Final answer:
Political succession in the Mamluk Sultanate was unstable because the Mamluk army played a significant role in determining the sultan, resisting hereditary succession and leading to frequent leadership changes.
Step-by-step explanation:
The nature of political succession within the Mamluk Sultanate was a source of constant instability. This was because the position of sultan was not strictly hereditary, leading to struggles over who would be the next ruler. The Mamluk military formed the core determinant of succession, often deposing and choosing sultans. Loyalty was to individual masters, and not to a hereditary sovereign, creating a cycle of internal struggle and frequent changes in leadership.
This instability was intensified by the practice of sultans attempting to establish their sons as heirs, whom the Mamluk army often saw as unworthy due to their lack of similar rigorous training and experience. Moreover, the succession turmoil resulted in economic disruption as well as social and political instability during the numerous transfers of power.
In the broader Muslim-held Mediterranean regions, this pattern of power struggles was prevalent. Military strength, rather than established succession practices, determined governance which often led to civil wars and brief reigns. This tumultuous reality was also mirrored in the Sultanate's neighbors and influenced the decline of Muslim governance in territories like Iberia, even as Sunni Islam grew stronger regionally.