IN the year 1250, when the assassination of Touran-Chah put an end to the Ayoubite dynasty, the Mamelukes were at a loss where to bestow the crown, that had for a century been worn by the members of that house, of which Saladin was the greatest. In their perplexity, they bestowed the sovereignty on a woman, named Chegger-Eddour, who, having originally been brought to Cairo as merchandise, and purchased by Melikul-Salih as a slave, had been elevated by her beauty and talent to the position of favorite Sultana. Accordingly, they proclaimed her " Queen of the Mussulmans," and associated with her in the government one of their own body, named Turcoman; and she, perhaps to prove how accommodating she was, mado matters pleasant, by becoming Turcoman's wife.
The affairs of the Sultana, however, were not destined to go quite smoothly. The elevation of a woman to the Egyptian throne, filled Moslems with amazement; and the Caliph of Bagdad, who still preserved a shadow of power, and was in the habit of sending the Sultan of Egypt a rich robe by way of investiture, aroused himself from voluptuous effeminacy, and asked, with indignation, if a man capable of reigning could not be found.
Alarmed at the discontent, Chegger-Eddour abdicated in favor of Turcoman; and Turcoman ere long found that he had put on a thorny crown. No sooner was he seated on the throne, than a conspiracy was formed, and the Sultan was in danger of sharing his predecessor's fate. Death, however, carried off his principal adversary; and the peril appeared to have passed over. But, unluckily, Turcoman at this crisis was indiscreet enough to aspire to the hand of an eastern princess; and his spouse giving way to anger, swore to be avenged.
The vengeance of the Sultana did not sleep. Soon after Turcoman had aroused her jealousy, one of his chief emirs was summoned at midnight to the palace. On hastening thither, the Emir presented himself in the chamber of Chegger-Eddour, and found her seated with one foot resting on the bleeding body of her husband. The Emir, astonished at the spectacle, uttered a cry of horror; but the Sultana calmly asked him to be seated, and pointed to a place by her side. Terror-struck, the Emir was turning away, when she stated that she had commanded his presence in order to offer him her hand and her empire. Overcome with fear, the Emir fled from the palace.
When news crept through Cairo that the Sultan, while in a bath, had been assassinated by order of his spouse, much indignation was manifested; and the mother of the murdered man prepared to avenge his death. Her measures were soon taken. Chegger-Eddour was put to death by slaves, and her corpse cast into the ditch that surrounded the palace.
Amid the excitement caused by such startling scenes of horror, news that the Tartars had taken Bagdad, seized the Caliph, and immured him amid his treasures to die of hunger, aroused the Mamelukes to energy; and they elected as Sultan an Emir whom they deemed qualified by courage and talent, to front the peril that menaced their empire.
The name of the new Sultan was Koutouz; and, being a Mameluke, confident and brave, he placed himself at the head of his army, encountered the Tartars at Tiberas, and impressed them wilh so high an idea of his power, that they retreated from Syria. Unfortunately for Koutouz, he happened, while in the vicinity of Acre, to renew a truce with the Christians; and this moderation was regarded by the Mamelukes with so much dislike, that they conspired to effect his ruin.
One day, while the Sultan's victorious army lay at Sallhie, and when Koutouz had ridden forth to divert himself with hunting, a Mameluke, stained with blood, spurred into the camp, presented himself to the officer in command, and announced that the Sultan was no more.
"Koutouz is slain," said he in a tone of calm confidence.
"Koutouz slain!" exclaimed the officer; "who killed him?"
"It was I," answered the Mameluke coolly.
"In that case," said the other, "you had better reign in his stead."
The Mameluke chief who had slain Koutouz was Bibars Bendocdar, and he was guilty of no hesitation at this crisis. Having been nominated by the Sultan's lieutenant as successor to the man whom he had murdered, the bold Mameluke was proclaimed by the army, and enthroned at Cairo.
No sooner had Bibars Bendocdar made a vow to complete the ruin of the Franks, than he rendered his name terrible; indeed, the Christians were speedily reduced to humility. After having seen their country repeatedly ravaged, without offering any resistance, they sent to implore peace. Without deigning an answer, Bibars seized Nazareth, and gave its church to the flames; ravaged the country between Nain and Mount Tabor, besieged and took Ceserea, seized Arsouf, took Jaffa, and sacked and burned Antioch. Everywhere the Sultan exercised the utmost cruelty. The inhabitants of the conquered cities were put to the sword, or sold as slaves; the Mamelukes reserving as their portion the women, girls, and children. " There was not the slave of a slave," says the Arabian Chronicler, " that was not the master of a slave." Nothing now remained to the Christians but Acre and Tripoli.
Full accounts of the Sultan's exploits reached Europe by means of the two Grand Masters and the Archbishop of Tyre, who repaired to the West to implore aid. The crusades, however, had hitherto been attended with so little success, that few had any inclination to take the cross; and the Pope was too intent on the destruction of the House of Suabia, to feel any overpowering interest in the fate of the Eastern Christians. Nevertheless, their deplorable plight moved compassion; and the King of Arragon sent ambassadors to Cairo to demand peace for his brethren. But Bibars Bendocdar treated the messages of the King of Arragon with scorn; and, remembering what the French had suffered at Damietta, ridiculed the notion of any European prince coming to aid the Christians of Syria.
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From John G. Edgar
The Crusades and the Crusaders, 1860
