Saladin (Salhedrin, Salahuddin) [historic allusion]

Saladin

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Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb
Sultan of Egypt and Syria
Statue of Saladin in Damascus.
Reign	1174–1193
Coronation	1174, Cairo
Full name	Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb
Born	c. 1137–1138
Birthplace	Tikrit, Iraq[1]
Died	March 4, 1193 CE (aged 55–56)
Place of death	Damascus, Syria
Buried	Umayyad Mosque, Damascus, Syria
Predecessor	Nur ad-Din Zangi
Successor	Al-Afdal (Syria) Al-Aziz Uthman (Egypt)
Dynasty	Ayyubid
Father	Najm ad-Dīn Ayyūb
Religious beliefs	Sunni Islam

Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb (Arabic: صلاح الدين يوسف بن أيوب‎, Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb, Kurdish: سه‌لاحه‌دین ئه‌یوبی, Selah'edînê Eyubî) (c. 1138 – March 4, 1193), better known in the Western world as Saladin, was a Kurdish^[2][3] Muslim, who became the first Ayyubid Sultan of Egypt and Syria. He led Islamic opposition to the Franks and other European Crusaders in the Levant. At the height of his power, he ruled over Egypt, Syria, Mesopotamia, Hejaz, and Yemen.
He led the Muslims against the Crusaders and eventually recaptured Palestine from the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem after his victory in the Battle of Hattin. As such, he is a notable figure in Kurdish, Arab, and Muslim culture. Saladin was a strict adherent of Sunni Islam and a mystical disciple of the Qadiri Sufi order.^[4] His chivalrous behavior was noted by Christian chroniclers, especially in the accounts of the siege of Kerak in Moab, and despite being the nemesis of the Crusaders he won the respect of many of them, including Richard the Lionheart; rather than becoming a hated figure in Europe, he became a celebrated example of the principles of chivalry.

Contents [show] 1 Sources 2 Early life 3 Early expeditions 4 In Egypt 4.1 Vizier of Egypt 4.2 Sultan of Egypt 5 Acquisition of Syria 5.1 Capture of Damascus 5.2 Further conquests 5.3 Campaign against Assassins 6 Return to Cairo and forays in Palestine 6.1 Battles and truce with Baldwin 7 Domestic issues 8 Empire expansions 8.1 Conquest of Mesopotamian hinterland 8.2 Possession of Aleppo 8.3 Fight for Mosul 9 Wars against Crusaders 9.1 Capture of Jerusalem 9.2 Third Crusade 10 Death 11 Family 12 Recognition and legacy 12.1 Western world 12.2 Muslim world 13 See also 14 Notes 15 Bibliography 15.1 Primary sources 15.2 Secondary sources 16 Further reading 17 External links

Sources

There are many contemporary and near-contemporary sources available for Saladin's career. Among Saladin's admirers who produced personal biographies are the historians: Qadi al-Fadil from Ascalon; Imad al-Din al-Isfahani, and Ibn Shaddad, a jurist from Mosul. Ibn al-Athir (d. 1233), on the other hand, produced a more hostile picture.

Early life

Artistic representation of Saladin.

Saladin was born in Tikrit, Iraq. His family was of Kurdish background and ancestry,^[2][3] and had originated from the city of Dvin, in medieval Armenia.^[5][6] His father, Najm ad-Din Ayyub, was banished from Tikrit and in 1139, he and his uncle Asad al-Din Shirkuh, moved to Mosul. He later joined the service of Imad ad-Din Zengi who made him commander of his fortress in Baalbek. After the death of Zengi in 1146, his son, Nur ad-Din, became the regent of Aleppo and the leader of the Zengids.^[7]
Saladin, who now lived in Damascus, was reported to have a particular fondness of the city, but information on his early childhood is scarce. About education, Saladin wrote "children are brought up in the way in which their elders were brought up." According to one of his biographers, al-Wahrani, Saladin was able to answer questions on Euclid, the Almagest, arithmetic, and law, but this was an academic ideal and it was study of the Qur'an and the "sciences of religion" that linked him to his contemporaries.^[7] Several sources claim that during his studies he was more interested in religion than joining the military.^[8] Another factor which may have affected his interest in religion was that during the First Crusade, Jerusalem was taken in a surprise attack by the Christians.^[8] In addition to Islam, Saladin had a knowledge of the genealogies, biographies, and histories of the Arabs, as well as the bloodlines of Arabian horses. More significantly, he knew the Hamasah of Abu Tammam by heart.^[7]