Salah ad-din (Saladin), the first Sultan of Egypt from the Ayyubid dynasty. Saladin's Holy War

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. Born in Tekrit (modern Iraq). The success of his career became possible only thanks to the conditions that prevailed in the East in the 12th century. The power that belonged to the orthodox caliph of Baghdad or the 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 arose in 1098, existed only because it remained a center of internal unity in the midst of general disintegration. On the other hand, the enthusiasm of Christians gave rise to confrontation on the part of Muslims. Zengi, atabeg of Mosul, declared a "holy war" and began his campaigns in Syria (1135 - 1146). Nur ad-Din, his son, continued his aggressive policy in Syria, strengthened the state organization on his territory and “widely proclaimed jihad.”

Saladin's life came precisely at a time when there was a conscious need for political unification and defense of Islam. By origin, Saladin was an Armenian Kurd. His father Ayyub (Job) and uncle Shirku, sons of Shadi Ajdanakan, were military leaders in the army of Zengi. In 1139, Ayyub received control of Baalbek from Zengi, and in 1146, after his death, he became one of the courtiers 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 embrace 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 at times an ally of the crusaders, and also being a stronghold of the heretical caliphs. The reason for the invasion was the request of the exiled vizier Shewar 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 of his army. Discovering that Shirku was planning not so much to help him as to seize Egypt for Nur ad-Din, Shewar ibn Mujir turned for help to the Christian king of Jerusalem Amalric I. The crusaders helped Shewar defeat Shirku near Cairo on April 11, 1167 and force him to retreat ( Shirku's nephew, young Saladin, distinguished himself in this battle). The crusaders firmly established themselves in Cairo, which was approached several times by Shirku, who returned with reinforcements. They also tried, although unsuccessfully, to besiege Saladin in Alexandria. After negotiations, both sides agreed to leave Egypt. True, under the terms of the peace treaty, a Christian garrison was supposed to remain in Cairo. The unrest soon started by the Muslims in Cairo forced Amalric I to return to Egypt in 1168. He entered into an alliance with the Byzantine emperor Manuel I Komnenos, 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 Shirk and Saladin, the bad luck that plagued the enemy, as well as the mutual distrust between the crusaders and the Byzantines - all this prevented successful coordination of actions. And so 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" (The Incomparable Ruler).

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

In his 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 with the Orthodox caliph of Baghdad in all Egyptian mosques.

Saladin founded his Ayyubid dynasty. He restored the Sunni faith in Egypt in 1171. In 1172, the Egyptian Sultan conquered Tripolitania from the Almohads. Saladin constantly showed his submission to Nur ad-Din, but his concerns about the fortification of Cairo and the haste that he showed in lifting the sieges from the fortresses of Montreal (1171) and Kerak (1173) suggest that he was afraid of 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 Saladin's Syrian conquests began. Nur ad-Din's vassals began to rebel against his young al-Salih, and Saladin moved north, formally with the goal of supporting him. In 1174 he entered Damascus, took Hams and Hama, and in 1175 captured Baalbek and the cities surrounding Aleppo (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 to achieve political independence.

Saladin in battle

In 1175, he forbade mentioning al-Salih's name in prayers and engraving 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 entered into an agreement with al-Salih as well as the Assassins. In 1177 he returned from Damascus to Cairo, where he built a new citadel, an aqueduct and several madrassas. From 1177 to 1180, Saladin waged war against Christians from Egypt, and in 1180 he concluded a peace treaty with the Sultan of Konya (Rum). In 1181 - 1183 he was mainly concerned with the state of affairs in Syria. In 1183, Saladin forced the atabeg Imad ad-Din to exchange Aleppo for the insignificant Sinjar, and in 1186 he obtained a vassal oath from the atabek of Mosul. The last independent ruler was finally subdued, and the Kingdom of Jerusalem found itself alone with a hostile empire.

Saladin's conquest of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

The childless King Baldwin IV of Jerusalem's illness with leprosy led to a struggle for succession to the throne. Saladin benefited 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, the four-year truce was broken by the famous bandit Raynald de Chatillon from the castle of Krak des Chevaliers, provoking the declaration of a holy war, and then the third period of Saladin’s conquest began. With an army of approximately twenty thousand, Saladin besieged Tiberias on the western shore of Lake Gennesaret. Guido Lusignan gathered everyone he could under his banner (approximately 20,000 people) and marched against Saladin. The King of Jerusalem ignored the advice of Raymond of Tripoli and led the army into the arid desert, where they were attacked and surrounded by Muslims. Many of the crusaders near Tiberias were destroyed.

Battle of Hattin

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 crusader cavalry from the infantry and defeated it. Only Raymond of Tripoli 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 Templar Order, Raynald of Chatillon and others. Reynald of Chatillon was executed by Saladin himself.

Guido subsequently released Lusignan, making him promise that he would no longer fight. Meanwhile, Raymond, who returned to Tripoli, died from his wounds.

Saladin captured Tiberias, Acre (now Acre in Israel), Askelon (Ashkelon) and other cities (the soldiers of their garrisons, almost without exception, were captured or died at Hattin). Saladin was already on his way to Tire when Margrave Conrad of Montferrat arrived by sea with a detachment of crusaders just in time, thus providing the city with a reliable garrison. Saladin's onslaught was repulsed. On September 20, Saladin besieged 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 offers. Eventually the garrison was forced to surrender. On Friday, October 2, Saladin entered the Holy City, which had been in Christian hands for almost a hundred years, and performed a ritual of cleansing it, showing magnanimity towards the Christians of Jerusalem. Saladin released the townspeople on all four sides on the condition that they pay an appropriate ransom for themselves. Many were unable to be redeemed and were enslaved. All of Palestine was captured by Saladin. In the kingdom, only Tire remained in the hands of Christians. Perhaps the fact that Saladin neglected to take this fortress before the onset of winter was his gravest strategic miscalculation. The Christians retained a strong stronghold when the remaining Crusader army, led by Guido Lusignan and Conrad of Montferrat, attacked Acre in June 1189. They managed to drive away Saladin's army, which was coming 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 landward side, Saladin's army surrounded the crusaders in a tight ring. During the siege, 9 major battles and countless small clashes took place.

Saladin and Richard the Lionheart.

Richard I of England (Lionheart)

On June 8, 1191, Richard I of England (later the Lionheart) arrived near Acre. Basically all the crusaders tacitly accepted his leadership. Richard drove off Saladin's army, which was coming to the rescue of the besieged, and then waged the siege so vigorously that the Muslim garrison of Acre capitulated on July 12 without Saladin's permission.

Richard consolidated his success with a well-organized march to Askelon (modern Ashkelon in Israel), which was carried out along the coast to Jaffa, and with a 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 dared to engage Richard in open battle.

