Salahuddin ayubi biography

Zengi inflicted a crushing defeat on the invaders, forcing the Germans and the Franks to withdraw. But two events took place that delayed the task of expelling the Franks from Jerusalem. Inthe Fatimid assassins murdered Zengi himself. A man of extraordinary ability, Nuruddin organized a systematic campaign to expel the Crusaders from West Asia.

Nuruddin was a man of piety, bereft of prejudice, of noble disposition. The unsettled military conditions provided ample opportunities for capable persons and non-Turkish soldiers rose rapidly through the army. Among them were two officers, Ayyub and Shirkuh, the uncle of Salahuddin. Damascus was added in With the resources of these vast territories behind him, Nuruddin was ready to salahuddin ayubi biography the Crusaders in Palestine and fight for control of Egypt.

The key to Palestine lay in Egypt. As long as the Fatimids ruled Egypt, coordinated military action against the Crusader kingdoms was not possible. The race to Egypt was of great immediacy. Inthere were two rival viziers in Cairo. One of them invited the Franks to intervene in Egypt. The other appealed to Nuruddin. Nuruddin prompted dispatched Shirkuh to Cairo.

In both the Seljuks and the Crusaders appeared in Egypt but neither was able to establish a base. Two years later Shirkuh returned to Egypt with his nephew Salahuddin. This time he was successful in establishing his authority in the Nile Delta. Mustadi, the last Fatimid Caliphwas forced to appoint Shirkuh as his vizier. InShirkuh died and his nephew Salahuddin was appointed in his place.

Salahuddin was the man of the hour. He fought off repeated attacks by the Crusaders on Egypt, put down revolts within the army and gave Egypt respite from incessant civil war. Despite three centuries of Fatimid rule, the Egyptian population had remained Sunni, following the Sunnah schools of Fiqh. InSalahuddin abolished the Fatimid Caliphate.

The name of the Abbasid Caliph was inserted in the khutba. So peaceful was this momentous revolution that the Fatimid Caliph Mustadi did not even know of this change and quietly died a few weeks later. The Fatimids, once so powerful that they controlled more than half of the Islamic world including Mecca, Madina and Jerusalem, passed into history.

The Sunni vision of history, championed by the Turks, triumphed. With the disappearance of the Fatimid schism, a united orthodox Islam threw down the gauntlet to the invading Crusaders. Historians often argue whether it is man that influences history or it is his circumstance and the environment that shape the course of events. This argument misses the point.

There is an organic relationship between the actions of men and women and the circumstances under which they operate. Those who chisel out the edifice of history do so with their power, bending the flow of events to their will and leave behind a blazing trail for others to follow and sort out.

Salahuddin ayubi biography

But they succeed because circumstances are in their favor. Ultimately, the outcome of historical events is a moment of Divine Grace. It is not obvious, a priori, what the outcome of a critical historical moment will be. Salahuddin, perhaps the most celebrated of Muslim soldiers after Ali ibn Abu Talib rwas a man who molded history with his iron will.

His accomplishment in evicting the Crusaders from Palestine and Syria are well known. What is less well known is his achievement in welding a monolithic Islamic body politic, free of internal fissures, which offered the Muslims, for a brief generation, the opportunity to dominate global events. It was the generation of Salahuddin that not only recaptured Jerusalem, but also laid the foundation of an Islamic Empire in India and briefly contained the Crusader advance in Spain and North Africa.

It was only a matter of time before the weight of this power was brought on the Crusaders. The cause for hostilities was provided by one of the Latin chiefs, Renaud de Chatellon. Renaud was the king of the coastal cities in Palestine and Lebanon. Crusader attacks provoked further responses by Saladin. Raynald threatened to attack the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.

On 29 SeptemberSaladin crossed the Jordan River to attack Beisanwhich was found to be empty. The next day his forces sacked and burned the town and moved westwards. They intercepted Crusader reinforcements from Karak and Shaubak along the Nablus road and took prisoners. Saladin sent out skirmishers to harass their forces, and he himself marched to Ain Jalut.

When the Crusader force—reckoned to be the largest the kingdom ever produced from its own resources, but still outmatched by the Muslims—advanced, the Ayyubids unexpectedly moved down the stream of Ain Jalut. After a few Ayyubid raids—including attacks on Zir'inForbeletand Mount Tabor —the Crusaders still were not tempted to attack their main forceand Saladin led his men back across the river once provisions and supplies ran low.

