Biography. Salah ad-din Ayyubi and hostility towards Jews

Saladin, Salah ad-Din Yusuf Ibn Ayyub (in Arabic Salah ad-Din means "Honor of the Faith"), (1138 - 1193), the first sultan of Egypt from the Ayyubid dynasty.

The success of his career became possible only thanks to the conditions prevailing in the East in the XII century. The power that belonged to the orthodox caliph of Baghdad or heretics of the Fatimid dynasty of Cairo was constantly "tested for strength" by the viziers. After 1104, the Seljuk state was again and again divided among themselves by the Turkish atabeks.

The Christian Kingdom of Jerusalem, which came into being in 1098, existed only because it remained the focus of inner unity in the midst of general decay. On the other hand, Christian enthusiasm has generated opposition from Muslims. Zengi, the atabek of Mosul, declared a "holy war" and began his campaigns in Syria (1135 - 1146). Nur ad-Din, his son, continued the aggressive policy in Syria, strengthened government organization on its territory and "widely proclaimed jihad."

Saladin's life fell on that period when there was a conscious need for political unification and the protection of Islam. Saladin was an Armenian Kurd by origin. His father Ayyub (Job) and uncle Shirku, the sons of Shadi of Ajdanakan, were military leaders in the army of Zenga. In 1139, Ayyub received Baalbek from Zengi, and in 1146, after his death, he became a courtier and began to live in Damascus. In 1154, thanks to his influence, Damascus remained in the power of Nur ad-Din, and Ayyub himself began to rule the city. Thus, Saladin was educated in one of the famous centers of Islamic science and was able to perceive the best traditions of Muslim culture.

His career can be divided into three periods: the conquest of Egypt (1164 - 1174), the annexation of Syria and Mesopotamia (1174 - 1186), the conquest of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, and other campaigns against Christians (1187 - 1192).

Conquest of Egypt.

The conquest of Egypt was necessary for Nur ad-Din. Egypt threatened his power from the south, being sometimes an ally of the Crusaders, and also being a stronghold of the heretic caliphs. The reason for the invasion was the request of the exiled vizier Shevar ibn Mujir in 1193. At this very time, the crusaders were raiding the cities of the Nile delta. And Shirku was sent to Egypt in 1164 along with Saladin, a junior officer in his army. Finding that Shirku was planning not so much to help him as to capture Egypt for Nur ad-Din, Shevar ibn Mujir turned for help to the Christian king of Jerusalem Amalrik I. The Crusaders helped Shevar to defeat Shirk near Cairo on April 11, 1167 and force him to retreat ( Shirku's nephew, young Saladin, distinguished himself in this battle). The crusaders firmly settled in Cairo, which was approached several times by Shirku, who had returned with reinforcements. They also tried, albeit unsuccessfully, to besiege Saladin in Alexandria. After negotiations, both sides agreed to leave Egypt. True, in Cairo, according to the terms of the peace treaty, a Christian garrison was supposed to remain. The riots, soon started by Muslims in Cairo, forced Amalric I to return to Egypt in 1168. He made an alliance with the Byzantine emperor Manuel I Comnenus, who at the beginning of 1169 sent a fleet and a small expeditionary force to Egypt by sea. The skillful maneuvering (both political and military) of Shirku and Saladin, bad luck pursuing the enemy, as well as mutual distrust between the crusaders and the Byzantines - all this prevented the successful coordination of actions. And therefore, both armies, the Crusaders and the Byzantines, retreated from Egypt. Shirku became vizier under the Fatimid caliph, while remaining subordinate to Nur ad-Din, but died soon after in May 1169. He was succeeded by Saladin, who actually became the ruler of Egypt with the title "al-Malik al-Nazir" (Incomparable Ruler).

Saladin is the ruler of Egypt. Conquest of Syria and Mesopotamia.

In relations with the Fatimid caliph, Saladin showed extraordinary tact, and after the death of al-Adid, which followed in 1171, Saladin already had enough power to replace his name in all Egyptian mosques with the name of the orthodox caliph of Baghdad.

Saladin founded his Ayyubid dynasty. He restored the Sunni faith to Egypt in 1171. In 1172 the Egyptian sultan conquered Tripolitania from the Almohads. Saladin constantly showed his obedience to Nur ad-Din, but his concern for the fortification of Cairo and the haste that he showed in lifting the sieges from the fortresses of Montreal (1171) and Kerak (1173) indicate that he feared envy on the part of his master. ... Before the death of the Mosul ruler Nur ad-Din, a noticeable coldness arose between them. In 1174 Nur ad-Din died, and the period of the Syrian conquests of Saladin began. The vassals of Nur ad-Din began to revolt against his young al-Salih, and Saladin moved north, formally to support him. In 1174 he entered Damascus, took Hams and Hama, in 1175 captured Baalbek and the cities surrounding Aleppo. Saladin owed his success, first of all, to his well-trained regular army of Turkish slaves (Mamluks), which included mainly horse archers, as well as shock troops of horse spearmen.

The next step was the achievement of political independence.