During 1191 - 1192, four small campaigns took place in the south of Palestine, in which Richard proved himself a valiant knight and a talented tactician, although Saladin surpassed him as a strategist. The English king constantly moved between Beitnub and Askelon, with his ultimate goal being the capture of Jerusalem. Richard I constantly pursued Saladin, who, retreating, used scorched earth tactics - destroying crops, pastures and poisoning wells. Lack of water, lack of feed for horses and growing discontent in the ranks of his multinational army forced Richard to come to the conclusion that he was unable to besiege Jerusalem unless he wanted to risk the almost certain death of his entire army. In January 1192, Richard's impotence manifested itself in the fact that he abandoned Jerusalem and began to fortify Askelon. Peace negotiations that took place at the same time showed that Saladin was the master of the situation. Although Richard won two magnificent victories at Jaffa in July 1192, the peace treaty was concluded on 2 September and was a triumph for Saladin. All that remained of the Kingdom of Jerusalem was the coastline and a free route to Jerusalem, along which Christian pilgrims could easily reach the Holy Places. Askelon was destroyed. There is no doubt that the cause of the death of the kingdom was the unity of the Islamic East. 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 (Salah ad-Din) - Sultan of Egypt and Syria

Saladin had a bright character. Being a typical Muslim, harsh towards the infidels who captured Syria, he, however, showed mercy towards the Christians with whom he directly dealt. 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 “the Ayyubids were the first to whom the Almighty granted victory.” His generosity was shown in the concessions given to Richard and his treatment of 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 showed true Muslim devotion to a sacred goal. The source of his success lay in his personality. He was able to unite Islamic countries to fight the crusader conquerors, although he did not leave a code of laws for his country. After his death, the empire was divided among his relatives. Although a capable strategist, Saladin was no match for Richard in tactics and, in addition, had an army of slaves. “My army is not capable of anything,” he admitted, “if I do not lead it and watch over it every moment.” In the history of the East, Saladin remains the conqueror who stopped the invasion of the West and turned the forces of Islam to the West, the hero who overnight united these unbridled forces, and, finally, the saint who embodied in his own person the highest ideals and virtues of Islam.

Saladin (Salah ad-Din). Chronology of life and deeds

1137 (1138) - A third son, Yusuf, was born into the family of Naim ad-Din Ayyub, military commander of the Tekrit fortress.

1152 - Yusuf enters the service of his uncle Asad ad-Din Shirk and receives ownership of a small territory.

1152 - Yusuf joins the military command of Damascus.

1164 - 1169 - Yusuf's participation in the Egyptian campaigns of Emir Assad ad-Din Shirku.

1169 - After the death of Emir Shirku, Yusuf becomes the vizier of the Egyptian Caliph and receives from him the title “Incomparable Ruler” (“al-Malik al-Nazir”).

1173 - 1174 - Saladin's first short-term campaigns against the crusaders.

1174 - Saladin captures Damascus after the death of Nur ad-Din.

1176 - Recognition of Saladin's power over Syria by the Zengids (except for the ruler of Mosul), as well as by the Baghdad caliph. A trip to the lands of the Assassins and the conclusion of an agreement with Rashid ad-Din Sinan.

1177 - Defeat of Saladin from the army of King Baldwin IV of Jerusalem under Ram Allah.

1186 - Acceptance of a vassal oath from the ruler of Mosul.

1189 - 1191 - Military operations at Acre.

References.

1. Smirnov S.A. Sultan Yusuf and his crusaders. - Moscow: AST, 2000. 2. World history of wars / resp. ed. R. Ernest and Trevor N. Dupuis. - Book One - Moscow: Polygon, 1997. 3. World History. Crusaders and Mongols. - Volume 8 - Minsk, 2000.

A talented commander, Muslim leader of the 12th century. Salah ad-Din was born in Tikrit, a Kurd by origin, a Sunni Muslim, the son of one of the military leaders of the ruler of Syria, Nur ad-Din.

Founder of the Ayyubid dynasty, which in its heyday ruled Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Hijaz and Yemen.

Early life

Salah ad-Din was born in 1138 in Tikrit (now the territory of Iraq) into a Kurdish family originating from the Principality of Cilicia. His father, Najm ad-Din Ayyub, was the ruler of Baalbek.

For several years, young Salah ad-Din lived in Damascus, receiving a varied education (including theological).

He was presented at the court of the then emir of Aleppo and Damascus, Nur ad-Din (Nureddin) Zengi, where many of his relatives served.

Under the leadership of one of them - his uncle Shirkuh - Salah ad-Din completed his military education in the wars with the Fatimid Caliphate in the 60s of the 12th century.

In 1169 he became vizier of Egypt, where he pursued a balanced and cautious policy. As a representative of Sunnism, Salah ad-Din could not greatly influence the army of Egypt, where the Ismaili caliph Al-Adid (1160-71) ruled.

When al-Adid died in September 1171, Salah ad-Din ordered the ulema to proclaim the name of al-Mustadi, the Abbasid caliph who ruled in Baghdad, before Friday prayers. This meant the removal of the previous line of rulers from power.

From that time on, Salah ad-Din ruled Egypt, although officially he represented Emir Nur ad-Din in this territory, who was recognized as the Baghdad caliph.

Salah ad-Din revived the Egyptian economy and reformed the army. Following his father's advice, he, however, avoided in every possible way any conflicts with Nur ad-Din, his formal overlord. Only after his death (1174) did Salah ad-Din take the title of Sultan of Egypt.

He restored Sunnism in Egypt and became the founder of the Ayyubid dynasty. For another decade, Salah ad-Din annexed the lands adjacent to his power. In 1174 he captured Hama and Damascus, and in 1175 - Aleppo.

First conquests

In 1163, the vizier Shewar ibn Mujir, expelled from Egypt by order of the Fatimid caliph al-Adid, asked Nur ad-Din for military support. This was a good reason for the conquest, and in 1164 Shirkukh marched to Egypt with an army. Salah ad-Din, at the age of 26, goes with him as a junior officer. Shewar, restored to the post of vizier, demanded the withdrawal of Shirkuh's troops from Egypt for 30,000 dinars, but he refused, citing the wishes of Nur ad-Din. Having discovered that Shirkukh plans to capture Egypt, Shevar ibn Mujir turns to King Amaury I of Jerusalem for help. The role of Salah ad-Din in this expedition was insignificant. It is only known that he participated in the preparations for the defense of Bilbeis, besieged by the combined forces of Shevar and Amaury I of Jerusalem.

After a three-month siege of Bilbeis, the opponents entered into battle on the border of the desert and the Nile, west of Giza. In this battle, Salah ad-Din played an important role, commanding the right wing of the Zangid army. Kurdish forces were on the left. Shirkukh was in the center. After Saladin's feint retreat, the Crusaders found themselves in terrain that was too steep and sandy for their horses. The battle ended in victory for the Zangids and Salah ad-Din helped Shirkukh win, according to Ibn al-Athir, one of the “most remarkable victories in the history of mankind,” but according to most sources, Shirkukh lost the majority of his army in this battle, and it could hardly be called a complete victory .

The crusaders settled in Cairo, and Salah ad-Din and Shirkuh moved to Alexandria, which gave them money and weapons, and became their base. After negotiations, both sides agreed to leave Egypt.

Egypt

Emir of Egypt

Asad ad-Din Shirkuh's attempt to capture Alexandria in 1167 ended in defeat from the combined forces of the Fatimid and Amalric I. But the following year, the crusaders began to plunder their rich ally and Caliph al-Adid asked Nur ad-Din in a letter to protect the Muslims of Egypt. In 1169, Asad al-Din Shirkuh took Egypt, executed Shewar and assumed the title of Grand Vizier. In the same year, Shirkuh died and despite the fact that Nur ad-Din chose a new successor, al-Adid appointed Saladin as the new vizier.

The reason why the Shiite caliph al-Adid chose the Sunni Salah ad-Din is still unclear. Ibn al-Athir claims that the caliph chose him after being told by his advisors that “there is no one weaker or younger” than Salah ad-Din, and “none of the emirs obey or serve him.” However, according to this version, after some negotiations, Salah ad-Din was accepted by the majority of the emirs. Al-Adid's advisers intended to break the ranks of the Zangids in this way. At the same time, Al-Wahrani wrote that Salah ad-Din was chosen because of his family's reputation for their "generosity and military honor." Imad ad-Din wrote that after the mourning for Shirkuh, “opinions were divided” and the Zangid caliphs put Saladin in charge and forced the caliph to “invest in a vizier.” And although the position was complicated by the competition of Islamic leaders, the bulk of the Syrian rulers supported Salah ad-Din for his achievements in the Egyptian expedition, in which he gained extensive military experience.