The first time was infollowing his unsuccessful campaign into Galilee, but a relief force caused him to withdraw. He opened his campaign of with a second siege of Kerak, hoping this time to draw the Crusader army into battle on open ground, but they outmaneuvered him and successfully relieved the fortress. Following the failure of his Kerak sieges, Saladin temporarily turned his attention back to another long-term project and resumed attacks on the territory of Izz ad-Din Mas'ud ibn Mawdud ibn Zangiaround Mosulwhich he had begun with some success in The defenders of Mosul, when they became aware that help was on the way, increased their efforts, and Saladin subsequently fell ill, so in March a peace treaty was signed.

According to the later 13th-century Old French Continuation of William of TyreRaynald captured Saladin's sister in a raid on a caravan; this claim is not attested in contemporary sources, Muslim or Frankish, however, instead stating that Raynald had attacked a preceding caravan, and Saladin set guards to ensure the safety of his sister and her son, who came to no harm.

In this battle alone the Crusader force was largely annihilated by Saladin's determined army. It was a major disaster for the Crusaders and a turning point in the history of the Crusades. Saladin captured Raynald and was personally responsible for his execution in retaliation for his attacks against Muslim caravans. The members of these caravans had, in vain, besought his mercy by reciting the truce between the Muslims and the Crusaders, but Raynald ignored this and insulted the Islamic salahuddin ayubi biography, Muhammadbefore murdering and torturing some of them.

Upon hearing this, Saladin swore an oath to personally execute Raynald. Seeing the execution of Raynald, he feared he would be next. However, his life was spared by Saladin, who said of Raynald, "[i]t is not the wont of kings, to kill kings; but that man had transgressed all bounds, and therefore did I treat him thus. Saladin had captured almost every Crusader city.

Saladin preferred to take Jerusalem without bloodshed and offered generous terms, but those inside refused to leave their holy city, vowing to destroy it in a fight to the death rather than see it handed over peacefully. Jerusalem capitulated to his forces on Friday, 2 Octoberafter a siege. When the siege had started, Saladin was unwilling [ ] to promise terms of quarter to the Frankish inhabitants of Jerusalem.

Balian of Ibelin threatened to kill every Muslim hostage, estimated at 5, and to destroy Islam's holy shrines of the Dome of the Rock and the al-Aqsa Mosque if such quarter were not provided. Saladin consulted his council and the terms were accepted. The agreement was read out through the streets of Jerusalem so that everyone might within forty days provide for himself and pay to Saladin the agreed tribute for his freedom.

Saladin's brother al-Adil "asked Saladin for a thousand of them for his own use and then released them on the spot. Tyreon the coast of modern-day Lebanonwas the last major Crusader city that was not captured by Muslim forces. Strategically, it would have made more sense for Saladin to capture Tyre before Jerusalem; Saladin, however, chose to pursue Jerusalem first because of the importance of the city to Islam.

Tyre was commanded by Conrad of Montferratwho strengthened its defences and withstood two sieges by Saladin. They went first to Tripoli, then to Antioch. Inthey sought to reclaim Tyre for their kingdom but were refused admission by Conrad, who did not recognize Guy as king. Guy then set about besieging Acre. Saladin was on friendly terms with Queen Tamar of Georgia.

Saladin's biographer Baha ad-Din ibn Shaddad reports that, after Saladin's conquest of Jerusalemthe Georgian Queen sent envoys to the salahuddin ayubi biography to request the return of confiscated possessions of the Georgian monasteries in Jerusalem. Saladin's response is not recorded, but the queen's efforts seem to have been successful as Jacques de Vitrythe Bishop of Acrereports the Georgians were, in contrast to the other Christian pilgrims, allowed a free passage into the city with their banners unfurled.

According to Baha ad-Din, after these victories, Saladin mused of invading Europe, saying: "I think that when God grants me victory over the rest of Palestine I shall divide my territories, make a will stating my wishes, then set sail on this sea for their far-off lands in and pursue the Franks there, so as to free the earth of anyone who does not believe in God, or die in the attempt.

It is equally true that his generosity, his piety, devoid of fanaticism, that flower of liberality and courtesy which had been the model of our old chroniclers, won him no less popularity in Frankish Syria than in the lands of Islam. Hattin and the fall of Jerusalem prompted the Third Crusade —which was partially financed by a special " Saladin tithe " in King Richard I led Guy's siege of Acreconquered the city and executed almost 3, Muslim prisoners of war.

The motives of this massacre are differently told; according to some, the captives were slain by way of reprisal for the death of those Christians whom the Musulmans had slain. Others again say that the king of England, on deciding to attempt the conquest of Ascalon, thought it unwise to leave so many prisoners in the town after his departure. God alone knows what the real reason was.

