This thread got too long and I am not finished yet. For the first thread on Mubārak al-Ḥabashī al-Qābūnī, see below. Now, it's time to talk about the biggest clash with the Mamluks resulting in 100-150 civilian deaths.~tw 1/ #BlackLivesMatter #antiracism
When Mubārak's entourage entered Damascus on 3 Ramaḍān 899/1494, large crowds flocked to them. I assure you they were locals, not "outside agitators". Just like today, the unjust treatment of one black person could actually lead to a public outcry. #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd
~tw 2/
~tw 2/
In rather classist terms, Ibn Ṭawq describes those people as the urban poor "without work". A large crowd followed Mubārak until he and his followers entered the shaykh al-islām's house. The crowd made for the prison at the Barīd Gate, where Mubārak's companion was still held 3/
Reports differ at this point: some say, they forced entry intro the prison but I'll go with Ibn Ṭawq who states it "was opened for them". In addition to Mubārak's companion, several other prisoners were freed BUT "no criminals from the big prison".~tw 4/
By all accounts, even at this point the protest appears to have remained peaceful. But the Mamluks wouldn't have it and escalated the situation oh so quickly after the prison guards had informed them about the situation.
~tw 5/
~tw 5/
They didn't have far to go. The citadel (left) is close to the Umayyad Mosque (right) where the crowd had gathered in protest. The Mamluk governor reacted by sending in the military. Remember, by all we know the crowd had not committed any violence, just voiced their concerns.~tw
The governor could have reacted like this but he chose to bring in the equivalent of water guns, tear gas, and sharp ammunition. First, in the city center, then in Qābūn, where Mubārak's house was.
~tw 7/
~tw 7/
The Mamluk equivalent of today's anti-riot gear was the mounted soldier. Imagine having those coming at you through the narrow streets of Damascus! Slashing their swords left and right, firing arrows into the crowd. The crowd trying to retreat, stepping..
realmofhistory.com
realmofhistory.com
...on others in the process. That is exactly what happened. Ibn Ṭawq: they "cut with their swords amongst the crowd. Most were just bystanders and fled their path. About sixty were killed and many more wounded. I was told that they captured two men and beheaded them." ~tw 9/
"Corpses lay from the Sūq al-Rasīf all the way to the bench of the muḥtasib and to the wall. One group had locked themselves up in a caravanserai there but one unit killed a number and injured seven of them...then they went to Qābūn...The fitna lasted until noon."~tw 10/
Another chronicler, Ibn al-Ḥimṣī, relates that people sought refuge in the Umayyad Mosque but the Mamluks entered through the only unlocked door. The civilians then fled to the amber market but found its gates locked. More than 70 were killed right there. ~tw 11/
Over the following days, the Mamluks did not relent. They hunted and killed everyone who wore a "mīzar", a headgear associated with Mubarak's followers. They showed that they were not there "to serve and protect" anyone except their own privilege. They showed rage, hate and fear!
Yes, the Mamluks who could muster, by 1 account, 2,000 troops, were afraid of Mubārak. He had popular support, and they feared he would do to them what they had done to peaceful protestors. They feared he would lead "a full-scale uprising of Bedouins, peasants and brigands". 13/
Their fear was an involvement of "outside agitators" but it was them who had relied on non-Damascenes in the first place. The Mamluks were not from Damascus, and neither were the alcohol traders who brought in merchandise from surrounding villages. Mubārak chose a different path.
Clandestinely, he made his way to the sultan in Cairo, with the support of other scholars and sufis on the way. In the end, he could at least regain his personal affects or compensation for them, which were taken by the ravaging Mamluks.~tw 15/
An important reminder is that not even the influential shaykh al-islam and chief judge were safe from the violence. Mamluks forcefully entered their houses in the search of Mubārak. We should follow their example because even then they did not give him up but helped him escape.16
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