Having assumed the position of emir on March 26, 1169, Salah ad-Din repented “of drinking wine and turned away from frivolity, turning to religion.” Having gained greater power and independence than ever before in his career, he faces a problem of loyalty between al-Adid and Nur ad-Din. The latter was hostile to the appointment of Salah ad-Din and is rumored to have said: “How dare he [Salah ad-Din] do something without my order?” He wrote several letters to Salah ad-Din, who submitted them without abandoning his allegiance to Nur ad-Din.

In the same year, a group of Egyptian soldiers and emirs tried to kill Salah ad-Din, but thanks to the head of his intelligence, Ali bin Safyan, the main conspirator, the Sudanese eunuch, manager of the Fatimid palace, Naji Mutamin al-Khilafa, was arrested and killed. The next day, 50,000 Sudanese, for whom Naji was the representative of their interests in the court, rebelled against Salah ad-Din. By August 23, the uprising was suppressed, after which Saladin never again faced the threat of a riot in Cairo.

Towards the end of 1169, Salah ad-Din, with the support of Nur ad-Din, defeats the Crusader and Byzantine forces near Dumyat. Later, in the spring of 1170, Nur ad-Din, at the request of Saladin, sent his father to Cairo with encouragements from the Baghdad caliph al-Mustadi from the Abbasid clan, who was trying to put pressure on Saladin to quickly overthrow his rival al-Din. Adida.

After this, Saladin strengthened his power and Sunni influence in Egypt by distributing high positions to members of his family. He opens a branch of the Maliki madhhab in Cairo, which leads to a decrease in the influence of the Shafiite madhhab from al-Fustat.

After establishing himself in Egypt, Saladin began a campaign against the Crusaders, besieging Darum (modern Gaza) in 1170. Amalric I removed the Templar garrison from Gaza to defend Darum, but Salah ad-Din retreated from Darum and took . He destroyed the city outside the fortress and killed most of its inhabitants after they refused to surrender the city to him. It is not known exactly when, but in the same year, he attacked and captured the castle, which posed a threat to the passage of Muslim ships.

Sultan of Egypt

According to Imad ad-Din al-Isfahani, in June 1171, Nur ad-Din wrote many letters to Salah ad-Din, in which he demanded the establishment of the Abbasid caliphate in Egypt. The latter tried to remain silent, fearing to alienate the Shiite population and the nobility. Two months later, Salah ad-Din coordinated with Najdm al-Adin al-Qabushani, a Shafi faqih who was in opposition to Shiite rule in the country.

When al-Adid became ill (and possibly poisoned) by September 1171, he asked Salah ad-Din to visit him, with the expectation of asking him to take care of his children. Salah ad-Din refused, fearing to lose favor with the Abbasids, and is said to have subsequently been very sorry to learn of his intention.

Al-Adid died on September 13 and five days later, Salah ad-Din ordered the ulema to proclaim the name of al-Mustadi before Friday prayers. This meant the removal of the Shiite caliphate from power. From that time on, Salah ad-Din ruled Egypt, although officially he represented Emir Nur ad-Din in this territory, who was recognized as the Baghdad caliph.

On September 25, 1171, Salah ad-Din left Cairo to take part in the attack on Kerak and Montreal (the territory of modern Jordan), the castle. When it seemed that the fortress was ready to surrender, Salah ad-Din learned that Nur ad-Din had come from Syria to participate in the operation. Realizing that if he meets him in person, he will no longer rule Egypt, Salah ad-Din removes his camp and returns to Cairo under the pretext of the unrest that has begun in Egypt. This act increases tension in his difficult relationship with Nur ad-Din, to the point that the latter is about to march with an army on Cairo. After listening to his father, Salah ad-Din writes a letter of apology, but Nur ad-Din does not accept his excuses.

In the summer of 1172, the Nubian army besieged Aswan. Salah ad-Din's brother, Turan Shah, comes to the aid of the governor of Aswan. Although the Nubians were defeated, they returned again in 1173. This time the Egyptian army leaves Aswan and captures the Nubian city of Ibrim. Nur ad-Din does not take any steps against Egypt, but asks for the return of 200,000 dinars, which he allocated for Shirkuh's army. Salah ad-Din pays this debt with 60,000 dinars, jewelry and goods.

On August 9, 1173, Salah ad-Din's father Ayyub dies after falling from a horse, and Nur ad-Din, realizing that he has no influence left in Cairo, prepares to capture Egypt. In early 1174, Salah ad-Din sent Turan Shah on a campaign to capture the port of Aden and Yemen, a reserve bridgehead in case of an invasion of Egypt.

Annexation of Syria

Capture of Damascus

In the early summer of 1174, Nur ad-Din prepares an army to attack Egypt, gathering troops in Mosul, Diyarbakir and Al-Jazeera. The Ayyubids send an envoy to Salah ad-Din with this news, and he gathers his troops near Cairo. Suddenly, on May 15, Nur ad-Din dies (some sources speak of poisoning), leaving an eleven-year-old heir, al-Saleh. His death gives political independence to Salah ad-Din.

In order not to look like an invader of Syria and remain the leader of the fight against the crusaders, Salah ad-Din chooses the position of defender of al-Saleh. In a letter to the latter, he promises to "be as a sword", and refers to his father's death as an "earthquake". Already in October 1174, Salah ad-Din advanced a detachment of seven hundred cavalry to Damascus. Frightened al-Saleh and his advisers retreat to Aleppo, and people loyal to the family of Salah ad-Din allow the latter’s army into the city.

Further conquest

Leaving Damascus under the command of one of his brothers, Salah ad-Din proceeds to capture the cities previously owned by Nur ad-Din. His army captures Hama, but retreats to the well-fortified Homs. And when in December 1174, Salah ad-Din besieged Aleppo, young al-Saleh left the palace and appealed to the citizens with a request to protect the city for the sake of the memory of his father. One of Salah ad-Din’s chroniclers claimed that after this speech people “succumbed to his spell.” Fearing a direct conflict with al-Saleh, Salah ad-Din lifts the siege.

Al-Salah's advisers ask Rashid ad-Din Sinan for help. The Ismaili leader himself wants to take revenge on the man who removed the Fatimids from power in Egypt. On May 11, 1175, a group of thirteen assassins penetrates the camp of Salah ad-Din, but the guards notice them in time and prevent the assassination attempt. In 1177, in order to gain access to the sea, Salah ad-Din began to prepare to seize the territory of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. In October 1177, a battle takes place (otherwise known as the Battle of Ramla, in Islamic sources - the Battle of Tell As-Safit), where Salah ad-Din is defeated by troops.

Fighting the Crusaders

The most famous fact in Saladin's biography was his fight against the crusaders. These wars are reflected in numerous works of literature and art (the most famous is Walter Scott's novel The Talisman).

Salah ad-Din united the forces of Muslims to fight against the crusaders.

The main opponent of the crusaders was respected in Christian Europe for his knightly virtues: courage and generosity towards the enemy.

Richard I the Lionheart, one of the main leaders of the crusaders, became almost a friend of Salah ad-Din: they spoke of each other extremely enthusiastically, provided various benefits to each other’s subjects, and saw each other only once, during the truce in the crusade.

After a two-year siege, the crusaders managed to return, and then.

Death

Saladin died during preparations for the campaign against Baghdad to restore the former Arab caliphate.

He was buried there and mourned throughout the East as a defender of the faith.

In the history of the East, Saladin remains the conqueror who stopped the invasion of the West and turned the forces of Islam on the West, the hero who overnight united these unbridled forces, and who embodied in his personality the highest ideals and virtues of Islam.

