More than a decade before her ascendancy, the woman who became
Shajar al-Durr, or Spray of Pearls, joined the retinue of slaves in
the service of her future husband, as-Salih Ayyub. One of Saladin's
great-nephews, as-Salih Ayyub chose Shajar as his favorite concubine. The death
of as-Salih's father in 1238 threw Egypt into turmoil, as his sons and
relatives battled for control of the region, a vital part of the Abbasid Empire
that stretched from North Africa to Iraq. The conflict abated in
1240, when Shajar shared her husband's imprisonment. During
their confinement, she gave birth to a son Khalil,
who unfortunately lived for only three months. After her husband's
release and his rise to power in Egypt, he gave Shajar authority to act in his
stead whenever he was away from Egypt on various campaigns that consolidated
his power. He delegated his power to her as Umm Khalil, the mother
of his deceased son, and she held an official seal with that title.
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| The Mameluke Empire |
In July 1429, as part of the Seventh Crusade, King Louis
IX of France landed at Damietta on the Nile. Within five months, his army
marched toward Cairo. Shajar returned with her husband from a campaign against
one of his uncles. The ruler of Egypt faced a precarious situation; the
Crusader army had landed on his shores while he endured a painful infection in
his leg that became abscessed. He suffered an amputation, but within days
left Shajar a widow. She acted decisively, by secretly sending word to Turan
Shah, her husband's son by another woman and having her husband's servants
go about their normal routines, including bringing meals to his tent. Later,
Turan Shah defeated the Crusaders at the Battle of al-Mansurah. Turan became ruler
of Egypt in February 1250. He didn't endear himself by drinking alcohol against
religious proscriptions, or by removing his father and Shajar's confidantes
from positions of power and replacing them with his own men.
The Mameluke soldiers assassinated Turan three months later with
Shajar's blessing.
