t. After a brief
sojourn in Cairo he speedily returned thither, thereby forfeiting his
throne, which was conferred by the amirs on his brother _Isma'il
al-Malik al-Salih_ (June 27th, 1342). This sultan was mainly occupied
during his short reign with besieging and taking Kerak, whither Ahmad
had taken refuge, and himself died on the 3rd of August 1345, when
another son of Malik al-Nasir, named _Sha'ban_, was placed on the
throne. The constant changes of sultan led to great disorder in the
provinces, and many of the subject principalities endeavoured to shake
off the Egyptian yoke. Sha'ban proved no more competent than his
predecessors, being given to open debauchery and profligacy, an example
followed by his amirs; and fresh discontent led to his being deposed by
the Syrian amirs, when his brother _Hajji_ was proclaimed sultan in his
place (September 18th, 1346). Hajji was deposed and killed on the 10th
of December 1347, and another infant son of Malik al-Nasir, _Hasan_, who
took his father's title, was proclaimed, the real power being shared by
three amirs, Sheikhun, Menjek and Yelbogha Arus. During this reign
(1348-1349) Egypt was visited by the "Black Death," which is said to
have carried off 900,000 of the inhabitants of Cairo and to have raged
as far south as Assuan. Towards the beginning of 1351 the sultan got rid
of his guardians and attempted to rule by himself; but though successful
in war, his arbitrary measures led to his being dethroned on the 21st of
August 1351 by the amirs, who proclaimed his brother Salih with the
title of _Malik al-Salih_. He too was only fourteen years of age. The
power was contested for by various groups of amirs, whose struggles
ended with the deposition of the sultan Salih on the 20th of October
1354, and the reinstatement of his brother _Hasan_, who was again
dethroned on the 16th of March 1361 by an amir Yelbogha, whom he had
offended, and who, having got possession of the sultan's person,
murdered him. The next day a son of the dethroned sultan Hajji was
proclaimed sultan with the title _Malik al-Mansur_. On the 29th of May
1363 this sultan was also dethroned on the ground of incompetence, and
his place was given to another grandson of Malik al-Nasir, _Sha'ban_,
son of Hosain, then ten years old. The amir Yelbogha at first held all
real power and is said to have acquired a degree of authority which no
other subject ever held. During this reign, on the 8th of October 1365,
a landing