In 1175, he forbade mentioning the name of al-Salih in prayers and embossing it on coins, and received formal recognition from the Baghdad caliph. In 1176, he defeated the invading army of Sayf ad-Din of Mosul and made an agreement with al-Salih, as well as with the Assassins. In 1177, he returned from Damascus to Cairo, where he built a new citadel, an aqueduct and several madrasahs. From 1177 to 1180, Saladin waged war against the Christians from Egypt, and in 1180 concluded a peace treaty with the Sultan of Konya (Ruma). In 1181-1183, he was mainly concerned with the state of affairs in Syria. In 1183, Saladin forced the atabek Imad ad-Din to exchange Alepp for the insignificant Sinjar, and in 1186 he obtained the vassal oath from the atabek of Mosul. The last independent ruler was finally subdued, and the Kingdom of Jerusalem found itself face to face with a hostile empire.

The conquest of the Kingdom of Jerusalem by Saladin.

The disease of the childless Jerusalem king Baldwin IV with leprosy led to the struggle for the succession to the throne. Saladin won from this: he completed the conquest of Syria, while continuing to raid Christian territories, although he was defeated at the Battle of Ram Allah in 1177.

The most capable ruler among the crusaders was Raymond, Count of Tripolitan, but his enemy Guido Lusignan became king by marrying the sister of Baldwin IV.

In 1187, a four-year truce was broken by the famous robber Reynald de Chatillon from the castle of Krak des Chevaliers, provoking the declaration of a holy war, and then began the third period of Saladin's campaigns of conquest.

With an army of about twenty, Saladin laid siege to Tiberias on the western shore of Lake Genesaret. Guido Lusignan gathered under his banner everyone he could (about 20,000 people) and moved to Saladin. The king of Jerusalem reneged on the advice of Raymond of Tripolitan and led the army into the waterless desert, where they were attacked and surrounded by the Muslims. Many of the crusaders near Tiberias were destroyed.

On July 4, at the Battle of Hattin, Saladin inflicted a crushing defeat on the united Christian army. The Egyptian sultan managed to separate the cavalry of the crusaders from the infantry and defeated it. Only Raymond of Tripolitania and Baron Ibelin, who commanded the rearguard, with a small detachment of cavalry were able to break through the encirclement (according to one version, with the tacit approval of Saladin, who sincerely respected the old warrior). The rest of the crusaders were killed or captured, including the king of Jerusalem himself, the Grand Master of the Knights Templar, Raynald of Chatillon and others. Reynald of Chatillon Saladin executed with his own hand.

And Guido Lusignan subsequently released, taking from that promise that he would no longer fight. In the meantime, returning to Tripoli, Raymond died of his wounds.

Saladin captured Tiberias, Akra (now Akko in Israel), Askelon (Ashkelon) and other cities (the soldiers of their garrisons, almost without exception, were captured or died at Khattin). Saladin was already on his way to Tire, when Margrave Konrad of Montferrat arrived by sea very in time with a detachment of crusaders, thus providing the city with a reliable garrison. Saladin's onslaught was repulsed.

On September 20, Saladin laid siege to Jerusalem. In the absence of the king who had taken refuge in Acre, the defense of the city was led by Baron Ibelin. However, there were not enough defenders. Food too. Initially rejecting Saladin's relatively generous proposals. In the end, the garrison was forced to surrender. On Friday, October 2, Saladin entered the Holy City, which had been in the hands of Christians for almost a hundred years, and performed a ritual of cleansing it, showing generosity to the Christians of Jerusalem. Saladin let the townspeople go to all four sides on the condition that they pay for themselves the appropriate ransom. Many failed to redeem themselves and were enslaved. All of Palestine was captured by Saladin.

In the kingdom, only Tire remained in the hands of the Christians. Perhaps Saladin's neglect of taking this fortress before winter fell was his grossest strategic miscalculation. The Christians retained a powerful stronghold when in June 1189 the remaining Crusader army, led by Guido Lusignan and Konrad of Montferrat, attacked Acre. They managed to drive off Saladin's army, which was marching to the rescue of the besieged. Saladin did not have a fleet, which allowed the Christians to wait for reinforcements and recover from the defeats they suffered on land. On the land side, Saladin's army surrounded the crusaders in a dense ring. During the siege, 9 major battles and innumerable small clashes took place.

Saladin and Richard the Lionheart.

On June 8, 1191, Richard I of England (later the Lionheart) arrived near Acre. Basically, all the crusaders tacitly recognized his leadership. Richard drove off Saladin's army, marching to the rescue of the besieged, after which he led the siege so vigorously that the Muslim garrison of Acre surrendered on July 12 without Saladin's permission.

Richard consolidated his success with a perfectly organized march to Askelon (modern-day Ashkelon in Israel), which was carried out along the coast, to Jaffa, and the great victory at Arsuf, in which Saladin's troops lost 7 thousand people, and the rest fled. The losses of the crusaders in this battle amounted to about 700 people. After this battle, Saladin never once dared to engage Richard in open battle.

