"Sayf ad-Din Qawsun ibn Abdullah an-Nasiri as-Saqi (1302 – April 1342), commonly known as Qawsun (also spelled Qausun or Qusun) was a prominent Mamluk emir during the reigns of sultans an-Nasir Muhammad (r. 1310–41), al-Mansur Abu Bakr (r. 1341) and al-Ashraf Kujuk (r. 1341–42). He came to Egypt as a traveling merchant in a Mongol caravan and after his arrival met Sultan an-Nasir Muhammad, who purchased him as a mamluk. In a few years, Qawsun rose through the military hierarchy, attaining the highest Mamluk military rank of amir mi'a muqaddam alf (emir of one hundred [mamluks], commander of one thousand [soldiers]) and becoming one of the top emirs of the sultan. His adulthood at purchase and quick promotions was atypical of Mamluk emirs, who were usually purchased as children and underwent long and arduous training to attain their high ranks and positions. Qawsun's favorable situation was attributed to his physical appearance and an-Nasir Muhammad's pursuit of a power base composed of outsiders to counter the influence of the existing mamluk factions, including his own. " - (Wikipedia (en) 07.01.2018)
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