Ibn Al-Sal'us
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Al-Sahib Shams ad-Din Muhammad ibn Uthman ibn Abi al-Raja' al-Tanukhi, better known as Ibn al-Sal'us () (died 10 December 1294), was an
Arab Arabs (,  , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of years ...
merchant and the '' wazir'' (chief financial adviser) of the
Mamluk Mamluk or Mamaluk (; (singular), , ''mamālīk'' (plural); translated as "one who is owned", meaning "slave") were non-Arab, ethnically diverse (mostly Turkic, Caucasian, Eastern and Southeastern European) enslaved mercenaries, slave-so ...
sultan,
al-Ashraf Khalil Al-Malik Al-Ashraf Salāh ad-Dīn Khalil ibn Qalawūn (; c. 1260s – 14 December 1293) was the eighth Turkic Bahri dynasty, Bahri Mamluk Sultanate, Mamluk sultan, succeeding his father Qalawun. He served from 12 November 1290 until his assassi ...
(r. 1290–1293). Ibn al-Sal'us began his career as a merchant based in
Damascus Damascus ( , ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. Kno ...
, where he was eventually employed as a deputy ''
muhtasib A muḥtasib (, from the root ''ḥisbah'', or "accountability"Sami Zubaida (2005), Law and Power in the Islamic World, , pages 58-60) was "a holder of the office of al-hisbah in classical Islamic administrations", according to Oxford Islamic St ...
'' (market inspector). He gained a good reputation for his efforts at ensuring accountability in Damascene commerce. He was later appointed chief ''muhtasib'' in
Cairo Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...
by Sultan
al-Mansur Qalawun (, – November 10, 1290) was the seventh Turkic Bahri Mamluk sultan of Egypt; he ruled from 1279 to 1290. He was called (, "Qalāwūn the Victorious"). After having risen in power in the Mamluk court and elite circles, Qalawun eventually hel ...
in 1290, but was soon after exiled to the
Hejaz Hejaz is a Historical region, historical region of the Arabian Peninsula that includes the majority of the western region of Saudi Arabia, covering the cities of Mecca, Medina, Jeddah, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, Tabuk, Yanbu, Taif and Al Bahah, Al-B ...
. When al-Ashraf Khalil succeeded Qalawun in November 1290, he recalled Ibn al-Sal'us to Cairo and appointed him ''wazir''. Ibn al-Sal'us restored the political influence of the office of ''wazir'' and accompanied al-Ashraf Khalil during military expeditions against the
Crusaders The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and at times directed by the Papacy during the Middle Ages. The most prominent of these were the campaigns to the Holy Land aimed at reclaiming Jerusalem and its surrounding ...
and the
Armenians Armenians (, ) are an ethnic group indigenous to the Armenian highlands of West Asia.Robert Hewsen, Hewsen, Robert H. "The Geography of Armenia" in ''The Armenian People From Ancient to Modern Times Volume I: The Dynastic Periods: From Antiq ...
. His arrogance toward senior Mamluk emirs drew their resentment. In the months following al-Ashraf Khalil's murder, Ibn al-Sal'us was arrested and tortured to death on the orders of his rival, Emir Sanjar al-Shuja‘i.