During 1191-1192, there were four small campaigns in southern Palestine, in which Richard proved himself to be a valiant knight and a talented tactician, although as a strategist Saladin surpassed him. The English king constantly moved between Beitnub and Askelon, with the ultimate goal of capturing Jerusalem. Richard I constantly pursued Saladin, who, while retreating, used the scorched earth tactics - destroying crops, pastures and poisoning wells. Lack of water, lack of food for horses and growing discontent in the ranks of his multinational army forced Richard to conclude that he was not in a position to besiege Jerusalem, if he did not want to risk the almost inevitable death of the entire army. In January 1192, Richard's impotence manifested itself in the fact that he abandoned Jerusalem and began to strengthen Askelon. Peace talks taking place at the same time showed that Saladin was the master of the situation. Although Richard won two splendid victories at Jaffa in July 1192, a peace treaty was struck on September 2 and was Saladin's triumph. From the Kingdom of Jerusalem, only the coastline and a free path to Jerusalem remained, along which Christian pilgrims could easily get to the Holy Places. Askelon was destroyed. There is no doubt that the unity of the Islamic East was the cause of the kingdom's death. Richard returned to Europe, and Saladin - to Damascus, where he died after a short illness on March 4, 1193. He was buried in Damascus and was mourned throughout the East.

Characteristics of Saladin.

Saladin had a flamboyant character.

Being a typical Muslim, harsh towards the infidels who captured Syria, he, however, showed mercy to the Christians with whom he dealt directly. Saladin became famous among Christians and Muslims as a true knight. Saladin was very diligent in prayer and fasting. He was proud of his family, declaring that "Ayyubids were the first to whom the Almighty granted victory." His generosity was evident in the concessions he made to Richard and his attitude towards the captives. Saladin was unusually kind, crystal honest, loved children, never lost heart and was truly noble towards women and all the weak. Moreover, he displayed a truly Muslim devotion to a sacred purpose. The source of his success was his personality. He was able to unite Islamic countries to fight the invading crusaders, although he did not leave his country a code of laws. After his death, the empire was divided among his relatives. A capable strategist, Saladin, however, could not match Richard's tactics and, in addition, had an army of slaves. “My army is not capable of anything,” he confessed, “if I don’t lead him and watch him every moment.” In the history of the East, Saladin remained a conqueror who stopped the invasion of the West and turned the forces of Islam to the West, a hero who overnight united these unbridled forces, and, finally, a saint who embodied the highest ideals and virtues of Islam in his personality.

References.

1. Smirnov S.A. Sultan Yusuf and his crusaders. - Moscow: AST, 2000.

2. The World History wars / otv. ed. R. Ernest and Trevor N. Dupuis. - Book one - Moscow: Polygon, 1997.

The Saracens were hungry for vengeance. But only their great-grandchildren were destined to wait for him, when the sultan of Egypt and Syria, Salah ad-Din, immortalized in European chronicles under the name of Saladin, challenged the crusaders.

On July 4, 1187, the Muslims won an unconditional victory over the crusaders. At the slopes of the Horns, Hattin Saladin gazed at the mountains of bodies that had fallen in battle. The harsh eastern sun was scorching from the sky, and an intolerable heat was coming from the grass and bushes set on fire by the Saracens. King Guy Lusignan and many noble barons were captured. Only a few managed to escape, taking refuge in the city of Tire. Nearly 200 Knights Templar and Hospitaller were killed on the orders of Saladin. The Sultan personally cut off the head of Baron Renaud of Chatillon with a sword. Here is how the medieval chronicler Otto described what happened:

« ... The Cross of the Lord, oh, woe! Was captured, and the Christians were put to flight. The King and His Serene Highness Prince Rainald, along with other Christians, were captured and taken to Damascus. There the king and the aforementioned prince were beheaded for adherence to the true faith "

There were no more obstacles to the return of the Holy Land. City after city surrendered to Saladin's mercy. Tire was the only defiant fortress. But the sultan decided not to waste time and energy on his siege, striving for Jerusalem. The city that remained in the rear became a haven for refugees from other villages, and grew stronger day by day.

The defense of Jerusalem was led by the knight Balian d "Ibelin. Having survived the battle at Hattin, he turned out to be, in fact, the autocratic ruler of the kingdom. Balian arrived in the city to his wife, the Byzantine princess Maria Comnina, who was there with children. He knew what to protect and keep Jerusalem was about to succeed. The refugees who filled the city were of little use for battle, food supplies were dwindling. However, the inhabitants were ready to fight back the Saracens.

Balian set to work resolutely. With the blessing of the clergy, he let the golden decoration of the chapel of the Holy Sepulcher for melting and minting of coins. This did not bother the laity either: after all, money served to protect the place where the Lord himself died and rose again.

Jerusalem lacked experienced warriors the most. Balian knighted 60 young men from among local nobility... True, the title did not add to their skills and experience.

Saladin did not hesitate, and on September 20, his army began a siege of the holy city. The Sultan's camp was initially located on the western side of Jerusalem, where the army of Raymund of Toulouse was stationed 88 years ago. The Saracens began shelling the city walls, tried to attack, but they were prevented by ... sunlight. The sun blinded Saladin's warriors and they retreated. In the evening, fighting resumed, but again yielded no results. The defenders of Jerusalem fought off attacks over and over again for 8 days in a row.

Medieval miniature depicting the siege of Jerusalem

Saladin went for a trick. The next assault began with the rising of the Sun, when it shone in the faces of Christians. The Saracens themselves were equipped with shovels, with which they threw dust and sand into the eyes of their enemies. But this did not help either - the defense of Jerusalem held out. In addition, Christians made night forays, disrupting engineering work for the Arabs.