After the death of the Sultan, his empire was divided by his heirs: Al-Aziz got Egypt, al-Afzal - Damascus, al-Zahir - Aleppo.

Photo gallery

Helpful information

Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub
Arab. صلاح الدين يوسف ابن ايوب‎‎
Yusif ibn Ayyub (Yusif son of Ayyub) - the name given to him at birth
Salah ad-Din - an honorific name meaning "Honor of Faith"
In Europe he is better known as Saladin.
English Saladin

Sources

There are many sources written by Salah ad-Din's contemporaries. Of these, it is worth highlighting the works of personal biographers and historians: Baha ad-Din ibn Shaddad - Salah ad-Din's teacher and adviser, Ibn al-Athir - a historian from Mosul, al-Qadi al-Fadil - Salah ad-Din's personal secretary.

Quotes

“I started by accompanying my uncle. He conquered Egypt and then died. And then Allah gave me power that I did not expect at all.”

“My army is not capable of anything unless I lead it and watch over it every moment.”

Salah ad-Din

Family

According to Imad ad-Din, before Saladin left Egypt in 1174, he fathered five sons. Al-Afdal, his eldest son, who was born in 1170, and Uthman, who was born in 1172, accompanied Saladin to Syria.

The third son, Al-Zahir Ghazi later became the ruler of Aleppo. Al-Afdal's mother gave birth to another child in 1177.

According to Kalgashandi, the twelfth son was born in 1178, and at the same time in the list of Imad ad-Din he appears as the seventh child.

Memory of Salah ad-Din in the modern world

Salah ad-Din, the main opponent of the crusaders, still enjoyed great respect in Christian Europe for his knightly qualities: courage in battle and generosity towards the defeated enemy. One of the main leaders of the crusaders, Richard the Lionheart, even considered Saladin almost a friend.

Salah ad-Din was the idol of Saddam Hussein, who, like him, was born in Tikrit, on the Tigris River; Under Saddam, there was a cult of Salah ad-Din in Iraq.

Modern mass culture (films and computer games) does not forget Salah ad-Din either. In popular culture, it is Salah ad-Din who is most often shown as the commander and ruler of the Saracens during the Third Crusade - although there were many others, Salah ad-Din gained the greatest fame. The character of Salah ad-Din appears in the film “Kingdom of Heaven” (2005, dir. Ridley Scott, in the role of Saladin - Ghassan Massoud), as well as in the film “Arn: Knight Templar” (2007, dir. Peter Flint), where he presented as a wise and noble warrior and leader.

Saladin has repeatedly appeared in computer games: in games such as Age of Empires II and Stronghold Crusader, there is a campaign for his troops (he is also one of the computer opponents in the game Stronghold Crusader).

IN At the end of the 11th century, armies of Christian knights moved to the Middle East. Their goal was to liberate the Holy Sepulcher from Muslim rule. For several decades, much of Palestine was occupied by Christians; it seemed that nothing could withstand such force. However, less than a hundred years after the First Crusade, the situation changed. A warrior appeared in the Middle East who challenged the knights - it was Salah al-Din , which the crusaders and generally all Europeans called.

1095 In the French city of Clermont, a council convened by the pope was ending Urban II; as always, the meeting of the clergy attracted the close attention of secular people, including influential representatives of the knightly class. After the end of the meeting, Urban II made a speech that was completely unexpected for those gathered. Without sparing black colors, he depicted the difficult fate of Christians in Palestine and called on his listeners to protect their fellow believers and liberate the Holy Land, which was being desecrated by Muslims. Even though the situation of Christians in Palestine was not as bad as the pope made it out to be, this proclamation was taken as a guide to action.

Throughout Europe, the organization of the Crusade began, the goal of which was to liberate the Holy Land from Muslim rule. The first attempt to liberate the Holy Sepulcher, whose participants were dominated by poor peasants, ended in defeat. However, the following campaigns, organized primarily by knighthood, were more successful. The warriors fighting in the name of God were truly a terrible force, but often it turned on innocent residents of captured cities, and then there was no mercy for either Muslims, Jews, or Christians.

The authors of the Arab chronicles did not hide their indignation. The knights fighting under the banner of Jesus quickly took Antioch, Jerusalem and other cities of Palestine, previously under the control of the Seljuk Turks, but the pace of Frankish expansion soon slowed down somewhat. The most influential leaders of the Crusaders gained control over the conquered lands, and the cities became the centers of new Christian states in the Middle East. Their elite consisted of Western knighthood, and their subjects were people of many nationalities and religions. However, the war with the Muslims did not subside. After the first defeats, the Muslims began to offer stronger resistance to the crusaders. Mosul atabek Imad ad-Din Zangi united large parts of Syria and Northern Iraq; troops under his leadership launched military operations against Christians, occupied the county of Edessa and plundered the lands of Antioch.

Son of Zangi, Nur ad-Din, successfully continued the fight against the Franks. The domains of the Egyptian Fatimid dynasty suffered the most from the tireless attacks of Christians. Incited by the Crusaders, the King of Jerusalem Amalric I organized more and more campaigns against Egypt, and the only salvation for the local rulers was help from the Syrian Zangids. One of their vassals, a Kurd from the Ayyubid family, arrived in Egypt with an army. Shirkuh Asad al-Din, also known as Leo of Faith. Shirkukh expelled the crusaders of Amalric I from Egypt, but was in no hurry to leave the country and took the position of vizier - the most important post in the power hierarchy. However, Shirkukh's triumph was short-lived - a few weeks later the Lion of Faith died, and the post of vizier was inherited by his nephew Salah ad-Din.

Thus the Ayyubid family became one of the most important in the Middle East. The founder of the family to which Saladin belonged was Shadi from the Kurdish tribe, whose lands were located in the vicinity of Mount Ararat. In search of a better fate, he and his two sons, Ayub and Shirkuh, moved south. The family settled in the city of Tikrit above the Tigris, in what is now Iraq; here Shadi received the position of governor of the fortress, and after him this post was inherited by Ayub.

Soon, however, the family’s luck turned away: he lost all privileges and was forced to leave the city on pain of death, going to Syria. According to legend, Salah ad-Din was born on the last night of his family’s stay in Tikrit (1138). In fact, the boy's name was Yusuf ibn Ayyub, and Salah ad-Din is an honorary nickname meaning Glory of Faith. Under the patronage of a new patron, Sultan Nur ad-Din, the position of the Ayyubids strengthened. They took possession of new lands, and Salah ad-Din, under the leadership of his uncle, was able to gain valuable political and military experience.

However, in his youth, the future winner of the crusaders was more interested in theology than politics and the art of war - he studied theology in Damascus. For this reason, Salah ad-Din's political debut took place relatively late: he was 26 years old when, together with his uncle, he went on the orders of Nur ad-Din to help Egypt. After the death of Shirkuh, Salah ad-Din began to strengthen the political and military influence of the Ayyubids in Egypt. Enraged by this, Nur ad-Din sent his own tax collectors to Egypt and even prepared an army to punish the insufficiently loyal vassal; only the death of the Sultan (1174) prevented the implementation of this plan. After the death of Nur ad-Din, Salah ad-Din took the title of Sultan of Egypt.

