Melik Mansur Salah al-Din Muhammad b. Melik Muzaffar Haji b. Melik al-Nasir Muhammad b. Melik al-Mansur Qalawun b. Abdullah al-Salihi. This person became sultan, and the sultanate of his uncle, Melik al-Nasir Hasan b. Melik al-Nasir Muhammad b. Melik al-Mansur Qalawun, came to an end. Sultan Melik al-Nasir Hasan’s greed and ambition had increased; he treated the people badly and drove them into a life of hardship. He had large buildings constructed, most of which were unnecessary, seized the money of the bayt al-mal (public treasury) and most of its property, and with this money bought himself many villages and farms. This greatly distressed the people. However, none of the judges, administrators, scholars, or the righteous dared to attack him for this, nor did they show the courage to protest, nor could they offer advice in a way that would benefit him and the Muslims. Allah took retribution from him. He set his soldiers against him. He turned the hearts of his people, both elite and common, away from him. For he had cut off their provisions, salaries, and bread, and what he had taken from them he added to the salaries and provisions of his own special men. For this reason, the number of emirs, soldiers, commanders, scribes, and officials loyal to him decreased, and those whose provisions were reduced fell into poverty and need. The salaries and provisions of themselves, their children, and those under their care were also seized. At that time,
Allah decreed the death of Sultan Melik al-Nasir Hasan at the hands of his own special man, Emir al-Kabir Sayf al-Din Yalbugha al-Hasaki. The situation was as follows: Sultan Melik al-Nasir Hasan wanted to arrest Emir al-Kabir Sayf al-Din Yalbugha, made the necessary preparations for this, and went against him with his soldiers, meeting him outside Cairo. After a confrontation at the place where the tents were set up, Sultan Melik al-Nasir Hasan was defeated, and some soldiers from both sides were killed. Sultan Melik al-Nasir Hasan took refuge in the Citadel (Jabal). There was nowhere else left to seek refuge, and prudence was of no avail against destiny. The soldiers completely besieged the citadel and spent the night there. Sultan Melik al-Nasir Hasan mounted his horse and tried to flee to Karak. However, when he exited the citadel, he was caught and arrested, and taken to the residence of the aforementioned Hasaki Yalbugha.
This was his final moment. It was the ninth day of the month of Jumada al-Awwal, a Wednesday. As a result of consultation, authority was given to Emir Sayf al-Din Yalbugha from among the Hasakis. In his meeting with the emirs, he had the decision made to pledge allegiance to Melik Mansur Salah al-Din Muhammad b. Muzaffar Haji as sultan. The preachers delivered the khutba in the name of the new sultan. Coins were minted in his name. The postal service delivered the order for his bayʿa (pledge of allegiance) to all parts of the country. At that time, the new sultan was only twelve years old. There are also various reports that he was fourteen or sixteen. The new sultan ordered a return to the practices from the time of his father, Nasir Muhammad b. Qalawun, the annulment of all the decisions made by Melik Nasir Hasan, and the restoration of the salaries that had been cut. He also ordered that Emir Taz, who was in the Alexandria prison, and Taşdemir al-Qasim be brought before him to appoint them as atabeg.
This news reached Damascus on the morning of Wednesday, the sixteenth of this month, by post under the command of Emir Sayf al-Din Bezlar, one of the emirs of the drum house in Egypt. Thereupon, drums of glad tidings were beaten in the citadel. The musicians of the emirs gave a musical feast in front of the residences. The whole city was decorated. On the morning of the same day, the bayʿa for the new sultan was taken at the Dār al-Saʿāda Palace. A robe of honor, which signified great distinction, was sent to the deputy of the sultanate. Most of the emirs, soldiers, and people rejoiced at this situation. Command and judgment belong to Allah alone. For in a noble verse, the Exalted Allah has said:
"Say: O Allah, Owner of Sovereignty! You give sovereignty to whom You will and You take sovereignty away from whom You will. You honor whom You will and You humble whom You will."
(Āl ʿImrān, 26).
A stone inscribed with a poem in Himyarite was found and brought to Maʾmun to be read. The poem on the stone was as follows:
"As long as night and day follow one another, the stars in their orbits in the sky do not revolve in vain. They revolve only for the transfer of bounty from one king to another king.
Yet the sovereignty of the King who owns the Throne is eternal and everlasting. It is neither perishable nor shared."