Then the sultan changed his position and moved to the north side, where there were no gates in the walls, no passages for sorties. There were set up stone throwing machines, which immediately began shelling. Saladin divided the soldiers into three detachments, and those, covered with shields and archers from the rearguard, came close to the walls of Jerusalem. Over the next two days, they blew up the walls by 15 cubits, propped them up with logs and set them on fire. The props burned out and collapsed; walls and towers in this area were about to collapse. Christians were discouraged. In the streets of Jerusalem, people were organizing processions, groaning and crying out for the mercy of the Lord.

On September 29, Saladin's troops managed to breach the walls of Jerusalem. Balian's men had patched it up, but the realization of the imminent end had already overtaken them. Within the walls of the city, a conspiracy of Greek and Syrian Christians has matured. They could hardly endure their submission to the Catholics, showing dissatisfaction with their church rituals. The Greeks told Saladin that they would open the gates of Jerusalem on condition that the Sultan would be merciful and free them. These plans were revealed in time, but the conspiracy was made public. This finally broke the spirit of the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

"Victorious Saladin". Gustave Dore, XIX century

The Christians of Jerusalem were ready to leave the city walls for the last battle. However, Patriarch Heraclius admonished the desperate defenders: “For every person in the city there are up to 50 women and children; if we fall, the Saracens will capture them and not kill them, but convert Mohammed to faith, and they will be lost to God. "

Balian decided to negotiate with Saladin. However, at first the Sultan was skeptical about the proposal to surrender the city to him. He no longer needed the surrender of Jerusalem, being able to take it unconditionally. In addition, earlier he had already offered the city to submit and, having received a refusal, took a terrible oath: to destroy the walls of Jerusalem and exterminate all its inhabitants. The negotiations dragged on, and despair grew in the city. Finally, it was announced to the Sultan that if it was impossible to surrender to his mercy, then otherwise he would receive nothing. The promised city and all the Muslim shrines in it will be turned into a heap of ruins and a huge grave.

Saladin's decision was based on plans for the future of these lands. He intended to include Palestine in his power, and, as you know, it is much easier to manage grateful subjects. Excessive ferocity could only harm him. And Saladin agreed - he gave Christians life and the opportunity to redeem their freedom. All that remained was to negotiate a reasonable fee. As a result, the price for the freedom of a man was 10 gold, for the freedom of a woman - 5 gold, and for the freedom of a child - 1 gold.

Balian d'Ibelin surrenders Jerusalem to the mercy of the winner, Sultan Saladin.
Medieval miniature

Saladin was handed the keys to the city. But he decided to set foot in Jerusalem on October 2. This number in 1187 coincided with the twenty-seventh day of the month of Rajab - the anniversary of Muhammad's wandering, which ended with the ascent of the heavenly staircase to the throne of Allah himself.

The Saracens hoisted their banners on the tower of David and closed all the gates except one. They had a guard set up to control the exit of those who bought their freedom. Saladin set aside 40 days for this, and to control the massive outflow of refugees, he organized a census in the streets.

But there were many poor people in Jerusalem, and, of course, not everyone could pay for freedom. Balian managed to bargain for thirty thousand gold pieces for the freedom of seven thousand Christians. People were allowed to take with them whatever property they saw fit.

15th century miniature depicting the presentation of the keys to Jerusalem to Saladin

Http://www.lessingimages.com

On the day of the exodus of Christians outside the city walls, Saladin sat on the main square and watched their sad procession. Women and children wept for fear of the unknown. The men carried not only their belongings, but also the wounded. Saladin's brother, Salfedin, could not stand this sight. He asked the Sultan to give him 1000 slaves for participating in the battle with the right to dispose of them as he pleases. Saladin agreed, and his brother's new slaves were freed.

Then the patriarch and Balian prayed. After Heraclius freed seven hundred poor, and Balian - 500, the sultan decided to show his mercy. He ordered to open the gate and release all the poor with the condition of a preliminary examination of their property. The deceiver, who was able to buy himself freedom, but spared money, was punished.

The liberated camp was huge and clumsy, and therefore divided into three. The Templars and Hospitallers walked apart, and the third group was led by Balian. The destitute wanderers needed protection. However, both in Tripoli and in Tire they were not accepted. The refugees were called traitors, robbed and expelled. Some found refuge, returning to the Muslim lands, others managed to get to Europe. With them came the news of the fall of Jerusalem.

Saladin did not lose his head from the victory and did not repair robberies and massacres. The Saracens were very tolerant of the Orthodox Christians of Jerusalem, and they were allowed to stay. The houses of the Templars were washed and irrigated with rose water, the al-Aqsa mosque was consecrated anew. An eyewitness to these events told King Henry II of England about the fall of Jerusalem and about "The overthrow of the cross of the Temple of Our Lord"... They carried the cross all over the city and beat him with a jingle.

In November, having settled in the city, Saladin decided to deal with Tyr. The scouts reported a constant influx of forces and supplies there. Fearing the arrival of reinforcements from Europe, the Sultan considered further delay unacceptable.

