The bloody ends of some Mamluk sultans (648-923 / 1250-1517)

This research deals with the study of an important phenomenon that prevailed and spread during the Mamluk era, which is the phenomenon of the bloody ends of some sultans, as this era was filled with all kinds of violence and conspiracies, which began to appear on the scene of events since the end of the Ayyubid era, and specifically since Turanshah, the son of Al-Salih Najm al-Din Ayyub, took over the Sultanate. The conspiracy to get rid of his oppression and power became a link in a continuous series of bloody events for which this era became famous, as the number of Mamluk sultans whose rule ended bloodily reached fourteen sultans.
The truth is that the reasons leading to this phenomenon are many and varied, foremost of which is the nature of the upbringing of the Mamluks themselves, in addition to the harsh, drunken nature with which they were raised. Among these reasons, we also find that some sultans went too far in their arrogance and superiority over the princes, and even punished them with imprisonment or death in an exaggerated manner in many cases, which made them fed up with them and decided to get rid of them.
At times, the Sultan’s preference for a particular sect of the Mamluks and his favoritism towards them at the expense of other sects and the unfair dispersion of salaries and examples were one of the direct reasons leading to the dissatisfaction of the princes and the military, which in turn precipitated the elimination of the Sultan.
Among these reasons, we also mention revenge, or the jealousy and plotting of women, as well as the belittling of some sultans in a way that does not enable them to manage well in difficult times, or their recklessness and excessive distraction, which the princes took as a pretext to get rid of the sultan.
In summary, the state of chaos and turmoil that Egypt experienced during that period, with its conspiracies and strife, as well as the cruelty and brutality known to the Mamluks, had a severe impact on destabilizing the Sultan’s court, which naturally led to the spread of many manifestations. The various violence, which was clearly demonstrated by the bloody endings to which a significant number of Mamluk sultans were subjected.