Biography


Early life and career

Ibn al-Sal'us was born to an
Arab Arabs (,  , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of years ...
family in the city of
Nablus Nablus ( ; , ) is a State of Palestine, Palestinian city in the West Bank, located approximately north of Jerusalem, with a population of 156,906. Located between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, it is the capital of the Nablus Governorate and a ...
in
Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...
.Nicolle 2005, p. 26. He was raised in
Damascus Damascus ( , ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. Kno ...
, where his father, Muhammad ibn Uthman, was a merchant. Ibn al-Sal'us became a merchant like his father and traveled extensively throughout the Middle East. He returned to Damascus at some point and set up his mercantile business. He gained an honorable reputation among other merchants in the city, and became a deputy ''
muhtasib A muḥtasib (, from the root ''ḥisbah'', or "accountability"Sami Zubaida (2005), Law and Power in the Islamic World, , pages 58-60) was "a holder of the office of al-hisbah in classical Islamic administrations", according to Oxford Islamic St ...
'' (market inspector) in the employment of the highest-ranking civilian
Mamluk Mamluk or Mamaluk (; (singular), , ''mamālīk'' (plural); translated as "one who is owned", meaning "slave") were non-Arab, ethnically diverse (mostly Turkic, Caucasian, Eastern and Southeastern European) enslaved mercenaries, slave-so ...
functionary in
Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...
. His employment in the '' hisba'' (market oversight) of Damascus occurred during the reign of Sultan
al-Mansur Qalawun (, – November 10, 1290) was the seventh Turkic Bahri Mamluk sultan of Egypt; he ruled from 1279 to 1290. He was called (, "Qalāwūn the Victorious"). After having risen in power in the Mamluk court and elite circles, Qalawun eventually hel ...
(1277–1290). Ibn al-Sal'us grew wealthy from his job and was known to diligently police commerce in the city. Mamluk-era chronicler
Ibn al-Jazari Abu al-Khayr Shams al-Din Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Yusuf al-Jazari (, 26 November 1350 – 2 December 1429), also known as Ibn al-Jazari () was one of the prominent scholars of the 15th century and is considered one of the g ...
described part of Ibn al-Sal'us's job as follows:
He rode around the city at night during the month of Ramadan ... to inspect those who produced '' kunafa'', '' qata'if'', sweets and other foods. He inspected the small-scale bazaar merchants, protecting the poor and correcting measures and weights.
In 1290, Ibn al-Sal'us was appointed by Qalawun as chief market inspector in
Cairo Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...
, where he became close friends with Qalawun's son and heir apparent,
al-Ashraf Khalil Al-Malik Al-Ashraf Salāh ad-Dīn Khalil ibn Qalawūn (; c. 1260s – 14 December 1293) was the eighth Turkic Bahri dynasty, Bahri Mamluk Sultanate, Mamluk sultan, succeeding his father Qalawun. He served from 12 November 1290 until his assassi ...
. However, he soon became involved in political disputes and was exiled to the
Hejaz Hejaz is a Historical region, historical region of the Arabian Peninsula that includes the majority of the western region of Saudi Arabia, covering the cities of Mecca, Medina, Jeddah, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, Tabuk, Yanbu, Taif and Al Bahah, Al-B ...
. According to the Mamluk historian, Baybars al-Mansuri, Ibn al-Sal'us was exiled due to Emir Turuntay's incitement against him to the sultan.