According to the narration, Sulayman b. ʿAbd al-Malik b. Marwan, one day, set out from his house to attend the Friday prayer. He was of handsome appearance and pleasing stature. He wore a green garment. He was a plump young man. He looked at his surroundings, his shoulders, and his garment, and was greatly pleased with his clothing. When he reached the courtyard of the house, a jinn, disguised as one of his favorite slave-girls, appeared before him and recited this poem to him:
"If you were to remain forever, you would be very beautiful. But there is no eternal life here for any human. As far as I know, you have no defect at all. Only, you are mortal."
He went to the prayer, ascended the pulpit of the Umayyad Mosque, and delivered a sermon to the people. He had a powerful voice. He could make himself heard to everyone in the mosque. He delivered his sermon on the pulpit. His voice gradually diminished, to the point that even those in the royal gallery could no longer hear him. After performing the prayer, he was taken home. When his favorite, disguised as a jinn, came to him, he asked her, "How did you recite those two couplets to me before the prayer, what kind of couplets were they?" His favorite replied, "I did not recite anything to you!" Thereupon, Sulayman b. ʿAbd al-Malik said, "Allahu Akbar! So that person who appeared before me, by Allah, has given me news of my death!" He then bequeathed that after him, his cousin ʿUmar b. ʿAbd al-ʿAziz should become caliph. May Allah have mercy on him. On the morning of Saturday, the twenty-sixth of Jumada al-Awwal, the deposed deputy of Tripoli and the former deputy of Damascus, Emir Sayf al-Din Istedmur, came from Tripoli, where they had been residing, to Damascus and entered the Dār al-Saʿāda Palace.
The deputy of the sultanate did not organize a welcoming ceremony for them. Also in this month, in Damascus, the balustrades of the portico to the west of Bab al-Natfaniyyin were renewed, and its walls and mihrab were painted white. Window-like openings were also made between the balustrades. An endowment was established for the recitation of the Qur'an there after the Maghrib call to prayer. It is reported that a man had a dream about the repair of this place, went and told the deputy of the sultanate about his dream, and he ordered its repair and restoration. In this dream, it was also requested that the repair of the madrasa building adjacent to this place, up to the windows, be carried out. This place had previously been built by ʿAlam al-Din b. Hilal. However, when his property was confiscated and he was arrested, it was taken from him and added to the sultan's property. They then built the structure on these foundations, constructing five windows on the east side, and on the front side, a door with a mihrab inside and a cistern in the Iraqi style.
They built the walls with black and white stones and whitewashed the upper part with lime. Thus, a very beautiful building was created. Sultan Nasir Hasan had ordered that this place be turned into a school for orphans, but since he was killed, this order could not be carried out. As we have mentioned in previous sections.
In the middle of the month of Jumada al-Akhir of this year, the deputy of the sultanate made an announcement in the city of Damascus, ordering women to go out covered, to wear an izar (a wrap) under their clothes, and not to display their adornments or hands openly. The women complied with this order. Praise and gratitude belong to Allah.
The Arab emir Jabbar b. Muhanna came to Damascus with great pomp and ceremony. The deputy of the sultanate went out to meet him on the road. Jabbar b. Muhanna was going to the sultan's noble gate.
At the end of the month of Rajab, Emir Sayf al-Din Timur al-Mihmandar, who was removed from the deputyship of Gaza and appointed as the hajib al-hujjab (chief chamberlain) of Damascus, arrived in Damascus. In addition to the office of hajib al-hujjab, he was also given the command of the right wing of the Damascus army.
In this month, the deputy of the sultanate abolished many taxes. He also canceled the daily fee of more than half a dirham taken by the muhtasib (market inspector). He also forgave the three and a half dirhams taken for the preparation of each funeral. He made the washhouse in the passage a place that provided free service and ordered that a fee be charged for the dead washed there. He forbade causing difficulties in the sale of unripe dates and the destruction of some of the produce to increase prices. Thus, this year, people attained cheapness and abundance. It is even said that a quintal of dates was sold for ten dirhams.
In the month of Shaʿban, Emir Jabbar b. Muhanna came from Egypt to Damascus and was hosted at the Ablak Palace. The deputy of the sultanate welcomed him. They exchanged gifts. A few days later, Emir Jabbar departed from Damascus.
The emirs who were in the Alexandria prison arrived in Damascus on the morning of Friday, the seventh of Shaʿban. Among them were Emir Shihab al-Din b. Subh, Sayf al-Din Taydamir al-Hajib, Tayberaf, the commander of 1,000 soldiers, and ʿUmar Shah.
The deputy of the sultanate, Emir Sayf al-Din Baydamir—may Allah strengthen him—continued to abolish some taxes that were to the detriment of the Muslims. I have heard that he—if Allah grants him the means—intends to abolish all these taxes. We hope that Allah grants him this power and opportunity.