Majd al-Din Isma‘il ibn Muhammad ibn Yaqut al-Sallami

Majd al-Din Isma’il ibn Muhammad ibn Yaqut al-Sallami was a Muslim merchant and a skilled diplomat. Combination of his business and diplomatic skills enabled him to became one of the most successful men of his time.

Majd al-Din was born in the village of al-Sallamiyah near Mosul in al-Jazirah in 1272. His native village was located on the east bank of the upper Tigris. At one point he came to Egypt as a merchant and was granted a title of khawaja during the reigns of Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad (r. 1293 – 1294, 1299 – 1309, 1310 – 1341). Khawaja was a titele bstowed upon wealthy merchants operating in official service from outside the Malmuk domain. Apparently, Majd al-Din was a significant figure, intelligent, friendly, and an excellent mediator between local rulers.

Thanks to his talents and knowledge Majd al-Din formed a personal bond of trust with Sultan al-Nasir and the Mughuls. For his contribution for the peace treaty between Malmuks and Mughuls which enabled that roads between two countries be open, enabling all merchants to travel freely and a caravan to travel from Iraq to al-Hijaz, Majd al-din with considerable benefits from the Sultan al-Nasir. One of these benefits included a 50% tak exemption on his goods. The Sultan also allotted him the village of Arraq in Ba’labakk, which yielded ten thousand dirhams annually. He was trading mostly in slaves and probably in furs, silk goods, and silver, all mostly obtained in Tatar provinces.