GENEALOGICAL LEGENDS ABOUT INAL AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LEGENDARY VERSIONS OF THE ORIGIN OF THE CIRCASSIAN MAMLUKS

Abstract

According to the common genealogical legend, the founder of the Circassian palatine dynasty, prince Inal, was a representative of a noble family, who migrated from Arabia or Egypt to Circassia. The time when allegedly this migration took place coincides with the period of the Mamelukes’ reign. The content of the Circassian traditions, outlined by the first Circassian writers, corresponds very closely with the story about Circassians’ origin, described by Ibn Khaldun, the famous scholarscientist, who held public office during the reign of the first Circassian sultan of Egypt Barquq al-Djarkasi (1382–1399). Ibn Khaldun offered some convenient for his customer version of the Circassians’ origin, and, accordingly, of the Circassian Mamelukes. Once upon a time, at the beginning of the Muslim history, the Arab tribe banū Ghassān moved first to Byzantium, and thence to Circassia, where they were assimilated among the local population. Thus, the coming of Circassian Barquq to power signified the restoring of the true Arabian authorities. In the 17th century, with the strengthening of Mameluke emirs in Cairo, this legend was widespread again in Egypt, Turkey and Circassia. It is quite probable that a similar fable of the Circassians dates back to the same version of Ibn Khaldun (through several later editions).