The armies of Saladin engaged in combat with the army of King Richard at the Battle of Arsuf on 7 Septemberat which Saladin's forces suffered heavy losses and were forced to withdraw. After the battle of Arsuf, Richard occupied Jaffa, restoring the city's fortifications. Meanwhile, Saladin moved south, where he dismantled the fortifications of Ascalon to prevent this strategically important city, which lay at the junction between Egypt and Palestine, from falling into Crusader hands.

In OctoberRichard began restoring the inland castles on the coastal plain beyond Jaffa in preparation for an advance on Jerusalem. During this period, Richard and Saladin passed envoys back and forth, negotiating the possibility of a truce. Richard suggested that his niece Eleanor, Fair Maid of Brittany be the bride instead, an idea that Saladin also rejected.

Instead, Richard advanced south on Ascalon, where he restored the fortifications. In JulySaladin tried to threaten Richard's command of the coast by attacking Jaffa. The city was besieged, and Saladin very nearly captured it; however, Richard arrived a few days later and defeated Saladin's army in a battle outside the city. The Battle of Jaffa proved to be the last military engagement of the Third Crusade.

After Richard reoccupied Jaffa and restored its fortifications, he and Saladin again discussed terms. At last Richard agreed to demolish the fortifications of Ascalon, while Saladin agreed to recognize Crusader control of the Palestinian coast from Tyre to Jaffa. The Christians would be allowed to travel as unarmed pilgrims to Jerusalem, and Saladin's kingdom would be at peace with the Crusader states for the following three years.

In Saladin's possession at the time of his death were one piece of gold and forty pieces of silver. Originally the tomb was part of a complex which also included a school, Madrassah al-Aziziah, of which little remains except a few columns and an internal salahuddin ayubi biography. However, the original sarcophagus was not replaced; instead, the mausoleum, which is open to visitors, now has two sarcophagi: the marble one placed on the side and the original wooden one, which covers Saladin's tomb.

Imad ad-Din al-Isfahani compiled a list of Saladin's sons along with their dates of birth, according to information provided by Saladin late in his reign. The sons listed by Imad number fifteen, but elsewhere he writes that Saladin was survived by seventeen sons and one daughter. Saladin's daughter is said to have married her cousin al-Kamil Muhammad ibn Adil.

Saladin may also have had other children who died before him. One son, Al-Zahir Dawud, whom Imad listed eighth, is recorded as being Saladin's twelfth son in a letter written by his minister. Not much is known of Saladin's wives or slave-women. She did not have children. One of his wives, Shamsah, is buried with her son al-Aziz in the tomb of al-Shafi'i.

Saladin has become a prominent figure in IslamicArabTurkish and Kurdish culture[ ] and he has been described as the most famous Kurd in history. Saladin's reputation had previously been largely forgotten in the Muslim worldeclipsed by more successful figures, [ clarification needed ] such as Baybars of Egypt. Modern Arab states have sought to commemorate Saladin through various measures, often based on the image created of him in the 19th-century west.

A suburban community of ErbilMasif Salahaddin, is also named after him. Few structures associated with Saladin survive within modern cities. Saladin first fortified the Citadel of Cairo —which had been a domed pleasure pavilion with a fine view in more peaceful times. In Syria, even the smallest city is centred on a defensible citadeland Saladin introduced this essential feature to Egypt.

Although the Ayyubid dynasty that he founded would outlive him by only 57 years, the legacy of Saladin within the Arab world continues to this day. With the rise of Arab nationalism in the 20th century, particularly with regard to the Arab—Israeli conflictSaladin's heroism and leadership gained a new significance. Saladin's recapture of Palestine from the European Crusaders is considered an inspiration for modern-day Arabs' opposition to Zionism.

Moreover, the glory and comparative unity of the Arab world under Saladin was seen as the perfect symbol for the new unity sought by Arab nationalists, such as Gamal Abdel Nasser. Among Egyptian ShiasSaladin is dubbed as "Kharab ad-Din", the destroyer of religion—a derisive play on the name "Saladin. Saladin was widely renowned in medieval Europe as a model of kingship, and in particular of the courtly virtue of regal generosity.

Although Saladin faded into history after the Middle Ageshe appears in a sympathetic light in modern literature, first in Lessing 's play Nathan the Wisewhich transfers the central idea of "Saladin's table" to the post-medieval world. He is a central character in Sir Walter Scott 's novel The Talismanwhich more than any other single text influenced the romantic view of Saladin.