After consolidating his position in Egypt, Salah ad-Din set about unifying the lands of the Middle East under his rule. He devoted the next 12 years to achieving this goal, and one of the obstacles on his way was the Christian crusader states led by the Kingdom of Jerusalem. However, Salah ad-Din was able to derive considerable benefit from the confrontation with the infidels: thanks to the war against the crusaders, he could strengthen his image as a defender of the faith and thereby justify the constant expansion of his influence in the Middle East. While Salah ad-Din's power grew, Christian rulers found it increasingly difficult. Conflicts between representatives of various circles of the power elite, the desire of spiritual knightly orders to expand influence, a constant shortage of troops and dynastic problems haunted the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

Soon after the king died Baldwin IV the Leper(1186), who consistently fought against the power aspirations of the barons, power passed to the king’s sister Sibylle and her husband Guy de Lusignan. The greatest problem of the new rulers of Jerusalem was the unauthorized raids of the crusaders on Muslim territories. One of these rebellious knights was Baron Renaud de Chatillon, owner of the Krak castle. This knight repeatedly violated the truce, attacking Muslims whose route to Mecca ran through his domain. In the fall of 1182, Reno organized a daring sea raid into the Red Sea, plundered its African coast, after which his people sank a ship they came across with Muslim pilgrims. The count repeatedly violated the agreements on the protection of pilgrims of both sides, as evidenced by the very unkind reviews of Arab chroniclers.

Either at the end of 1186, or at the beginning of 1187, Renaud de Chatillon robbed a caravan carrying Saladin’s sister to her fiancé. She was not injured and was released (according to other sources, Reno brutally raped her), but first the baron requisitioned all her jewelry. At the same time, he touched the girl, which was considered an unheard of insult. Saladin vowed revenge, and in June 1187 his 50,000-strong army set out on a campaign.

The basis of Saladin's army were the Mamluks - former slaves. From these skilled warriors, selflessly devoted to their commanders, detachments of mounted spearmen and archers were recruited, who quickly advanced and also quickly retreated, leaving behind knights clumsy in their armor. The other part of the army consisted of forcibly mobilized fellahs - peasants. These fought poorly and reluctantly, but could crush the enemy with their mass.

The reprisal against the treacherous crusader served Salah ad-din as an excellent occasion for the final unification of the lands of the Middle East under his rule. Ineffective leadership and a lack of drinking water led to the fact that already in the first battle, the Battle of Hattin, the Crusader troops suffered a severe defeat. King Guy of Lusignan, his brother Amaury (constable of the kingdom), Master of the Templars Gerard de Ridfort, Renaud de Chatillon and many other Christian leaders were captured. Saladin, whose nobility was recognized by Christians, again demonstrated generosity towards the defeated, which, however, did not extend to the hated de Chatillon, who fell into his hands. Saladin cut off his head with his own hand.

After this, Saladin marched victoriously through Palestine, which there was no one to defend. Acre and Ascalon surrendered to him, and the last Christian port, Tire, held out only thanks to the fact that it was defended by the count who arrived from Constantinople Conrad of Montferrat distinguished by intelligence and energy. On September 20, 1187, the Sultan laid siege to Jerusalem. There were not enough defenders, and there was not enough food, the walls were very dilapidated, and on October 2 the city surrendered. Saladin did not repeat the atrocities that the crusaders had once committed: he allowed all residents to leave the city for a relatively small ransom and even take some of their property with them. However, many poor people had no money and became slaves. The winner received enormous wealth and all the shrines of the city, whose churches were turned back into mosques. However, Saladin guaranteed immunity for Christian pilgrims visiting Jerusalem.

The fall of Jerusalem was a heavy blow for all Christians. The three most powerful rulers - the German Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa, King of France Philip II Augustus and ruler of England Richard I the Lionheart- decided on a new crusade. From the very beginning, luck did not favor the crusaders. There was no agreement between them, so the armies moved to Palestine one by one. The first to set off in May 1189 was the German Emperor Frederick Barbarossa. He followed to the Holy Land by land, but did not even reach Syria. In June 1190, the emperor unexpectedly drowned while crossing a mountain river. His army partly returned home, partly still reached Palestine, but there they almost completely died out from the plague epidemic.

Meanwhile, the British and French reached the Holy Land by sea. Along the way they had to fight a lot. King Richard earned his nickname by fighting not with the Saracens, but with the inhabitants of Sicily who rebelled against him. In another small war, he took the island of Cyprus from the Byzantines and later gave it to the fugitive King of Jerusalem, Guy de Lusignan. It was not until June 1191 that Richard I and Philip II arrived in Palestine. Saladin's fatal mistake was that he left Tire to the crusaders. Having strengthened there, they were able to receive help from Europe and besieged the powerful fortress of Acre. King Richard appeared at its walls, and a fight between two opponents, equal in strength and courage, began.

With his fearlessness, the English king aroused the sincere admiration of Saladin. They say that one day, having learned that his enemy had a headache from the heat, the Sultan sent Richard a basket of snow from the mountain peaks. Ordinary Muslims treated Richard much worse, and for good reason. The king showed his cruelty more than once. On July 12, Acre fell, and at its walls he ordered the beheadings of more than two thousand Muslim prisoners who could not pay the ransom. After the capture of Acre, King Philip II Augustus returned to France, and the task of liberating the Holy City fell on Richard's shoulders.

The crusaders moved south, defeating enemy detachments one after another. It was here that the shortcomings of Saladin’s army, which consisted of forced people, became apparent. Moving from Acre to Ascalon, the crusaders defeated the Saracen army at the Arsuf fortress. Having lost 7,000 people killed in the Battle of Arsuf, the Sultan no longer dared to engage Richard in a major battle.

After the capture of Ascalon, the crusader army continued on its way to the Holy City. When the crusaders arrived under the walls of Jerusalem, it became obvious that taking the city would not be easy. The long siege exhausted the warriors, and the results were insignificant. The opponents found themselves in a stalemate: Richard blocked communication between the two parts of Salah ad-Din’s possessions - Syria and Egypt - and the Sultan’s army continued to successfully defend the city and had no intention of surrendering. This siege allowed Christians to once again be convinced of the nobility of Saladin - so, when Richard the Lionheart fell ill, the Sultan sent him sherbets prepared with healing water from the springs of the Lebanese mountains.

Legends include stories that Saladin released prisoners who did not have money for ransom, and once he himself ransomed a child captured during a battle and returned him to his mother. Due to the deadlock in which the confrontation had reached (as well as due to bad news for Richard from Europe), the parties negotiated a truce and a peace agreement was concluded in September 1192. The Christians retained the coastline from Tire to Jaffa, and Salah ad-din controlled the lands lying in the interior of the continent. The Crusaders left the Holy Land, but Christian pilgrimages to holy places could be carried out unhindered.

On his way home, Richard found himself in the possessions of the Austrian Duke Leopold V, experienced the full consequences of his not entirely knightly act. At the capture of Acre, he threw down from the wall the flag that the Duke had raised first. Leopold harbored a grudge and now took Richard prisoner and imprisoned him in the castle, and then surrendered the prisoner to the emperor Henry VI. The king was released only two years later for an unheard of ransom: 150 thousand marks - two years' income of the English crown. At home, Richard immediately got involved in another war and in 1199 died from an accidental arrow during the siege of a French castle. Salah ad-Din was no longer alive by that time. On his last campaign he fell ill with a fever and died in Damascus on March 4, 1193. The whole East mourned him as a defender of the faith.

Movie Salah ad-Din from the channel’s “Secrets of History” series National Geographic.

After these events in Egypt, circumstances unfold unexpectedly - Shavir, fearing for his power, begins to collaborate with the Franks. And yet, power passes to Asad ad Din Shirkuh, Salahuddin’s uncle. At this time, the uncle consults with his nephew, knowing his abilities as a ruler and ability to recognize people. After the death of Assad, power over Egypt around 1169-1171 passed to Salahuddin. A little later he writes:

“I started by accompanying my uncle. He conquered Egypt and then died. And then Allah Almighty gave me power that I did not expect at all.”

