Sayf al-Din Tatar

Of Circassian descent, Tatar arrived in Cairo around 1399 as a young slave.^[3] He managed to carve out a path to prominence and eventually ascending to the rank of Emir.^[4] Even prior to the funeral of Sultan Al-Mu'ayyad Shaykh, he solidified his standing among the Mamluk elite and swiftly assumed control as regent for the young Sultan Al-Muzaffar Ahmad.^[5]

However, Tatar's rise to power wasn't without opposition. The viceroy of Damascus rebelled against his de facto authority,^[6] only to be subdued by his forces.^[7] Following his victory, Tatar seized Damascus, eliminating many of his adversaries and marrying the mother of the young sultan, Khawand Sa'adat.^[8] He eventually dethroned the sultan at the Citadel of Damascus on August 29, 1421, claiming the Mamluk throne for himself before returning to Cairo.^[3]

However, he contracted a chronic illness, and his health declined rapidly, culminating in his demise on November 30, 1421.^[9] Just two days prior, he designated his son, Al-Nasir al-Din Muhammad, as his successor to the throne.^[10]

One of his wives was the daughter of Qutlubugha Hajji al-Banaqusi al-Turkmani al-Halabi. They together had one daughter, Khawand Fatima,^[11]: 409 who married Sultan Barsbay,^[12] and died on 30 August 1469.^[13] Another wife was the daughter of Sudun al-Faqih.^[11]: 43 Another wife was Khawand Sa'adat.^[14] She was the daughter of Sirghitmish, and had been previously married to Sultan Al-Mu'ayyad Shaykh. They married on 4 August 1421. She died in 1430.^[15] He had one son, An-Nasir ad-Din Muhammad, who reigned between 1421 and 1422.^[16] Another daughter was Sitt al-Muluk. She was married to Yashbak as-Suduni, the commander-in-chief.^[17][18]