Shaban Suli

Suli's father was Zayn al-Din Qaraja (r. 1337–1353), a Turkoman chieftain, who founded the state of Dulkadir in southern Anatolia and northern Syria as a client of the Mamluk Sultanate.

Suli succeeded his older brother Ghars al-Din Khalil (r. 1353–86), who was assassinated on the orders of the Mamluk Sultan Barquq (r. 1382–89, 1390–99).

Suli was involved in a series of clashes with the Mamluks, in which he was initially victorious, forcing Barquq to recognize him as the new ruler.

Suli's father and the leader of his tribe, Zayn al-Din Qaraja (r. 1337–53), was one of the Muslim Turkoman lords, or begs, dwelling there.

[2] During the reign of Ghars al-Din Khalil (r. 1353–86), Qaraja's son and Suli's brother, the Dulkadirids considerably expanded their borders.

He fell out with Khalil and fled to the court of the governor of Aleppo, similar to his other brothers, Ibrahim, Isa, and Osman, who took refuge in Cairo.

Despite that, Barquq's rivalry persisted such that he kept Suli's brother and claimant to the throne, Da'ud, in Cairo and bestowed upon him the title amīr ʿashara (lit.

In May 1387 near Marash, Suli defeated Ibrahim bin Yaghmur, a local lord supported by the Mamluks, on the battlefield.

[4] That year, Suli joined the rebellion of the Mamluk governors of Malatya and Aleppo, Mintash and Yalbugha al-Umari,[4] for an independent Syria.

In late September 1390, Suli and his brother Osman[4] occupied the town of Aintab with a force of 10,000 troops, although they could not capture the fortress.

[1] His assassination was carried out by a member of his son and successor Sadaqa's retinue, Ali Khan, on the orders of Barquq.