It is officially believed that Saladdin represented Nur ad-Din, who was recognized as the Baghdad caliph. From that moment on, he began to pay more attention to political affairs: creating order and uniting peoples in Egypt, Arabia and Syria, and waging war against the crusaders. Thus, having firmly established himself in power, he gradually began to prepare military campaigns against the Franks. All these events led to the unification of the Franks with the Byzantines.

Thanks to the effective actions of the Sultan and the thoughtful measures that he took to strengthen the garrison of the city of Dalmetta (he forced the crusaders to fight on two fronts), he managed to oust the enemy. In 1169, Salah ad-Din, united with Nur ad-Din, defeated the Crusaders and Byzantines near Dumyat.

I would like to mention a man named Nur ad-Din Mahmud Zangi from the Zangid dynasty (son of Imad ad-Din Zangi) - a Seljuk atabek. He not only left a noticeable mark on history, but also played an important role in the life of Salahuddin. Despite some political circumstances, they supported each other. Nur ad-Din at one time united the Muslims into a real force that successfully fought the crusaders. Historians call Salahuddin the heir of Nur ad-Din.

To Syria

The death of Nur Ad Din (Damascus) in 1174, the ruler of Syria, led to the outbreak of unrest due to the inexperience and weak influence of his son al-Malik al-Salih Ismail, who inherited power. All these events forced Salahuddin to go to Syria to establish order there and take the son of the late Nur Ad Din under personal guardianship. Damascus came under the rule of the Sultan without struggle or resistance. Despite Saladdin's great military power, the military campaign proceeded peacefully. The residents, having heard about the nobility of Ayyubi, greeted him with cordiality and hope.

In some historical references, these events are interpreted negatively due to the fact that Nur Ad-Din intended to go to war against Saladdin before his death. Some historians are inclined to believe that Nur Ad Din was poisoned. Salahuddin himself will later say the following:

“We received information that Nur ad-Din expressed his intention to march against us in Egypt, and some members of our council believed that we should oppose him and openly break with him. They said: "We will march against him fully armed and drive him out of here if we hear that he intends to invade our land." I was the only one who objected to this idea, saying: “We shouldn’t even think about that.” Disputes among us did not stop until we received news of his death."

Family

Wife- Ismat ad-Din Khatun. She was the noblest woman of her time. She also had fear of God, wisdom, generosity and courage.

Salahuddin had many children. The eldest son, Al-Afdal, was born in 1170, the second, Usman, was born in 1172. They fought in the Syrian campaign and also fought alongside their father in other battles. The third son, Al-Zahir Ghazi, later became the ruler of Aleppo.

Justice Salahuddin

Sultan Salahuddin was fair, helped those in need, protected the weak. Every week he received people, without turning anyone away, to listen to their problems and make decisions so that the justice of the Most High took its place. Everyone flocked to him - from the old and helpless to the oppressed and victims of lawlessness. Under him, a social system was established that was aimed at solving the problems of the people.

In addition to receiving people in person, petitions and documents were also accepted to open the doors of justice. At the reception, he listened carefully to everyone to understand the problem. There is a case in the documents when a certain person named Ibn Zuhair complained about Taqi Addin, the nephew of the Sultan, because of his injustice. Despite respect and love for his nephew, Salahuddin did not spare him and he appeared in court.

There is also a known case when one old man came with a complaint against the Sultan himself.. During the trial, it turned out that the old man was wrong and came only for the sake of the Sultan's mercy to the people. Salahuddin said: “Ahh, then that’s a different matter,” and rewarded the old man, thereby confirming his rare qualities - generosity and magnanimity.

Generosity

This is one of the features of Salahuddin that made him stand out greatly. He had a lot of wealth, but after his death he left behind only about 40-50 dirhams and a gold bar. His generosity was easy and boundless. According to one of the Sultan's assistants, after the capture of Jerusalem, Salahuddin sold his lands to make gifts to the ambassadors, since he did not have enough money at that moment due to their distribution to others.

Salahuddin often gave more than what was asked of him. He never refused even when they contacted him again. No one heard from him: “They have already received help,” and no one left without help. The letters convey an interesting point. One day the head of the divan said: “We kept records of the number of horses donated by the Sultan in one city, and their number exceeded ten thousand.” Generosity flowed from his hands with such zeal that his contemporaries were amazed by this quality, some rejoiced, and some took advantage of it for profit.

Patience

In 1189, Salahuddin pitched camp opposite the enemy on the plain of Acre. During the hike, he became very ill and his body was covered with a rash. Overcoming his illness, he continued to fulfill his duties in the best possible way - to control and manage his army, without leaving the saddle from early morning until sunset. All this time he patiently endured all the pain and severity of the situation, repeating:

“When I’m in the saddle, I don’t feel pain, it only comes back when I get off the horse.”

He was humble before the will of the Almighty. Reading the letter announcing the death of his son Ismail, his eyes filled with tears, but his spirit did not rebel, his faith did not weaken.

Courage and Determination

Salahuddin's courage, strong character and determination determined the course of history for centuries. In battles, he went into battle in the front ranks and did not lose determination even when he found himself with a small detachment facing a numerous and dangerous enemy. Before the battle, he personally walked around the army from beginning to end, inspiring the soldiers and strengthening their courage by personal example, and he himself ordered where to fight certain units.

He never expressed concern about the number of the enemy with whom he had to fight, maintaining sobriety of mind and strength of spirit. He had to find himself in similar situations many times, and he made decisions in consultation with his military leaders. In the battle with the crusaders at Acre in the fall of 1189 When the Muslim army was on the verge of defeat, Salahuddin and the troops entrusted to him continued to hold their positions. Despite the fact that the center of the army was scattered and the remnants of the army fled from the battlefield. This fact plunged the soldiers into shame and they, inspired by the example of their commander, returned to their positions. Then both sides suffered heavy losses. Then came the time of painful and long waiting, when the wounded and with no hope of reinforcements stood opposite the enemy and awaited their fate. The result of the confrontation was a truce.

Salahuddin did not spare himself on the path of the Almighty. He parted with his family and homeland in order to liberate the lands from the rule of invaders and tyrants, preferring life in military campaigns. He was very fond of stories, hadiths and verses of the Koran, which spoke about diligence in the path of Allah Almighty.

Kindness and character

Salahuddin was distinguished by his condescension and kindness towards everyone, including those who made mistakes. One of the Sultan's assistants reports how he accidentally knocked down the Sultan's leg. The Sultan only smiled in response. Sometimes, turning to the Sultan for help, people showed dissatisfaction and rudeness in their speeches. In response, Salahuddin only smiled and listened to them. His disposition was gentle and affable.

Everyone who communicated with Salahuddin felt rare ease and pleasantness of communication with him. He consoled those who were in trouble, questioned them, gave advice and provided support. He did not go beyond the bounds of decency and culture of communication, did not allow himself to be treated unpleasantly, observed good behavior, avoided the forbidden and did not use foul language.

Conquest of Jerusalem

The war against the Crusaders was the most important stage in Salahuddin's life. His name sounded with respect in Europe. Before the main conquest of his life, Salahuddin in 1187 he fought at Hattin, Palestine and Acre, where the leaders of the Order of the Templars and Crusaders (Guy de Lusignan, Gerard de Ridfort) were captured. The capture of Jerusalem in October of that year was Salahuddin's greatest victory.

But first, let's go back 88 years to 1099. The First Crusade ends with the bloody capture of Jerusalem by the Crusaders, where almost the entire Muslim population was destroyed. The crusaders spared neither women, nor the elderly, nor children. The streets were washed with blood, shed mercilessly. Massacres and massacres engulfed the streets of the holy city.

