When Thursday dawned, Tūmān Tamur pressed the Commander of the Emirs to set out for Gaza so that he, the remainder of the Syrian troops who had gone on ahead, and Manjak with the forces already there might rendezvous—so that Allah might bring to pass a matter already decreed. The Commander assented and ordered the vanguard to move out before him that very day. The vanguard duly departed, and the citadel closed the passage-gate beside the Dār al-Ḥadith; the people were alarmed at this, yet Allah grants a favourable end.
The departure of the Commander of the Emirs Baydamur from Damascus toward Gaza to join the troops stationed there
On Friday, the twelfth of Ramadan, the deputy of the sultanate and the deputy of Tripoli performed the Friday prayer in the royal enclosure. They then attended the sermon in the preaching enclosure, proceeded to the Dār al-Saʿāda, and—after the ʿAṣr prayer—the Commander ordered his personal corps to parade in magnificent array, as previously described. He rode out with them, reviewed them, then returned to the Dār al-Saʿāda, where he remained until he had prayed the dawn prayer. After that he and the deputy of Tripoli mounted and followed the army. The rest of the forces still in Damascus—emirs and members of the ḥalqa—also departed, may Allah preserve them. The judges likewise set out, as did the Chancellor, the treasurer, and the other clerks of the dīwān. When the people awoke on Saturday, not a single soldier remained in Damascus except the acting deputy, Emir Sayf al-Din ibn Ḥamza al-Turkmānī; his kinsman, the governor of the countryside; the city governor, Emir Badr al-Din Ṣadaqa ibn Awḥad; the market inspector; and the deputies of the judges. The citadel was unchanged, its trebuchets still standing.
At daybreak on Sunday the judges returned, and later that day the Commander of the Emirs and Tūmān Tamur also came back, all of them fully armed, each fearing the other might seize him. The Commander entered the Dār al-Saʿāda, while Tūmān Tamur made for the Qasr al-Ablaq.
After the ʿAṣr prayer Manjak and Asandamur—formerly the deputy of the sultanate in Damascus—were brought in, both in chains. They had been overpowered by the very troops that Baydamur had dispatched to reinforce Manjak against the Egyptians, an action carried out by Emir Sayf al-Din Tamur, the Chief Chamberlain, known as al-Muhandadār. He said to Manjak, “We are all in the service of the ruler in Egypt, and we will not obey you in supporting Baydamur.” They exchanged words, then fought; Manjak was defeated, and Tamur, Manjak, and those with them—such as Ibn Ṣubḥ and Ṭaydamur—made off.
When Monday the fifteenth dawned, no trace could be found of Tūmān Tamur, Ṭubayriq, or any of the Damascene emirs; they had all transferred their allegiance to the ruler in Egypt. None of the city’s commanders remained in Damascus except Ibn Qarāsunqur, one of the senior emirs, together with Baydamur, Manjak, and Asandamur. The citadel had been readied, its trebuchets still in position, and the populace were in great fear that Baydamur might occupy the fortress; once the Egyptian army arrived, this would mean siege, hardship, and exhaustion for them. Allah brings matters to a good conclusion. (1)