This highlights one of the greatest roles to be played by the educators, parents and callers to Allaah, that is, to pay special attention to the upbringing of young children, who are usually very easy to shape, as they have in their minds neither deviant thoughts nor corrupt beliefs, let alone their passion, power and activity. All of this makes the child qualified to perform difficult obligations and great missions to the best.

Any master who purchased the Mamluks used to follow thoroughly all the stages of upbringing; and in many cases, Sultan As-Saalih Ayyoob, May Allaah Have mercy upon him, was reassured about their food, drink and comfort, and, sometimes, sat to share food with them, and be at ease with them. The Mamluks had a great and real love for him, and were wholeheartedly loyal to him.

That is the truth of the matter, if the ruler mixes with his people, shares their happy times and grieves for their sadness, and is affected by their pain, assuredly, they would love and honor him, and have confidence in him; and if he commands them to go out for Jihaad, they would respond quickly, and if he required them to do anything, they would race to carry it out, and sacrifice their lives to realize it. On the contrary, if the leader segregates himself from his people, leads a comfortable luxurious life far from them, and enjoys himself and all the pleasures of life, while they are toiling, suffering and feeling pain, they would then entertain no sense of belonging not only to him, but also to their own homeland; and in this case, any reform or construction becomes impossible.

If a Mamluk showed military and religious genius, he would be promoted from a lower to a higher rank and become a leader of other Mamluks; and if he showed even more genius, he would be granted some lands in the country, which he would possess and gain plentiful profits from. In some cases, he might be given huge lands, and attain the rank of emir, i.e. the emirs of different provinces, the emirs of military detachments, and so on.

http://300035.dotdothktrade.tech/en/artical/21418/Mamluk-upbringing-2