And, in 1187, Muslims came to retake Jerusalem. The city at that moment was plunged into chaos and people were terrified and did not know what to do, because they remembered how the Muslims had been punished with fire and sword earlier. And in this pitch darkness, Salahuddin appeared as a light for all the oppressed. Having captured the city, he and his wars did not kill a single Christian. This act towards his enemies made him a legend, teaching the crusaders an important lesson. As he entered the city, the streets were washed with rose water, clearing them of traces of violence. Everyone was given life, no one was killed. Revenge, murder and aggression became taboo. Christians and Jews were allowed to go on pilgrimage.

Later, the Sultan met with an old man who asked him: “Oh, great Salahuddin, you have won. But what made you spare the Christians when the Christians had previously slaughtered the Muslims?” Salahuddin's answer was worthy:

“My faith teaches me to be merciful, not to encroach on the life and honor of people, not to take revenge, to respond with kindness, to forgive and to fulfill my promises.”

Hearing the Sultan’s words, the elder converted to Islam. Immediately after the capture of the city, when Salahuddin was passing through the streets of the city, a crying woman came out to him and said that the Muslims had taken her daughter. This greatly saddened Salahuddin. He ordered to find this woman's daughter and bring her to her mother. The Sultan's order was carried out immediately.

Conquering with mercy and conquering without humiliation, Salahuddin Ayubi became an immortal example to all humanity from the early Middle Ages to the present day. Nobility and beautiful character, despite enormous power and wealth, humanity, despite betrayal and injustice, the desire for the pleasure of the Almighty in his victories and actions made him one of the best rulers this world has seen.

Once upon a time, seven Greek cities argued for the right to be called the birthplace of Homer. In the same way, all the peoples of the Middle East consider Sultan Saladin their fellow tribesman. More than 800 years ago, he defended Islamic civilization from the crusader knights and returned to it the holy city of al-Quds, which we call Jerusalem. Moreover, he did it with such dignity that even his enemies could not reproach him for a single dishonorable act.

Mostly the general public knows about him from the chivalric romances retold by Sir Walter Scott. This is where the name Saladin comes from. In fact, his name was Salah ad-din, which means “Glory of Faith.” But this is only an honorary nickname for the boy Yusuf, born in the spring of 1138 in the family of the military leader Naj ad-din Ayyub ibn Shadi. He was a Kurd by origin, a representative of a wild mountain people who jealously guarded their freedom and the Yazidi faith. But this does not apply to Saladin - he was born in Tikrit, Iraq, where his father served the local ruler. His mother was an Arab, and he was raised in strict Islam.

We know almost nothing about Saladin's early years. It is known, however, that already in 1139 the father of the future hero moved to Syria to serve the atabek Imad-addin Zengi. Assessing the commander’s abilities, Zengi brought him closer to him and gave him control of the city of Baalbek. After the death of Mr. Ayub, he supported his eldest son Nur ad-din in the struggle for power, for which the latter made him the ruler of Damascus in 1146. In this magnificent city, Saladin grew up and received an education, which for a noble eastern youth at that time amounted to the basics of faith, horse riding and saber skills. It is possible, however, that Saladin was also taught to read and write and the basics of versification. In any case, having become the Sultan, he knew how to read and write, unlike many European rulers.

The possessions of the Zengi dynasty bordered the crusader states in Palestine, which arose after the First Crusade in 1099. In the East, knights lived the same way as they were used to in the West. Having built castles in places convenient for defense, they imposed various duties on the peasants, both immigrants from Europe and local Arabs, Greeks and Syrians. Formally, their possessions were subordinate to the king of Jerusalem, but in fact they were independent. Their rulers themselves administered justice and reprisals, established laws, declared war on each other and made peace. Many of them did not disdain robbery, attacking merchant caravans and merchant ships. Trade brought great income to the crusaders. According to the calculations of the French historian Fernand Braudel, trade turnover between the West and the East during that period increased 30-40 times. A major role in the crusader states was played by the military knightly orders - the Templars and the Johannites (Hospitaliers). Their members took monastic vows of chastity, poverty and obedience to superiors. In addition, they swore to fight against infidels and protect Christians. At the head of each order was a Grand Master, to whom several hundred knights obeyed.

Gradually, the crusaders fit into the political system of the Middle East. Enmitying with some local rulers, they entered into alliances with others and exchanged gifts. There was no unity among Muslims: supporters of the Baghdad caliph were at enmity with the Shiite Fatimid dynasty in Egypt, and the Turkic Seljuk empire split into parts, control over which passed to the Sultan’s educators, the atabeks. Among them were the Zengids, who made it their goal to expel the “Franks” from Palestine, and especially from Jerusalem. In addition to Christian and Jewish shrines, there were also Islamic ones, including the Qubbat al-Sakhr (Dome of the Rock) mosque, from where the Prophet Muhammad, according to legend, ascended to heaven on the winged horse Borak. After the conquest of the city by the Crusaders, they were all converted into Christian churches, and Nur ad-din Zengi vowed to return them. Saladin became his assistant in this.

Saladin's army at the walls of Jerusalem

The path to empire

But first, the young man had to fight not with the “infidels” at the walls of Jerusalem, but with his fellow believers on the banks of the Nile. To encircle the possessions of the crusaders, Nur ad-din planned to subjugate Egypt, where the vizier Shevar ibn Mujir rebelled against the local caliph al-Adid. To help the latter, Zengi in 1164 sent an army led by Shirku, Ayub's brother. With him was 25-year-old Saladin, appointed commander of hundreds of horsemen. The campaign turned out to be unsuccessful: the straightforward Kurds encountered the treachery of the Egyptians. At the decisive moment, Shevar not only went over to the side of his enemy, the caliph, but also called upon King Amaury I of Jerusalem for help. The knights helped defeat Shirka near Cairo in April 1167 and dug in themselves in the Egyptian capital. It was here that Saladin first showed himself: when his dispirited comrades were already ready to leave the country, he and his detachment captured the most important port of Alexandria and prevented the crusaders from receiving reinforcements. After long negotiations, both sides agreed to leave Egypt, but Shirku remained there, becoming the vizier of the caliph.

In May 1169, Shirku died, most likely from poison, and his nephew Saladin inherited the position. To the surprise of many, he proved himself not to be a simple-minded fighter, but a skillful politician who attracted the courtiers and people to his side. When al-Adid died in 1171, Saladin took his place without any resistance. His former master Nur ad-din expected him to submit, but Saladin, having become the Sultan of Egypt, made it clear that he did not need leadership. Moreover, after the death of Nur ad-din in 1174, he intervened in the dispute between his heirs and quietly took away their Syrian possessions, including Damascus (his father had already died by that time). When their relative, the powerful atabek of Mosul, stood up for the Zengids, Saladin defeated him and forced him to admit his supremacy. The enemies tried to set the assassins against the Sultan - ruthless killers who were feared by the entire East. But he created a secret service that one fine day arrested all the assassins in Damascus. Having learned of their execution, the leader of the murderers, the famous “Mountain Elder,” chose to make peace with the decisive Sultan.

Now everything was ready for the march on Jerusalem. The moment was fortunate: the city was ruled by the young King Baudouin IV, who was suffering from leprosy. His possible heirs openly fought for power, weakening the strength of Christians to the limit. Meanwhile, Saladin formed and trained an army, the basis of which was the Mamluks - former slaves. From these skilled warriors, selflessly loyal to their commanders, detachments of mounted spearmen and archers were recruited, who quickly advanced and also quickly retreated, leaving behind the clumsy knights in their armor. The other part of the army was made up of forcibly mobilized fellahins, who fought poorly and reluctantly, but could crush the enemy en masse.