Tire was surrounded not only by high walls, but also by the sea. Neither the shelling from siege weapons nor the actions of the Saracen galleys gave the expected result. Saladin, knowing that the defense of Tire was led by the Margrave Conrad of Montferrat, rescued his father, who had been captured in Jerusalem, from the dungeon. The Saracens took the old man along the shore and threatened that they would publicly torture him. But Konrad did not give in, proudly declaring that his debt to God was dearer to him than his son's. Saladin appreciated this response, and kept William V the Old Life. After a two-month siege, the Sultan was forced to retreat from Tire.

15th century miniature depicting the siege of Tire

Http://www.wikiwand.com

However, the Kingdom of Jerusalem fell. Only Tire, Tripoli and the Johannite fortress Krak de Chevalier in Syria remained in the hands of the crusaders. The following year, 1188, the greatest European monarchs of the era, King of England Richard I the Lionheart and German Emperor Frederick II Barbarossa, once again brought the hammer of war over the Middle East. Thus began the Third, but not the last, crusade.

Video for the song "Crusader" by Chris de BurghSinger Chris de Burgh dedicated the song "Crusader" (Russian "Crusader") with the refrain "Jerusalem is lost" to the eve and history of the Third Crusade. A large-scale video shot for this song opens with footage of the pilgrim delivering the news of the fall of Jerusalem and the triumph of Saladin in the captured city.

Sources and Literature:

1. The history of the Middle Ages in its writers and the research of the latest scholars. T. III. SPb., 1887.
2. Michaud G. History of the Crusades. M., 2001.
3. Salimbene de Adam. Chronicle. M., 2004.
4. Hillenbrand K. The Crusades - A View from the East: a Muslim Perspective. SPb., 2008.
5. Andrea A. J. Contemporary sources for the fourth crusade. Brill. Leiden-Boston-Köln. 2000.
6. Otto von St. Blasien. Marbacher Annalen. Ausgewählte Quellen zur deutschen Gechichte des Mittelalters. Bd. 18a. Darmstadt, 1998.

Saladin is the ruler of Egypt and Syria, who lived in the XII century. The first representative of the Ayyubid dynasty, who went down in history as the military commander of the Islamic resistance to the knights-crusaders.

The future leader of the Muslims of the Middle East was born in 1138 in the city of Tikrit. The boy's grandfather and father were Kurdish by origin and served as officers in the Turkic-Syrian army, but from childhood the boy gravitated towards science, not military training. He studied algebra, geometry, in particular, was familiar with Euclid and the Almagest. But most of all, Saladin was interested in the teachings of Islam. The young man quoted any passage from Hamas, a collection of poems by Arab authors, as well as the works of Abu Tammam. Saladin loved horses and knew a lot about them. He understood the genealogy of the people and could retell the biography of any hero of the past or present.

Reflecting on the fate of the world, the young man consciously established himself in starting a military career. Saladin is already in early years worried about the fate of the Arab world, which his father and grandfather defended with honor. Uncle Asad ad-Din Shirkukh became the first mentor of the young man in training in military affairs. Saladin was able to enter the top ten strongest warriors of the army of the Amir of Damascus Nur-ad-Din in a short time.

After the beginning of the Crusades in 1096, Muslims constantly sought to free the Holy City from the infidels, in which, according to legend, the Ascension of the Prophet Muhammad to the Seventh Heaven took place. Therefore, the Arab rulers waged a fierce struggle with the crusaders for the right to possession of Jerusalem, and this war became the meaning of Saladin's life.

At the age of 26, Saladin took part in the liberation campaign of his uncle's troops in Cairo. Shirkuh helped restore the rule of the Egyptian vizier Shevar, but at the same time planned to further seize the territory of the state. This state of affairs did not suit the ruler, and he asked for help from the Jerusalem king Amaury I. Shirkuh's army was in the fortress of Bilbeis, which the enemy began to besiege. Saladin in these battles honed his military skills, as well as the ability to think strategically.

Having lost the three-month siege of Bilbeis, Shevar's warriors, along with the crusaders, retreated into the desert that is located west of Giza. Saladin assumed command of the right wing of the army, and after a bloody battle defeated the enemy, driving the soldiers into the sands impassable for horses. Shirkuh emerged from the battle victorious, but with great personal losses.

The place of deployment of the surviving crusaders and co-religionists who came to their aid was the capital of Egypt, while Saladin and Shirkuh settled in Alexandria. Four years later, the crusaders agreed to leave Egypt. A year later, Shevar was captured and executed by Shirkukh's army, and Saladin took his place. The ruler Nur-ad-Din, who was previously obeyed by a brave warrior, was dissatisfied with Saladin's self-will, but soon the two rulers found a common language.

Governing body

In 1174, Nur-ad-Din died suddenly from severe angina, and the Sultan of Egypt was given the opportunity to become the Emir of Damascus and the ruler of Syria. Using political interference in the affairs of the lost leader of Damascus, as well as a forceful method of invasion, Saladin was recognized as the head of state and ancestor of the Ayyubid dynasty. By uniting the lands of Egypt and Syria, Saladin became the ruler of the largest territory in the Middle East.

In order to strengthen his own power, Saladin used close relatives in all key government posts. The commander created a modern army, which had no equal at that time, strengthened the flotilla. Having transformed the state and the army, Saladin declared war on the infidels who occupied the territories of Asia Minor. This neighborhood frightened the Byzantine emperor Alexei I and forced him to ask for help and protection from the Pope.

