Baibars II


Baibars al-Jashankir or Baibars II, royal name al-Malik al-Muzaffar Rukn ad-Din Baibars aj-Jashankir al-Mansuri, also known as Abu al-Fath, was the 12th Mamluk Sultan of Mamluk Egypt in 1309–1310.

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 then a Jashnakir. 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.

Etymology of the name

The monarch had a fascinating name: a combination of Turkic, Persian and Arabic terms--befitting his multifarious origin and role. His given name Baibars is a Turco-Mongolian name, rather common at his time standing for "Chosen by the chief/lord".The title of al-Malike al-Muzaffar is an Arabic honorific title means "the victorious king", the title Rukn ad-Din is an Arabic honorific title means the "pillar of faith". The second portion Jashangir is Persian means " Food connoisseur", the mamluk prince who tastes the sultan's food to make sure it is not poisoned.

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 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 instead of Rukn demanding the return of Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad to Egypt. In 1310 Baibars al-Jashnakir stepped down and fled with his Mamluks from the angry mob. Sultan An-Nasir Muhammad returned to Egypt and Baibars al-Jashnakir was arrested and executed.