After Baudouin's death, power passed from hand to hand until it went to his sister Sibylla and her husband Guido Lusignan, who did not enjoy authority and could not prevent the arbitrariness of the feudal lords. The most violent of them, Baron Renaud de Chatillon, robbed a caravan carrying Saladin's own sister to her fiancé. She was not injured and was released, but first the baron requisitioned all her jewelry. At the same time, he touched the girl, which was considered an unheard of insult. Saladin vowed revenge, and in June 1187 his 50,000-strong army set out on a campaign.

The capture of Jerusalem by the Saracens under Saladin in 1187. Book illustration. 1400

Fight of lions

First, the Sultan laid siege to the fortress of Tiberias. King Guido opposed him, but Saladin lured his army into the arid desert, where many knights died from the arrows of enemies and the scorching sun. While they were getting out of there, the fortress was forced to surrender. The Crusader army, which consisted of 1,200 knights, 4,000 mounted warriors and 18,000 infantry, headed towards Tiberias and was met by Saladin between two hills called the Horns of Gattin. On July 4, the decisive battle took place. Having fortified themselves on the hills, the Muslims fired from above at their opponents, who were suffering from thirst and smoke from dry branches set on fire by order of the Sultan. Fighting desperately, the knights managed to capture the Horns, but lost almost all their horses and were surrounded by enemy cavalry. Count Raymond of Tripoli with a small detachment managed to break through the encirclement and escape. The rest had to surrender by evening. The following were captured: King Guido himself, his brother Geoffroy, the masters of the Templars and Johannites, almost the entire crusader nobility, except for Count Raymond, but he, too, arrived in Tripoli and died from his wounds.

The Sultan's offender, Renaud de Chatillon, was also captured. He aggravated his guilt by his impudent behavior, and Saladin cut off his head with his own hand. And then, according to Kurdish custom, he moistened his finger with the blood of the enemy and ran it over his face as a sign that revenge had been accomplished. Other prisoners were sent to Damascus, where their fate was decided. Saladin ordered the execution of all the Templars and Johannites (230 people), considering them sworn enemies of Islam. The Muslim allies of the crusaders were also executed as accomplices of the enemy. The rest of the knights, including King Guido, were released, taking an oath from them never to fight with the Sultan. Ordinary warriors were sold into slavery.

After this, Saladin marched victoriously through Palestine, which there was no one to defend. Acre and Ascalon surrendered to him, and the last Christian port, Tire, was saved only thanks to the arrival from Europe of Margrave Conrad of Montferrat with a strong detachment. On September 20, 1187, the Sultan besieged Jerusalem. There were not enough defenders, and there was not enough food, the walls were very dilapidated, and on October 2 the city surrendered. Saladin did not repeat the atrocities that the crusaders had once committed: he allowed all residents to leave the city for a relatively small ransom and even take some of their property with them. However, many poor people had no money and also became slaves. There were almost 15 thousand of them. The winner received enormous wealth and all the shrines of the city, whose churches were turned back into mosques.

The news of the fall of Jerusalem caused grief and anger in Europe. The monarchs of the largest countries England, France and Germany gathered in a new crusade. As usual, there was no agreement between them, so the armies moved towards the goal one by one. The first to set off in May 1189 was the German Emperor Frederick Barbarossa. He followed by land, capturing the Seljuk capital of Konya (Iconium) along the way. But in June 1190, the emperor unexpectedly drowned while crossing the mountain river Salef. His army partly returned home, partly still reached Palestine, but there they almost completely died out from the plague epidemic.

Meanwhile, the English of Richard I and the French of Philip II were still reaching the Holy Land by sea. Along the way they had to fight a lot. King Richard earned his nickname Lionheart by fighting not with Muslims, but with the inhabitants of Sicily who rebelled against him. During another military campaign, he took Cyprus from the Byzantines, which was given to the fugitive king of Jerusalem, Guido Lusignan. It was not until June 1191 that the two kings arrived in Palestine. Saladin's fatal mistake was that he left Tire to the crusaders. Having strengthened there, they were able to receive help from Europe and besieged the powerful fortress of Acre. King Richard appeared at its walls, and a fight between two opponents, equal in strength and courage, began.

The duel between a crusader and a Muslim is believed to be between Richard the Lionheart and Saladin. Book miniature. England. Around 1340

With his fearlessness, the English king aroused the sincere admiration of Saladin. They say that one day, having learned that his enemy had a headache from the heat, the Sultan sent him a basket of snow from the mountain peaks. Ordinary Muslims treated Richard much worse and even frightened children with him. There were reasons for this: the knightly king showed his cruelty more than once. On July 12, Acre fell, and at its walls he put to the sword about 2,000 Muslim prisoners who could not pay the ransom. After this, the crusaders moved south, defeating enemy detachments one after another. It was here that the shortcomings of Saladin’s army, which consisted of forced people, became apparent. The Sultan said in his hearts: “My army is not capable of anything unless I lead it and look after it every moment.” Needless to say, if Mamluks with drawn sabers were on duty behind the fighting Egyptians. The knights did not have this: each of them knew what they were fighting for.

Death on takeoff

Moving from Acre to Ascalon, Richard threatened to return the entire coast to Christian rule. To prevent him, Saladin with an army of 20 thousand on September 7, 1191 blocked the king’s road at the Arsuf fortress. Here again the superiority of European tactics was demonstrated: the knights were able to quickly build a defense against which the rolling waves of Muslim horsemen were powerless. Having lost 7,000 people killed, Saladin's soldiers retreated in panic. After this, the Sultan never again dared to enter into a major battle with Richard. The English king captured Jaffa and Ascalon and began to accumulate forces for a strike on Jerusalem. However, soon luck turned against the Christians again: Richard and Philip entered into a fierce dispute over the crown of the now defunct Kingdom of Jerusalem. The first supported his protege Guido Lusignan, the second - Margrave Conrad of Montferrat. Having lost the argument, Philip angrily withdrew his army to France. Envy also played a role: the Frenchman did not accomplish any feats, and no one called him the Lionheart.

No more than 10,000 knights remained from the crusader army, and Richard had to admit that fighting their way to the Holy City through the armies of enemies was tantamount to death. Saladin ordered his viziers to equip and drive more and more armies into Palestine. He knew that the villages were emptying and the country was threatened by famine, but the holy war came first. For the Sultan it was not an end in itself, but a means of strengthening the empire.

The Caliph of Baghdad, whose power had waned but whose authority remained high, sent him his blessing and assurance of full support. In the future, Saladin planned a campaign against Baghdad to restore the great Arab Caliphate. His warriors had already captured Libya and even distant Yemen, and were ready to go further. But first it was necessary to finish off the crusaders. In September 1192, Richard concluded a peace treaty, which became an important victory for Saladin. The knights were left with only the sea coast, and Ascalon was destroyed under the terms of the peace. Christian pilgrims were given the opportunity to visit Jerusalem and worship the shrines there. The Sultan made this concession: the main thing is that the terrible Englishman with the heart of a lion returns home.

On his way home, Richard experienced the full consequences of his not entirely knightly act. During the capture of Acre, he threw down the flag of the Austrian Duke Leopold, which he had raised first, from the wall. The Duke harbored a grudge and now took Richard, who was in his lands, captive and imprisoned him in the castle. The king was released only two years later for a huge ransom. This did not teach the eccentric monarch anything: at home he immediately got involved in another war and in 1199 died from an accidental arrow during the siege of a French castle. “Everything that his courage won, his imprudence lost” with these words the chronicler summed up the fate of the Lionheart. His enemy Saladin was no longer alive. On his last campaign he fell ill with a fever and died in Damascus on March 4, 1193. The whole East mourned him as a defender of the faith.