foreigner. In 

 this situation of affairs, Shajir Aldor was deposed ; and 

 Mu-.i. a descendant of Alcamel, elevated to the throne. 

 But his reign was short as well as turbulent ; and, in 

 the midst of intenial commotions, the young sultan was 

 removed from the throne; and, with his government, 

 the reign of the Ayubites was finished. 



Ibeg, who had reigned M ith Miajir Aldor, was pro- 

 claimed sultan by the Baharite Mamelukes, and he im- 

 mediately espoused Shajir Aldor; but, through jealou- 

 sy, and an idea of ingratitude, she hired assassin 

 Ibeg was put to death. By a party of the Mamelukes, 

 Nureddin Ali was raised to the throne of his father 

 Ibeg, by the surname of Ahnansur ; ami Shajir Aldor 

 was put to death. About this time, the Moguls had 

 overrun all the Saracen possessions in the East, except 

 Yemen and Egypt ; and the power of the caliphs was 

 almost at an end in Bagdad. It was in this perilous 

 conjuncture of affairs that the young sultan began hi* 

 reign in Egypt ; and in that situation he was over- 

 thrown and deposed by Cutuz, an artful and ambitious 

 chief. 



This warlike prince entered Syria with triumph ; 

 and, for a time, was formidable to his enemies: but 

 Bibars, one of his generals, acquiring influence with 

 the Mamelukes, deposed Cutuz, and was proclaimed 

 sultan in his stead. It was pretended that the merits 

 of Bibars had been neglected ; but, in truth, the rea- 

 son is to be discovered in the power of the Mamelukes, 

 and the feeble state of the government. For, as the 

 army, in tle decline of the Roman empire, created em- 

 perors at their pleasure, so did the Mamelukes of 

 Egypt, at this period of its history, raise whom they 

 would to the office of sultan. To give his usurpation 

 a more legitimate colouring, Bibars acknowledged the 

 pretensions of Ahmed, the professed son of Daher Bil- 

 lah, a caliph of Bagdad : and he w a* acknowledged as 

 imam, or pontiff of the Mahommedans in Kp>v|ii. Bi- 

 bars received the benediction of thix Mahoimnedan 

 pontiff; and by that means acquired greater influence 

 among the people. In truth, he was a successful war- 

 rior, as well as a. benefactor to the dominions which he 

 acquired; and, at the time of his death, his empire ex- 

 tended from the interior of Africa to the river Euphra- 

 tes. 



From this time till the year 1293, there were many 

 changes among the sultans of Egypt ; but though the 

 government was unsteady, yet the nation was power- 

 ful ; for the Mameluke< were brave and warlike. When 

 Naser Mahommed was proclaimed sultan, he was only 

 in the 9th year of his age, and suffered various reverses 

 of fortune. Thrice had he abandoned the throne of 

 Egypt ; twiee by compulsion, and once by choice. But 

 in the progress of events, being firmly established in 

 power, he exercised his authority, as well as his active 

 mind, to correct the abuses of the state, and restrain the 

 exorbitant influence of the emirs and lord- of the court. 

 He improved the fertile fields of the Delta, threw 

 streams of water into the city of Aleppo, and repaired 

 the canal as well as the reservoirs of Alexandria. 



Upon the death of Naser, Abubeker his son succeed- 



II 



Ibeg. 



Mm*. 



The Mame- 

 luke dynas- 

 ty- 



Nurcddim 

 Ali, or Al> 

 mao&ur. 



Cutuz an4 

 Biban. 



Rapid chan> 

 frs on the 

 throne. 

 A.D. 1277. 



Abubeker. 

 A - - J 



