Saladin: Some Facts

Saladin is viewed by Muslims as one of the great monarchs in the history of Muslim civilization. But far too many people know many myths and few facts about this man. I’ll try to share some useful facts here.

Before Saladin, we must remember Nur al-Din, the Muslim ruler who united Muslim Syria for the first time since the Frankish wars began.

One of Nur al-Din’s trusted fighters was Shirkuh, the uncle of Saladin. It was Shirkuh who forced Saladin to accompany him to Egypt. This is where Saladin’s story begins.

Saladin was not interested in going to Egypt. In fact, in the period from 1163–1167, he was just a fringe character in the game of thrones between Egyptians, Franks, and Kurds (Saladin was a Kurd).

After three campaigns, Saladin’s uncle Shirkuh finally conquered Cairo. However, he soon died, leaving his nephew with an opportunity to rule over Egypt.

Saladin was in fact picked to rule because the Fatimid caliphs advisors, in whose name Shirkuh ruled, saw him as weak and inexperienced.

By 1169, Saladin was the master of Egypt, but he still pledged loyalty to Nur al-Din. Trouble, however, was brewing between the master and his loyal servant.

1171: Nur al-Din demands that Saladin abolish the Shia Fatimid dynasty. Saladin isn’t too keen about doing this as it would create a religious and political crisis in Cairo.

But Saladin is forced to act, and he abolished the Fatimid dynasty. There was no reaction in Egypt, and the two century old dynasty ended with the death of al-Adid.

Saladin and Nur ad-Din continued have issues with one another. The latter was keen to fight against “the occupier”. But he died before the war began. Fate, once again, was on Saladin’s side.

By 1174, Saladin was an emerging ruler. But he still faced an uphill task, for the rulers and influencers in Syria viewed him as a usurper.

He made a bet that going to Damascus would establish his rule without major conflict. He was proven right and entered Damascus with 700 cavalry.

Fate, once again, helped Saladin. The Byzantine army which had been a thorn in the side of Nur al-Din for 15 years, was defeated. Crisis in the east gave Saladin an opportunity.

Like his master Nur al-Din, Saladin had only one goal in his mind: to liberate Jerusalem and unify the Muslim Syrian lands.

In June 1183, Saladin had achieved the impossible: Muslim Egypt and Syria was ruled by one ruler. The Ayyubid dynasty was now a powerful force to contend with in the region.

Despite the ongoing wars between the Franks and Muslims, trade continued. This is an important point to consider, especially given today’s realities in the Middle East.

In 1185, Saladin actually agreed to a four-year truce with the Franks, despite the fact that he was in a position of power.

However, Frank forces continued to attack Muslim caravans, and Baldwin IV, ruler of Jerusalem, failed to reign in his people. Two years later, Saladin went to war.

He conquered Acre, Saida, Beirut, and Jubayl in quick succession. Tyre was ignored, a critical mistake which we will come to later. Jerusalem was now within reach.

Saladin at first made a reasonable offer to the city’s rulers. He wasn’t keen on spilling blood and wanted to win the city while maintaining its sanctity. But the Franks chose to fight.

It is worth noting here that Orthodox Jews and Jacobite Christians supported Saladin. In fact, what we see as religious wars today, were not fought along religious lines.

The siege began on 20th September and by the 29th Balian surrendered. A negotiation followed, with Saladin generous in victory, as always.

Friday, October 2, 1187, Saladin entered Jerusalem a conqueror. But there was no chaos, no bloodshed, no destruction. Jewish families — yes, Jewish families, were settled in Jerusalem by Saladin.

Saladin’s own advisers were critical of his generosity. But the ruler was a kind and honorable man who chose to forgive than kill traitors and enemies.

Saladin had achieved what every Muslim ruler had sought to achieve since the Franks had first conquered Jerusalem. And he did it without a bloodbath.

But the war wasn’t over. The fall of Jerusalem mobilized Europeans and led to a new wave of reinforcements arriving.

1189: the siege of Acre rages on. It was to be the bloodiest and most gruesome of all battles thus far.

1190: German king Barbarossa enters the fray too. But fate is on Saladin’s side as the German king drowns while swimming in a lake. This ends the coming German invasion of Syria.

Richard the Lionheart also arrives in the region, beginning a fascinating relationship between Saladin and Richard.

July 1191: Acre falls after a gruesome siege. The Franks are overjoyed.

Richard is keen to leave for home. Saladin knows this, and negotiations draw on. Saladin makes generous offers; Richard refuses. But time is on Saladin’s side.

1192: A five-year truce is signed as Richard seeks to depart for home. Again, Saladin is generous, hosting his enemies and guaranteeing freedom of worship for all.

Thus Saladin secured victory for his people, ending the Frankish rule over Jerusalem, all without a bloodbath that had accompanied the region when the Franks first arrived.

He spent his last days in Damascus and died there in March, 1193. It’s important to note here that Saladin was very different than other rulers of his time. He was a humble man, a rare quality among Muslim and non-Muslim rulers of the time.

His death, however, led to what always happened when a great Muslim ruler died: a long civil war followed. His brother eventually won after 9 years of war, and the war against the Franks came to an end, until 1218, when a new wave targeted Egypt.

Saladin was a ruler who coexisted with non-Muslims, was generous in victory, and sought to win wars without spilling blood, especially of innocent people. He guaranteed freedom of worship and had non-Muslim advisors. All qualities that the Muslim world has forgotten today.

There is a lot more to Saladin’s story, which is fascinating in and of itself. Things to dive deeper into include the multiple attempts on his life by the Assassins. In fact, the Assassins by themselves are fascinating as a group. There is a lot more that I have missed. My attempt is to simply summarize some key aspects of his life, many of which have fallen victim to the myth around this ruler.

This post was initially posted as a thread by me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/UzairYounus/status/1140558523539054592

The reference book for this is Crusades through Arab Eyes by Amin Maalouf — https://www.amazon.com/Crusades-Through-Arab-Eyes-Essentials/dp/0805208984