Al-Ashraf Abu Al-Nasr Qaitbay was born in Kipchak on the Volga
River in present-day Russia. He was bought by a slave merchant
named Mahmoud Ibn Rustum. He was brought to Egypt in 839 after
Hijra (AD 1435) at the age of thirteen. He was bought by Sultan
Barsbay for his garrison at the Citadel. In the reign of Sultan
Jaqmaq, he was manumitted and appointed Master of the Robes,
then Khasqi, the head of the internal affairs of the Royal
Court, and then Dawadar, or Chancellor. He rose in the ranks to
become Commander of the Armies in 872 after Hijra (AD 1467). In
that year there was an uprising among the Mamluk princes that
resulted in the ousting of Sultan Al-Zahir Tamurbugha from
power. The Abbasid Caliph Al-Mustanjid Billah swore allegiance
to Qaitbay as Sultan, at which point Qaitbay burst into tears
because he was afraid of being murdered by his princes. This was
how Sultan Qaitbay came to power as ruler of Egypt and Great
Syria. He reigned until his death in 901 after Hijra (AD 1496).
It was during his rule