Selections from Subh al-A'sha by al-Qalqashandi

Author:al-Qalqashandi [al-Qalqashandi]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Published: 2017-04-21T07:00:00+00:00

p.235

THE THIRD STATUS OF THE CONDITIONS OF THE KINGDOM

On the Regulation of the Kingdom from the Beginning of the Ayyubid State until Our Times The Ayyubids and Mamluks

You should know that when the Ayyubid state overcame the Fatimid and succeeded them in ruling Egypt, it altered much of the state regulation and changed most of its features. The Ayyubid state followed the Atabek1624 State of ῾Imad al-Din Zanki1625 of Mosul1626then his son al-Malik al-῾Adil Nur al-Din Mahmud1627 of Damascus and its affiliated [lands]. It was their custom to wear the yellow caps (kalawtat)1628 on their heads, exposed without turbans. They loosened their hairlocks (dhawa’ib)1629 below the caps, whether they were mamluks, amirs or otherwise. It is even related that [among the practices of] al-Malik al-Mu῾azzam ῾Isa b. al-῾Adil Abu Bakr,1630 the Ruler of Damascus, to renounce pretences was that he wore the yellow cap (kalawta) without muslin (shash)1631 and walked through the markets with no one before him to clear the roads like other kings. When Sayf al-Din Ghazi b. ῾Imad al-Din Zanki1632 ruled Mosul after his father, he introduced carrying the [small yellow] banner (sanjaq)1633 above his head, so other kings followed. He obliged the soldiers to tie their swords to their waists and place their maces (dababis) beneath their knees as they rode, which was reported by Sultan ῾Imad al-Din, the Ruler of Hama, in his Tarikh.1634

p.236

When Sultan Salah al-Din Yusuf b. Ayyub ascended to the throne of Egypt, he followed this course, or one that was similar. When the Turkish State reached power, the kingdom’s [regulation] had already been refined and made orderly, so it continued to improve this regulation, organize the monarchy and establish its splendour. This state copied the best of every kingdom and followed the paths [of such excellent practices], imitating their patterns, until it became most refined and best regulated, and excelled over all other monarchies, making its kings the proudest of all.

p.237

The sultan and soldiers (jund) continued to wear the yellow cap without a turban until Sultan al-Malik al-Ashraf Khalil b. Sultan Qalawun1635 came to power. He introduced [wearing] muslin with it, which made it extremely beautiful.1636 They started wearing [their headgears in this fashion] on top of their loosened hairlocks, as was the original custom. [This remained the practice] until Sultan al-Malik al-Nasir Muhammad b. Qalawun went on pilgrimage in his third reign, so he shaved his head, which people followed by shaving their heads too.1637 Shaving the heads and giving up the hairlocks remained [the practice since then] and until our present times.1638

p.238

And the [description of state regulation] will be described in [the following] ten purposes.

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