page_title: Sayf ad-Din Inal
section_title: Internal unrest
hierarchical_section_title: Sayf ad-Din Inal / Reign / Internal unrest
caption_attribution_description: English: Picture of a print from David Roberts' Egypt &amp; Nubia, issued between 1845 and 1849.
context_page_description: Al-Malik al-Ashraf Sayf al-Din Abu an-Nasr Inal al-'Ala'i az-Zahiri an-Nasiri al-Ajrud was the 13th Burji Mamluk sultan of Egypt, ruling between 1453–1461.
context_section_description: Inal's reign was particularly noted by historians for the severe absence of restraint among the roughly 1,000 mamluks under his direct authority, known as the julban or ajlab. The julban were responsible for mass disturbances throughout the sultanate. While Inal and his close circle of officials were notably less tyrannical and brutal than their predecessors, the transgressions of the julban created an environment of fear and insecurity. According to historian Sir William Muir, "for the first time both the rich and the poor had to protect their properties by trench and wall." Because of the frequent raids of markets and shops, many store owners closed their businesses to protect and protest the actions of the mamluks.
  On 15 June 1455 Inal faced a mutiny by roughly 500 of his Circassian mamluks after assembling them to launch an expedition against Bedouin tribesmen invading al-Buhayra Province (the Delta region.)  Inal had rejected their requests for customary camels as a result of the poor economic conditions of the sultanate. Consequently, the mamluks rallied in Cairo's horse market, refusing to participate in the expedition. Being leaderless, the mutineers were organized and directed by the higher ranking mamluks. They attempted to assassinate Yunus al-Aqba'i, Inal's executive secretary, as he departed from the Cairo Citadel, but his bodyguards warded off the attackers, wounding a few of them. The mutineers were then joined by the recently dismissed Zahiris (the faction which Inal originally hailed from) and subsequently besieged the citadel, demanding higher salaries and the handing over of Yunus. Afterward, Inal sent disciplinary officers to assuage the mamluks' concerns, but to no avail. The mamluks proceeded to raid Yunus's house, but were unsuccessful and returned to the horse market. There, Inal sent a herald to offer the mamluks amnesty and their wounded compensation, but they refused and severely beat the herald. After the mamluks blocked the street to the citadel preventing the royal emirs from leaving. Inal dispatched four emirs to negotiate with the mamluks, but they were taken hostage until their demands were met.
  The mutiny convinced Caliph al-Qa'im to abandon his support for Inal and join the uprising. With the caliph providing symbolic legitimacy to the mamluks, they took up arms and assaulted the citadel. Finding himself faced with no alternatives, Inal launched an offensive against the mutineers. The Royal Mamluk Guard of the citadel resisted the rebels and eventually dispersed the Zahiris. Inal had al-Qa'im arrested and imprisoned in Alexandria. He was replaced by al-Mustanjid. All mamluks with the exception of the royal guard were removed from their positions in citadel and some of the mutineers were either imprisoned or exiled. Despite the insurrection, Inal supplied the mamluks with the camels they sought and the expedition to al-Buhayra was carried out.
  The young mamluk soldiers mutinied again in December 1456 demanding increased pay to which Inal bowed without resistance or punishment. Inal was generally unable to quell the countrywide unrest carried out by the mamluks. Several of the sultan's emirs were assaulted and cities and towns were raided. Worshipers, including women, were harassed at the Mosque of Amr ibn al-As. In one incident the sultan himself was chased and attacked with stones, forcing him to briefly flee into the citadel's harem.
caption: Sultan Inal complex
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