Scott presented Saladin as a "modern [19th-century] liberal European gentlemen, beside whom medieval Westerners would always have made a poor showing". Notwithstanding the differences in beliefs, the Muslim Saladin was respected by Christian lords, Richard especially. Richard once praised Saladin as a great prince, saying that he was, without doubt, the greatest and most powerful salahuddin ayubi biography in the Islamic world.

After the treaty, Saladin and Richard sent each other many gifts as tokens of respect but never met face to face. In Aprila Frankish woman's three-month-old baby had been stolen from her camp and sold on the market. The Franks urged her to approach Saladin herself with her grievance. According to Ibn Shaddad, Saladin used his own money to buy the child back:.

He gave it to the mother and she took it; with tears streaming down her face, and hugged the baby to her chest. The people were watching her and weeping and I Ibn Shaddad was standing amongst them. She suckled it for some time and then Saladin ordered a horse to be fetched for her and she went back to camp. Mark Cartwright, the publishing director of World History Encyclopediawrites: "Indeed, it is somewhat ironic that the Muslim leader became one of the great exemplars of chivalry in 13th century European literature.

Much has been written about the sultan during his own lifetime and since, but the fact that an appreciation for his diplomacy and leadership skills can be found in both contemporary Muslim and Christian sources would suggest that Saladin is indeed worthy of his position as one of the great medieval leaders. Contents move to sidebar hide. Article Talk.

Read View source View history. Tools Tools. Download as PDF Printable version. In other projects. Wikimedia Commons Wikidata item. Founder of the Ayyubid dynasty. For other uses, see Saladin disambiguation. Saladin in the sharbush hat of Seljuk rulers, [ 1 ] his rallying sign, [ 2 ] on a coin: "The Victorious King, Righteousness of the World and the Faith, Yusuf ibn Ayyub".

Mausoleum of SaladinUmayyad MosqueDamascus. Father and uncle. Service under Nur al-Din. Wars with the Crusaders. Personality and religious leanings. Main article: Saladin in Egypt. Further conquests in Syria. Campaign against the Assassins. Return to Cairo and forays in Palestine. Battles and truce with Baldwin. Campaign against the Franks and War with the Zengids.

Main article: Third Crusade. See also: Mausoleum of Saladin. See also: Ordene de chevalerie. Cultural depictions of Saladin. Film, television and animation. Think of the generous Saladin, who said that kings' hands should have holes, that they might be both feared and loved. As the end of his life approached, he wanted to dedicate the table to God in the hope of eternal life, but he couldn't decide which god to honour, the Muslim God, the Christian or the Jewish, as there was no way to tell which was most powerful.

Soon, however, he abandoned this claim, and from until he zealously pursued a goal of uniting, under his own standard, all the Muslim territories of Syria, northern Mesopotamia, Palestine and Egypt. This was accomplished by skillful diplomacy backed, when necessary, by the swift and resolute use of military force. Gradually, his reputation grew as a generous and virtuous but firm ruler, devoid of deception, lavishness, and cruelty.

In contrast to the bitter dissension and intense rivalry that hampered the Muslims in their resistance to the crusaders, Salahuddeen's consistency of purpose induced them to rearm both physically and spiritually. Salahuddeen's every act was inspired by an intense and unwavering devotion to the idea of Jihad against the Christian crusaders.

It was an essential part of his policy to encourage the growth and spread of Muslim religious institutions. He courted its scholars and preachers, founded colleges and mosques for their use, and commissioned them to write edifying works, especially on Jihad itself. Through moral regeneration, which was a genuine part of his own way of life, he tried to re-create in his own realm some of the same zeal and enthusiasm that had proved so valuable to the first generations of Muslims when, five centuries before, they had conquered half of the known world.

Salahuddeen also succeeded in turning the military balance of power in his favor by uniting and disciplining a great number of unruly forces rather than employing new or improved military techniques. At last inhe was able to throw his full strength into the struggle with equivalent armies to that of the Latin Crusader kingdom. On July 4,by the permission of Allah, then by using his own good military sense and by a phenomenal lack of it on the part of his enemy, Salahuddeen trapped and destroyed, in one blow, an exhausted and thirst-crazed army of crusaders at Hattin, near Tiberias in northern Palestine.

All rights reserved. Biography Zone. Posted by Unknown 0 comments. The concept and the culture of war hero is a celebration of the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad that we know called Maulud or mawlid, milad comes from the word that means the year, as the term meaningful birthday.