''Wazir'' of al-Ashraf Khalil

Following Qalawun's death in November 1290, al-Ashraf Khalil recalled Ibn al-Sal'us from the Hejaz and appointed him '' wazir'' (chief financial adviser) in place of Emir Alam al-Din Sanjar al-Shuja'i al-Mansuri in December.Mazor 2015, p. 77. Ibn al-Sal'us was the only non-''
mamluk Mamluk or Mamaluk (; (singular), , ''mamālīk'' (plural); translated as "one who is owned", meaning "slave") were non-Arab, ethnically diverse (mostly Turkic, Caucasian, Eastern and Southeastern European) enslaved mercenaries, slave-so ...
'' appointed to high office during al-Ashraf Khalil's reign. Ibn al-Sal'us played a commanding role in Mamluk military campaign against the Crusader states along the coast of Syria, including the conquest of
Acre The acre ( ) is a Unit of measurement, unit of land area used in the Imperial units, British imperial and the United States customary units#Area, United States customary systems. It is traditionally defined as the area of one Chain (unit), ch ...
in June 1291. In 1292, he participated in the Mamluk campaign against
Armenia Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...
alongside al-Ashraf Khalil, who joined with Ibn al-Sal'us and his troops in Damascus on his way to the Armenian front. and was present during the capture of Qala'at al-Rum. A civilian, Ibn al-Sal'us's assumption of military command during the Armenian campaigns raised the ire of some of the senior Mamluk commanders, including Emir al-Shuja'i. Ibn al-Sal'us revived the importance of the office of ''wazir'', after its role in the sultanate's hierarchy had declined in the later years of
Ayyubid The Ayyubid dynasty (), also known as the Ayyubid Sultanate, was the founding dynasty of the medieval Sultan of Egypt, Sultanate of Egypt established by Saladin in 1171, following his abolition of the Fatimid Caliphate, Fatimid Caliphate of Egyp ...
rule.Holt 1986, p. 105. He was regularly accompanied by Mamluk dignitaries and the four chief Muslim judges when he had an audience with al-Ashraf Khalil, supported him unreservedly. As ''wazir'', he commissioned the construction of a ''ribat'' (hospice) along the northern wall of the Haram ash-Sharif (Temple Mount) in
Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...
. By 1310, the ''ribat'' was known as the "Ribat Emir Salar" after the 14th-century emir, Salar, and was in use until at least the early 15th century. He was initially well-liked by the Mamluk emirs, but as he behaved arrogantly toward them, they became hostile toward him and came to resent his influence with the sultan. He had personal conflicts with the ''na'ib as-saltana'' (viceroy), Emir
Baydara Badr al-Din Baydara al-Mansuri () was the ''na'ib al-saltana'' (viceroy) of the Mamluk sultan al-Ashraf Khalil () Early life Baydara was a toddler when he arrived in Cairo with his mother as captives from the Battle of Ain Jalut in 1260. Career B ...
, and the ''atabeg al-asakir'' (commander in chief), al-Shuja‘i. In early 1292, Ibn al-Sal'us informed al-Ashraf Khalil that Baydara was accruing far more revenue than the sultan from
Upper Egypt Upper Egypt ( ', shortened to , , locally: ) is the southern portion of Egypt and is composed of the Nile River valley south of the delta and the 30th parallel North. It thus consists of the entire Nile River valley from Cairo south to Lake N ...
, to which the sultan reacted by confiscating part of Baydara's ''
iqta An iqta () and occasionally iqtaʿa () was an Islamic practice of farming out tax revenues yielded by land granted temporarily to army officials in place of a regular wage; it became common in the Muslim empire of the Caliphate. Iqta has been defi ...
'' (fief). 1293, Ibn al-Sal'us instigated al-Ashraf Khalil's wrath against Baydara during a hunting trip in Buhayra (western
Nile Delta The Nile Delta (, or simply , ) is the River delta, delta formed in Lower Egypt where the Nile River spreads out and drains into the Mediterranean Sea. It is one of the world's larger deltas—from Alexandria in the west to Port Said in the eas ...
) by informing him of Baydara's seizure of the sultan's tax revenues from
Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...
. Al-Ashraf Khalil scolded Baydara, struck him in the head in the presence of other emirs and threatened to allow Ibn al-Sal'us to torture him in prison. After al-Ashraf Khalil was murdered by emirs Baydara and al-Shuja‘i and their ''mamluks'' in December 1293, Ibn al-Sal'us lost his key backer. Al-Ashraf Khalil's younger brother
an-Nasir Muhammad Al-Malik an-Nasir Nasir ad-Din Muhammad ibn Qalawun (), commonly known as an-Nasir Muhammad (), or by his kunya: Abu al-Ma'ali () or as Ibn Qalawun (1285–1341) was the ninth Mamluk sultan of the Bahri dynasty who ruled Egypt between 12 ...
was installed on the throne with strongman
al-Adil Kitbugha Kitbugha (), royal name: al-Malik al-Adil Zayn-ad-Din Kitbugha Ben Abd-Allah al-Mansuri al-Turki al-Mughli; ) (died 1303 CE) was the 10th Mamluk sultan of Egypt from December 1294 to November 1296. Background He was originally a Mongol (al- ...
appointed ''na'ib as-saltana''. Ibn al-Sal'us was thereafter replaced as ''wazir'' by al-Shuja‘i. Prior to these developments, a kinsman of Ibn al-Sal'us warned him in a poem to "take care ... and know that you have trodden on a viper ... I fear for you of al-Shuja‘i's sting". Ibn al-Sal'us was charged by Shuja'i of committing financial crimes and was arrested. He was subsequently tortured and died of his injuries on 10 December 1294.Holt 1986, p. 106. Afterward, al-Shuja‘i summoned Ibn al-Sal'us's kinsman who wrote him the poem warning of al-Shuja‘i's wrath, but rather than punish him, Shuja'i rewarded Ibn al-Sal'us's kinsman, telling him "You gave him good council, but he did not accept advice."


References


Bibliography

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ibn al-Salus 1294 deaths 13th-century people from the Mamluk Sultanate 13th-century merchants Torture victims People from Nablus People from Damascus Tanukh Viziers of the Mamluk Sultanate Arabs from the Mamluk Sultanate