Al-Kamil Sayf ad-Din Sha'ban ibn Muhammad ibn Qalawun, better known as al-Kamil Sha'ban, was 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 of Egypt between August 1345 and January 1346. He was the fifth son of

al-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 129 ...

to serve as sultan, having succeeded his brother al-Salih Ismail. Sha'ban was toppled and killed during a revolt against his rule organized by Emir Shams ad-Din Aqsunqur on behalf of his brother

al-Muzaffar Hajji Al-Muzaffar Sayf ad-Din Hajji ibn Muhammad ibn Qalawun, better known as al-Muzaffar Hajji, (1331–December 1347) was the Bahri Mamluk sultan of Egypt. He was also the sixth son of an-Nasir Muhammad (d. 1341) to hold office, ruling from Septemb ...

Biography

Sha'ban was a son of the long-reigning and autocratic

sultan

and one of his concubines, whose name is not provided by the Mamluk-era sources. When al-Nasir Muhammad died, several of his sons succeeded him as sultan, with Abu Bakr, Kujuk, al-Nasir Ahmad and al-Salih Ismail assuming the post in succession, although many of them held power in name only; influential Mamluk emirs often held real power. In August 1345, Sha'ban's full brother al-Salih Ismail died from an illness, and was succeeded by Sha'ban, thenceforth known as al-Kamil Sha'ban.Holt 1986, p. 123. Sha'ban made a pact with the leading Mamluk emirs, chief among them Arghum al-Ala'i, his stepfather. Despite the pacts he made with the leading emirs, Sha'ban alienated them relatively quickly, along with the Mamluk governors of Syria and the officers of his personal guard. Consequently, a revolt against his rule occurred in September 1346. The revolt was organized by the Mamluk emir Shams ad-Din Aqsunqur on behalf of Sha'ban's brother

.Williams, p. 86. Sha'ban was subsequently captured and executed on 21 September 1346, while Arghum was imprisoned in

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 ...

and died there. Sha'ban was buried alongside Yusuf ibn Muhammad, one of his brothers. Before he died Sha'ban had a son who died in infancy and a daughter named A'isha, who married a certain Emir Rajab. The Mamluk-era historian

Ibn Taghribirdi Jamal al-Din Yusuf bin al-Amir Sayf al-Din Taghribirdi (), or Abū al-Maḥāsin Yūsuf ibn Taghrī-Birdī, or Ibn Taghribirdi (2 February 1411— 5 June 1470; 813–874 Islamic calendar, Hijri) was an Islamic historian born in the 15th century i ...

described Sha'ban as "one of the worst rulers as far as injustice and immorality were concerned. During his days the country was ruined because of his passion for entertainment and adherence to the drinking places and fondness for singers."Lewicka, p. 528.

References

Bibliography

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kamil Shaban 1346 deaths 14th-century births 14th-century Mamluk sultans Bahri sultans Murdered Mamluk sultans Qalawunid dynasty