Wars

The war against the crusaders who settled in Jerusalem, Saladin began in 1187, when he had already created a powerful empire that surrounded the territory of the Holy City. An impeccable army, consisting of long-range archers, horse artillery and infantry, by this time had won many resounding victories.

The first military operation aimed at the knights was the Battle of Hattin. Thanks to well-designed tactics, having lured the Europeans into impenetrable sands, the Muslims killed more than half of the enemy's army and captured 20 thousand knights. The winner was the high-ranking crusaders, as well as the commander-in-chief of the European army.

After the victory near Lake Tiberias, Saladin took Acra and Jaffa, Palestinian cities ruled by the knights. After that, in the fall of 1187, Saladin's army entered Jerusalem, and the power in the city passed to the followers of Islam. After the triumph of victory, Saladin managed to save human face: Many captives left their lives and allowed to visit the holy places of Jerusalem. He demanded only one thing from Christians - not to raise a sword against Muslims.

But the Vatican was not going to surrender, and preparations began for the Third Campaign of the Crusaders, which began in 1189 under the leadership of the rulers of England - the king, France - Philip II and Germany - Emperor Frederick I. The Europeans could not find agreement and at first fought a lot, but after death the German emperor and the disintegration of his troops on the side of the Catholics were only two armies.

At first, Christians even won. In 1191, after the capture of the city of Acre, Philip II hastened to return home, leaving the English king alone with the army of the Saracens.

Saladin was not long in coming, and already on September 7, 1191, he launched a military operation near the city of Arsuf. The confrontation between the two armies ended a year later with the signing of an armistice, which provided for a conflict-free existence of two religions on the territory of Jerusalem with a predominance of Muslim rule. Saladin honored Christian relics and even prayed at the Holy Sepulcher. During the reign of the Sultan, not a single Christian temple was destroyed.

Personal life

Saladin, as a true Muslim, supported several wives, but their names have not been preserved in the annals. It is only known that after the death of Nur ad-Din, the widow of the Sultan, Ismat al-Din Khatun, became the wife of the next ruler. From her, Saladin had two sons - Gazi and Daud.

In total, according to historical data, Saladin had 4 or 5 wives, not counting the concubines. 17 sons and a daughter were considered legitimate.

Death

Saladin went to his goal - the restoration of the Arab Caliphate. For this, at the end of 1192, he began preparations for a campaign against Baghdad. But at the end of February 1193 he suddenly fell ill.

The cause of the disease was yellow fever. On March 4, Saladin died suddenly in the Syrian capital. The aspirations of the Sultan remained unfulfilled, and the kingdom united by him was fragmented by his sons after his death into several territories.

Memory

The image of a great warrior and conqueror has repeatedly inspired writers and filmmakers to create works of art. One of the first Europeans to look at the personality of Saladin was who created the book "Talisman". The work is based on the description of the last campaign of Christians to Jerusalem and the biography of Saladin.

In the film industry, the name of the commander is found in the film "Kingdom of Heaven", which is also dedicated to the struggle between the crusaders and Muslims. The Egyptian sultan was played by the Arab actor Ghassan Massoud, who, judging by the photo, has a great external resemblance to the historical character. And in 2004 the animated series "Saladin" was released, the heroes of which were the brave inhabitants of Egypt and Syria, led by a young and wise ruler.

SALAH AD-DIN(Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub, in European sources: Saladin, 1138-1193), commander and ruler of Egypt, founder of the Ayyubid dynasty. Kurdish by origin. Born in Tikrit (Iraq), the son of Ayyub ibn Shadi, close and military leader of the Mosul-Syrian sultans of Zengi and his son Nur ad-Din. He was educated in Damascus, one of the centers of Islamic science.

In 1164, Salah ad-Din took part in the Egyptian campaign under the command of his uncle Shirk, sent by Nur ad-Din to help the Fatimid vizier Shevara ibn Mujir, expelled from Egypt, and led the garrison of Alexandria. After breaking with Shevara and repelling the crusaders and Byzantines called by him, Shirku became vizier under the Fatimid caliph, remaining subordinate to Nur ad-Din. After the death of his uncle in May 1169, Salah ad-Din became the ruler of Egypt. He created an efficient army of Turkic Mamluk slaves, including horse archers and spearmen. Domestic policy Salah ad-Din was characterized by the development of the military-fief system (ikta) and some tax cuts.

In 1171, after the death of the Fatimid caliph al-Adid, Salah ad-Din announced the overthrow of this Shiite dynasty and submission to the Sunni Caliph of Baghdad from the Abbasid dynasty, from whom he received the title of sultan in 1174. In 1171-1173 he fought with the crusaders, won Tripolitania from the North African rulers of the Almohads. After the death of Nur ad-Din in 1174, Salah ad-Din came out in support of his son al-Salih and occupied most of Syria. In 1175, he announced the removal of al-Salih, in 1176 defeated the armies of the ruler of Mosul, Saif al-Din, who had invaded Syria, and concluded an agreement with al-Salih and the Assassins.

In 1177 Salah ad-Din returned to Egypt. In Cairo, he built a new fortress, an aqueduct to supply the city with water and several madrassas. In 1177-1180, without much success, he fought with the crusaders, in 1180 he concluded a peace treaty with the Seljuk sultan of Konya (Iconium), in 1183 he subdued Aleppo, and in 1186 - Mosul, completing the conquest of Syria and northern Iraq.

