Abbasid is the second Islamic dynasty. This Arabic family was descended from Abbas, the uncle of the Prophet Muhammad. The Abbasids ruled in Egypt in AD 750-868 and AD 905-935.
caliph
a successor of the Prophet Muhammad and head of the Islamic community; traditionally always male
citadel
a fortress in a commanding position in or near a city
dawadar
a prince in the royal court; means literally the pencase holder
Hijra
Emigration of the Prophet Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Medina in AD 622.
Ibn
Arabic for "son of"
khasqi
carrier of the Royal Saddlecloth, and responsable for the inner house
Ottoman
Ottoman is a Turkish dynasty founded by Osman the First. Thus, Ottoman relates to the Ottoman Empire or its people, language, or culture. The Ottomans ruled Egypt from AD 1517 to 1805.
Al-Ashraf Abu Al-Nasr Qaitbay was born in Kipchak on the Volga River in present-day Russia. He was bought by a slave merchant named Mahmoud Ibn Rustum. He was brought to Egypt in 839 after Hijra (AD 1435) at the age of thirteen. He was bought by Sultan Barsbay for his garrison at the Citadel.
In the reign of Sultan Jaqmaq, he was manumitted and appointed Master of the Robes, then Khasqi, the head of the internal affairs of the Royal Court, and then Dawadar, or Chancellor. He rose in the ranks to become Commander of the Armies in 872 after Hijra (AD 1467). In that year there was an uprising among the Mamluk princes that resulted in the ousting of Sultan Al-Zahir Tamurbugha from power.
The Abbasid Caliph Al-Mustanjid Billah swore allegiance to Qaitbay as Sultan, at which point Qaitbay burst into tears because he was afraid of being murdered by his princes. This was how Sultan Qaitbay came to power as ruler of Egypt and Great Syria. He reigned until his death in 901 after Hijra (AD 1496). It was during his rule that Ottoman aspirations to take over Egypt began.
