Sultans and Slaves: Salih’s Rise to Power

Abstract

Like all Ayyubid princes, Sultan Salih rose to power by fighting his family members, aided by his large army of Turkic slaves, called mamluks. After a period of captivity in which his Turkic concubine Shajar al-Durr bore him a son, he gained freedom and became sultan of Egypt. Just as large numbers of male slaves were imported into Egypt to serve as soldiers and servants, female slaves were acquired from the same areas, possibly in even greater numbers. These served as servants and concubines. Some, such as Shajar al-Durr, became mothers of their master’s sons and thus gained more security and social importance.