A Woman on the Mamluk Throne: The Magnificence and Tragic Fate of Shajar al-Durr

"The Mamluk Sultans Based on the Narratives in Ibn Taghribirdi's Al-Nujum al-Zahira / Shajar al-Durr" written by Alperen Alkan

Holding an exceptional place in Islamic history, Shajar al-Durr is one of those rare historical figures remembered for her brilliance, bravery, and tragic demise. During the Ayyubid period, she was the concubine of al-Malik al-Salih Najm al-Din Ayyub, giving birth to his son, Khalil, who passed away in his infancy. She remained steadfastly by al-Malik al-Salih's side even during his grueling imprisonment in Karak, facing adversities together. Through this unwavering loyalty, she won the Sultan's deep affection and absolute trust, rising to a position of immense prestige in his court.

A representative portrait of Shajar al-Durr

Shajar al-Durr’s real political genius emerged during a tremendous crisis that destabilized the realm: the death of her husband, al-Malik al-Salih. Amidst ongoing threats to the state, such as the Frankish siege of Damietta, she successfully and skillfully kept the sultan's passing a secret. By having decrees written with his seal and spreading the word that he was simply bedridden, she managed the country to perfection. Yet, upon taking the throne, al-Malik al-Muazzam Turanshah—her husband's son from another woman—ignored these crucial services. He threatened Shajar al-Durr, demanding she surrender her wealth to him. This profound lack of gratitude ultimately drew the ire of both the populace and the state officials.

In the wake of Turanshah's murder, the populace united in their recognition of Shajar al-Durr’s intellect, foresight, and beauty, deciding to crown her as the ruler of the realm. Sermons were read in her name across the mosques of Egypt and Cairo. From the pulpits, she was exalted with grand titles: 'Sultan of the Muslims, the Protector of Faith and the World, the Consort of Sultan al-Malik al-Salih, and the Mother of Khalil al-Musta'simi.'

A representative portrait of Shajar al-Durr and her protector Salih-i Mamluk

Yet, a woman taking the helm of the state sparked a tremendous uproar throughout the Islamic world of the time. Sheikh Izz al-Din b. Abd al-Salam, one of the foremost religious scholars, branded the event as a 'misfortune upon the Muslims.' Additionally, as recounted by the eminent historian al-Maqrizi, the Abbasid Caliph al-Musta'sim Billah made his outrage known by dispatching a remarkably biting and cynical letter to Egypt:

'Since there are no men left among you, you only had to say the word, and we would have sent you one!

Unable to withstand the growing backlash and the heavy pressure from the Mamluk commanders any longer, Shajar al-Durr stepped down after a reign of about three months. She married Emir Aybak al-Turkmani, a powerful Mamluk emir, and handed the throne over to him. Yet, stepping down did not mean stepping aside. She maintained an iron grip on power, placing Aybak under immense pressure in matters of the state and allowing him no voice whatsoever. Desperate to free himself from her dominance, the sultan sought a way out by attempting to marry another influential woman.

Fiercely jealous and strong-willed by nature, Shajar al-Durr flew into a violent rage when she discovered Aybak's intentions to marry the daughter of Badr al-Din Lu'lu', the governor of Mosul. Anticipating that Aybak would soon exile her from the palace or do away with her altogether, she resolved to strike first. Colluding with palace officials and servants—namely Tawashi Muhsin and Sanjar al-Jawhari—she meticulously plotted his assassination.

Assassination of Sultan Aybak

In the year 1257 (in the month of Rabi' al-Awwal), the fatal plot was set in motion. After a game of polo at the citadel, Aybak retreated to the hammam in the evening to bathe. Ambushed inside with the aid of the servants, he met a gruesome end, beaten to death with bath clogs and strangled.

The morning after this brutal murder, unparalleled chaos broke out across Cairo. Aybak's mamluks rose in rebellion and laid siege to the palace. Thanks to the intervention of the Salihi emirs, Shajar al-Durr's life was spared in the first instance; however, she was expelled from the palace and confined to the Burj al-Ahmar (the Red Tower). Meanwhile, the servants who had taken part in the conspiracy were rounded up and hanged.

Aybak's mamluks and Salih-i Mamluks battle

Sensing her end drawing near in her confinement, Shajar al-Durr refused to let her wealth fall to her despised enemies, al-Malik al-Mansur (the son of Aybak) and his mother. In a final act of defiance, she had all her precious jewels ground to dust in a mortar. In the end, incited by Mansur’s mother, the palace maidservants brutally beat her to death with wooden bath clogs. Her corpse was cast into the ditch below the citadel walls, where it lay abandoned for days before finally being laid to rest in the very tomb she had built for herself. And so, the life of the first Mamluk Sultan—a woman who had scaled the heights of power through sheer brilliance—began in magnificent glory and ended in a profound and unfathomable tragedy