ABSTRACT
Although descendants of al-Nasir Muhammad reigned for over forty years after his death, none of the later Kalavunids succeeded in maintaining the autocracy which he had created. The very fact that there were twelve sultans in less than half a century is an indication of their weakness. They mostly came to the throne as young and inexperienced men, sometimes mere children. AI-AshrafKiichiik (Turkish, "the little one") was not more than seven, perhaps under five, on his accession, and his tutor guided his hand to sign state papers. For the most part, the later Kalavunids were figureheads, behind whom the great amirs managed the state, and struggled for power and the control ofthe royal fisc.