In 1187, taking advantage of the struggle for power in the Kingdom of Jerusalem and the raids of the master of the Knights Templar, Reinald de Chatillon, Salah ad-Din broke a four-year truce with the crusaders and declared holy war on them. On July 3-4, he defeated the Christians at Hittin (Palestine), taking prisoner the Jerusalem king Guido de Lusignan and Master Reynald (he then released the first, and the second executed with his own hand). Then the Sultan of Egypt captured Tiberias, Akra (Akka), Ashkelon, on September 20, 1187, laid siege to Jerusalem, and on October 2, he forced the city to surrender. The kingdom of Jerusalem was destroyed, most of the possessions of the crusaders in Palestine and Syria were in the hands of Muslims. The Christians were able to hold only Tire, and in 1189 they laid siege to Accra.

In June 1191, the English king Richard I the Lionheart arrived near Accra with the troops of the crusaders. He managed to take this important fortress, and then occupy Ashkelon and the coast to Jaffa, defeating Salah ed-Din at Arsuf. Retreating from Richard's troops, the Egyptian sultan destroyed crops, pastures, and poisoned wells. This tactic forced the Crusaders to abandon plans to reconquer Jerusalem and prompted Richard to conclude a peace treaty with Salah ad-Din on September 2, 1192, and then return to Europe. Shortly thereafter, the Egyptian sultan died in Damascus on March 4, 1193, where he was buried. The Ayyubid dynasty he founded ruled Egypt until 1252, when it was overthrown by the Mamluks.

- Muslim leader of the 12th century, Sultan of Egypt and Syria, founder of the Ayyubid dynasty. This is one of the greatest personalities in the history of Islam. He is still remembered both in the West and in the East.

Little is known about Salah ad-Din's childhood. The future sultan was born in Tikrit (now the territory of Iraq) into a Kurdish government family. However, his grandfather Shazi lived in the Armenian city of Ajdanakan, where his father was also born. Subsequently, his father Nayim ad-Din Ayyub became the ruler of Baalbek. Despite the fact that from the side of his father and grandfather Saladin came from the Kurds, his mother was Arab. From childhood, he lived in Damascus, receiving military, general and theological education at the courts of the caliphs, where many of his relatives served.

From his youth, he did not envision a career as a career soldier and went to serve as an officer under rather strong pressure from his uncle. The fact that he was not interested in service and career growth played a positive role in his promotion: he did not intrigue, did not please, did not demand ranks and awards. Simply and honestly performing his official duties and possessing good administrative, strategic and tactical talents, Salah ad-Din was noticed and appreciated. This is how his advance began, which made Salah ad-Din the ruler of a huge country, the deliverer of Muslims from the crusaders, the liberator of Jerusalem.

It is worth noting that at the time of its rise, the Muslim lands were extremely fragmented. Ismailis ruled in virtually independent Egypt. Damascus was limited by the possessions of many small feudal lords and crusader states in the West and Baghdad in the East. The Seljuk Turkic empire split into parts. We can say that the need for political unification under the sign of the crescent has matured within society, and Salah ad-Din became exactly the person who was able to realize it.

Under the command of his uncle Shirkukh, Salah ad-Din begins service in the army of Nur ud-Din, Sultan of Damascus. The conquest of Egypt seemed necessary to the ruler of Damascus, since Egypt threatened his state from the south, being periodically an ally of the crusaders. Salah ad-Din takes part in this campaign and, unnoticed by others, as if even against his will, receives the title of vizier in the Land of the Pyramids. The influence of the Sunni Damascus vizier in the Ismaili country was, of course, minimal, but Salah ad-Din had enough political tact to establish good relationship with the Fatimid caliph, without losing at the same time an excellent relationship with his own sultan. His influence grew, and therefore no one was surprised when, after the death of al-Adid, Salah ad-Din from the vizier became the sultan of Egypt, at the same time replacing the traditional Ismaili religion of the country with Sunni Islam.

According to historians, this is how one of the fastest and bloodless coups in the entire world history took place.

Having become the Sultan of Egypt, Salah ad-Din was remembered not only as an excellent warrior, but also as a diplomat. Having formally retained his loyalty to the Sultan of Damascus (and thus, having secured himself several years of calm rule), he immediately began to strengthen his possessions and increase his influence in neighboring territories. And when it turned out that the Egyptian state was actually much stronger than the Syrian one, no one could do anything. Strengthened the position of Salah ad-Din and his marriage to one of the widows of the former sultan, which further legalized his position.

The power of the Sultan of Cairo increased so much that after the death of Nur ud-Din he was able to directly intervene in the dispute about his successor, and in fact - to subjugate Damascus. When the uncle of the heirs tried to intervene and resorted to military force, it turned out that the Egyptian army is several times stronger and the military genius of Salah ad-Din also surpasses him by several orders of magnitude. The Syrian army was defeated, and the Sultan of Egypt receives official recognition from the ruler of Baghdad.

Even turning to the assassins did not help against him. Salah ad-Din was able to perfectly track them all and arrest them even before these assassins could form any kind of plan against him. The "mountain elder" was forced to retreat and make peace with the Sultan.

