the Chief Military Judge. He went to Taz, who then made bequests to his son, to the child’s mother, and to his own father. He appointed two supervisors over the testament: Emir ʿAlāʾ al-Dīn ʿAlī al-Mārdānī, Deputy of the Sultanate, and Emir Ṣarghitmush.

The Deputy returned from Thaniyat al-ʿUqab on Saturday evening, between sunset and nightfall, the twenty-fourth of the month. Prayers for his well-being multiplied and the populace rejoiced greatly. They also invoked blessings upon Emir Taz for submitting to royal authority and avoiding battle, despite the large force at his command and the strong incitement to resist coming from his two brothers and other relatives.

I met with the Deputy, Emir ʿAlāʾ al-Dīn ʿAlī al-Mārdānī, and he related to me in summary what had happened from the moment he set out until his return. The substance of his account was as follows:

“Allah showed the Muslims immense kindness, for no fighting occurred among them. When Taz reached al-Qutayfa and we had encamped near Khan Lajin, I sent one of my mamluks to him with this message: ‘A noble decree has arrived ordering you to proceed to Egypt with only ten mounts. If you come in that manner, welcome; if not, you will be the source of sedition.’ All Thursday night I rode through the army while it remained in full armor.

“My mamluk soon returned with one of his, saying, ‘He asks to enter under the same petition with which he left Egypt.’ I replied, ‘There is no way but with ten mounts, exactly as the sultan has decreed.’ He departed again, and the emir who had brought the petition from Egypt came to me and said, ‘He requests permission to enter with his mamluks; once he has passed Damascus toward al-Kiswah, his army will stay there and he will continue with ten mounts, as ordered.’ I answered, ‘There is absolutely no permission for him to enter Damascus or pass beyond it under that petition. If he has horses, men, and equipment, I have many times that number.’

“The emir said to me, ‘Ya khawand, do not underestimate his standing.’ I replied, ‘Only what you have heard will happen.’ He turned back, advanced no farther than the flight of an arrow, and then some of our spies who were with them came and reported, ‘Ya khawand, the armies of Hama and Tripoli have arrived, along with the Damascene troops who had gone out because of him; they have joined forces with him.’

“Immediately I mounted with the army, sent out two advance detachments, and said, ‘Show yourselves to the arriving troops so they will know we have encircled them on every side.’ Only then did a reply come from his side asking for safe-conduct and openly agreeing that he would ride with ten mounts and abandon his petition at al-Qutayfa. That was on Friday. When night fell, I remained mounted and fully armed with the army throughout the night, fearing a ruse or deceit. Our spies informed us that they had set fire to their crossbows, lances, and much of their weaponry. We were then certain of his obedience and compliance with all that had been ordered. At dawn on Saturday he finalized his testament, mounted with ten horses, and set out for Egypt. All praise and thanks belong to Allah.

On Monday, the twenty-fourth of Ṣafar, the Grand Chamberlain (1)—who had been imprisoned in the citadel of Ṣarḫad—entered [Damascus] together with al-Buraydi, on whose account he had come from Egypt. A group of emirs and notables went out to greet him. He gave abundant alms at his residence, and the people rejoiced greatly, everyone saying that he was proceeding to Egypt in a position of honor.