Isaac II Angelos vs Shajar al-Durr

Isaac II Angelos led a popular revolt that overthrew Andronikos I Komnenos, and was proclaimed emperor. His accession ended the Komnenian dynasty's rule and began the Angelid dynasty, but the empire was weakened by internal strife and external threats.

Isaac II led a campaign against the Bulgarian rebels under Ivan Asen I and Peter IV. The Byzantine army was ambushed and defeated at Tryavna, with Isaac barely escaping. The defeat solidified the Second Bulgarian Empire's independence from Byzantine rule.

Isaac II was overthrown and blinded by his brother Alexios III Angelos in a palace coup. Isaac was imprisoned, and Alexios III seized the throne. The blinding was a traditional Byzantine punishment for usurpers, but it left Isaac incapacitated and the empire divided.

Isaac II was restored to the throne by the Fourth Crusade, alongside his son Alexios IV Angelos, after the crusaders besieged Constantinople. However, the restored regime failed to pay the promised rewards to the crusaders, leading to renewed conflict and Isaac's death in prison in 1204.

After the death of her husband As-Salih Ayyub, Shajar al-Durr became the de facto ruler of Egypt. She was proclaimed Sultana with the support of the Mamluk commanders. Her reign marked the first and only time a woman ruled Egypt in the medieval Islamic period.

To legitimize her rule and appease the Ayyubid caliph, Shajar al-Durr married the Mamluk commander Aybak. She abdicated the throne in his favor but retained significant influence. This marriage established the Mamluk Sultanate under Aybak's nominal rule.

Shajar al-Durr ordered the assassination of her husband Sultan Aybak in his bathhouse after he planned to marry another woman. She feared losing her power and influence. This act led to a power struggle among the Mamluks and her own downfall.

After Aybak's murder, Shajar al-Durr was arrested by the Mamluks loyal to Aybak. She was beaten to death by Aybak's concubines or slaves, and her body was thrown into a ditch. Her death ended the brief period of female rule in the Mamluk Sultanate.