For several years, Salah ad-Din subdues the independent and semi-independent rulers of small principalities on the border with their state. And in the end he becomes the sultan of the most powerful Muslim empire. The Muslim East has become unified for the first time in several centuries. It is then that the time comes to fight the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

Several direct clashes between the Sultan's army and the crusaders showed that it would not be possible to put an end to them directly. And Salah ad-Din applied the method of struggle that we know as the "economic blockade". More precisely, the sultan was able to take control of the spice trade under his sole control, which deprived the state of the crusaders of its main income and further intensified overt and secret confrontations in their midst.

It must be said that the power of the crusaders was undermined very strongly, primarily due to internal strife in the struggle for the royal throne (with leprosy, the childless King Baldwin IV was dying). Many experienced warriors and politicians who were able to unite the country and repel the empire of Salah ad-Din were removed from power.

The reason for the start of the official military campaign of Salah ad-Din against the crusaders was the violation of the four-year truce by the robber Reynald de Chatillon. Moreover, this directly concerned the Sultan himself, since Reynald attacked a caravan that was transporting Salah ad-Din's sister to her fiancé. She was released, but the robbers took all her jewelry, and moreover, Reynald himself dared to touch the girl, which to this day in the East is considered an unheard of insult (according to the laws of Islam, the touch of a man to a woman is not unambiguously forbidden to a mahram). As a result, Salah ad-Din gathers an army of fifty thousand and moves with him to Jerusalem.

Of course, no one planned to take the fortified city. The siege and capture of small settlements and cities of the Kingdom of Jerusalem begins. The decisive battle took place near the city of Tiberias. Here, the king himself, and all the nobility from among the crusaders, the masters of the Johannites and Templars were captured. Only Count Raymond of Triapoli managed to break through the encirclement of Salah ad-Din, although most historians agree that the Sultan deliberately let him go out of respect for his past valor and merit.

In the same battle, the direct offender of the Sultan, Reynald de Chatillon, was taken prisoner, who aggravated his previous guilt with new insults, and Salah ad-Din executed him with his own hand. All captured Johannites and Templars were executed as they were considered the direct enemies of Islam. Noble captives were released for ransom and on an oath: never to fight against the Sultan again.

Having occupied small cities, Salah ad-Din moved to Tire, but the city managed to get reinforcements by sea, which was led by Conrad of Monterrat. The Sultan's army turned to virtually defenseless Jerusalem. After a short siege, the city surrendered to the mercy of the Sultan. All residents received the right to life in exchange for a ransom.

The kingdom of Jerusalem was defeated. In the hands of the crusaders, only Tire remained, which, possibly, would have been captured by the Sultan. next spring, however, help from European countries managed to come to him under the leadership of King Richard I of England (the future Richard the Lionheart).

With his fearlessness, the English king aroused undoubted respect from the Sultan. There is a legend that says that Salah ad-Din sent a basket of mountain snow to Richard when he found out that he had a bad headache from the hot climate.

The English king, despite his strengths and the qualities of a true commander, suffered a diplomatic defeat. The dispute for the crown of the Kingdom of Jerusalem (I must say, largely virtual, since its territory at that time was under the complete control of Muslims) led to the fact that the French king, along with the army, left Richard and returned to Europe. The Templars and Johannites began to weave conspiracies against the king and refuse to obey his orders. The king realized that his army simply could not withstand the army of Salah ad-Din, and chose to make peace.

From the former Kingdom of Jerusalem, only the coastline and the opportunity for Christian pilgrims to freely visit the Holy Places (free path to Jerusalem) remained. In that situation, the Sultan could dictate any of his terms of peace, and they could not be challenged.

King Richard returned to Europe, and his former disagreements with the allies on the crusade bore fruit, which led to his imprisonment and death. Salah ad-Din returned to Damascus victorious. However, after a few months, his dreams of the further unification of Muslims are cut short. Salah ad-Din dies of a fever.

His image entered the hearts of Muslims for centuries to come. He became almost the only representative of Islam, about whom even European chronicles spoke enthusiastically. And Walter Scott's Talisman was the first work in Europe to show a positive image of Islam and Muslims.

Sultan Salah ad-Din possessed the character of a true Muslim and aspired to observe all the laws of Islam. For example, on the refusal of the inhabitants of Jerusalem to surrender without a fight, he vowed that he would level the city to the ground and kill all its inhabitants. Then, during the battle, a delegation from the city tried several times to obtain forgiveness from the Sultan, but his oath was canceled only after a meeting of the fuqaha and a special fatwa on the possibility of its withdrawal. At that moment, when the inhabitants of the city were leaving him, the Sultan issued a special permit for the opportunity to remain in Jerusalem for a part of the Johannites to take care of the seriously ill and wounded who could not leave. By the way, when the crusaders captured Jerusalem, they massacred the entire indigenous Muslim population.

Salah ad-Din became a model of honor, courage, justice, generosity, generosity, loyalty to his word, not only in Muslim regions, but also in European countries. He released the king of Jerusalem and most of the Christians of the kingdom, his army never plundered and harassed the peaceful Christian population, Christian pilgrims were promised (and in general, as time has shown, and provided) a free opportunity to visit Jerusalem. Salah ad-Din was a truly noble and pious man, for whom Jerusalem was truly the Holy City, in which there is no place for violence and cruelty.