Sanjar al-Jawli

Who is Sanjar al-Jawli?

Sanjar ibn Abdullah Alam al-Din Abu Sa'id al-Jawli was a powerful Mamluk emir and the Governor of Gaza and much of Palestine between 1311–20 during the sultanate of al-Nasir Muhammad and then again for a brief time in 1342 during the reign of the latter's son Imad ad-Din Ismail. Prior to his first term as governor, al-Jawli briefly served as the Emir of Shawbak in Transjordan and before his second term as Gaza's governor, he was appointed Governor of Hama for three months.

During his rule he engaged in several construction projects throughout Palestine, particularly in Gaza. The latter was transformed from a small and politically insignificant town to a major and prosperous city under his leadership. Following his appointment as Superintendent of the Maristan in Cairo in 1342, al-Jawli successfully quashed a rebellion by Ismail's brother al-Nasir Ahmad in Karak. Afterward, he focused on studying Islamic law, publishing an interpretation of Muslim scholar Imam al-Shafi'i's work prior to his death in 1345.