24/11/0862:
The ʾamīr kabīr, Sayf al-Dīn Tanbak al-Bardbakī, the ʾatābak al-ʿasākir in the Egyptian domains, passed away on Monday, 24/11/0862. He was buried the following day. He was aged almost 90, as he was originally a mamluk of al-Ẓāhir Barqūq, got married in the latter’s days, and was one of the ʾinīyāt of my father. He advanced in the beginning of the reign of al-ʾAshraf Barsbāy, until he became an amir 10 (either then or during the days of al-Muẓaffar ʾAḥmad), and a raʾs nawba. In 827, he became the nāʾib qalʿat al-Jabal, succeeding Taghrī Birmish al-Bahasnī al-Turkumānī, as the latter was transferred to the office of amir 100 in the Egyptian domains. Tanbak was favored with an amirate 40, also instead of the aforementioned Tagrhī Birmish. He remained in that position for a long time, until he was transferred to the position of amir 100 in the Egyptian domains, at the end of al-ʾAshraf’s reign. Then at the beginning of al-Malik al-Ẓāhir Jaqmaq’s reign, he was appointed as the nāʾib qalʿat al-Jabal a second time, being an amir 100 at that time. He was then appointed as the ʾamīr ḥājj maḥmal. Following, he held the office of ḥājib ḥujjāb of the Egyptian domains for many years. As ʾamīr ḥājj maḥmal, he performed the Hadj several times. Sultan al-Ẓāhir then seized him and banished him to the harbour of Damietta. With his ʾiqṭāʿ and his office of ḥājib, the sultan favored amir Khushqadam al-Nāṣirī al-Muʾayyadī, an amir 100 in Damascus. Tanbak stayed in Damietta for some time. Then al-Malik al-Ẓāhir summoned him to the Egyptian domains, and ordered him to walk in the khidma sulṭānīya. He walked (in) the khidma for many days, without having an ʾiqṭāʿ, until al-Shihābī ʾAḥmad b. ʿAlī b. ʾĪnāl, an amir 100 in the Egyptian domains, passed away. Tanbak was favored with the latter’s ʾiqṭāʿ. During the reign of al-Malik al-Manṣūr ʿUthmān, he became the ʾamīr majlis, following the transfer of Tanam al-Muʾayyadī to the office of ʾamīr silāḥ, succeeding herein Jarbāsh al-Karīmī, as the latter had to stay at home, due to his advanced age and his weakened body. Tanbak’s days as ʾamīr majlis didn’t last long, as he was appointed as ʾamīr silāḥ on the second day of the sultanate of al-Malik al-ʾAshraf ʾĪnāl, instead of the aforementioned Tanam, as he was seized and imprisoned in Alexandria. This (appointment), however, was not effective for him for more than one day, as the following day, he was appointed as ʾatābak al-ʿasākir (as talk had increased regarding the appointment of al-Shihābī ʾAḥmad, the son of al-Malik al-ʾAshraf ʾĪnāl, to the post of ʾatābak al-ʿasāki), instead of his son, whom the sultan removed and made an amir 100. Tanbak remained the ʾatābak instead of al-Shihābī ʾAḥmad for a long time, until he passed away on the aforementioned date. His Excellency al-Shihābī ʾAḥmad was then appointed ʾatābak instead of him for a second time. The matter of Tanbak’s appointment as ʾatābak was something strange, in that the one from whom he took the office was the one who got appointed to it instead of him. This may well have never occurred to somebody before. Tanbak was a good and pious man, gentle and lenient, artless, parsimonious, making no display in his baggage or his attendants. God have mercy upon him!