Transcript 1138-1193 C.E Robbie Crandell

1138-1193 C.E
Robbie Crandell
Basic Facts about
Saladin:
 He was and
orthodox Sunni
Muslim
 He was born in
Mesopotamia,
specifically in
Kurdistan
 Saladin is a
bastardized
version of his
original Muslim
name. (Which is
Salah al-Din
Yusuf Ibn Ayyub)
Timeline of Saladin's
Life
Saladin conquers
Fatimid rulers of
Egypt (1171 C.E)
Saladin is born,
spends life in Balbek
and Damascus
(1137 C.E)
Saladin
conquers
Aleppo (1186
C.E)
Saladin conquers
Damascus (1174
C.E)
King Richard
the Lionheart
gains control
of Tyre (1191
C.E)
Saladin dies on
March 4, 1193 C.E
In Damascus
The crusaders do
battle against Saladin
for two years but fail
to capture Jerusalem
(1191-1192 C.E)
The Birth of Saladin
Saladin was the son in a
very well-off Kurdish
family. This was the
Dark Ages in middle
Europe, with the Turkish
Empire to the northeast
of him and the rising
Germanic kingdoms to
the northwest, across
the Mediterranean Sea.
The later Crusades were
just about to happen.
The Vizier of Egypt
Saladin's military career started when he was enlisted to
aid his uncle, who was a prominent commander under
Nur al-Din, the leader of Damascus and Aleppo. There
was a three way struggle in order to occupy Cairo
because of its wealth and strategic location within
Egypt. It involved Shawar, the current vizier of the
Egyptian caliph, the Christian king Amalric I of
Jerusalem, and Shirkuh, Saladins uncle. Saladin, not
trusting Shawar, lured him into an ambush and killed
him. This allowed his uncle to become the vizier;
however his uncle had a sudden death, allowing Saladin
to become vizier to the last Fatimid caliph.
A Sunni Ruler
It only took Saladin a few more years to become
sole ruler of Egypt. After the death of the Fatimid
caliph, he essentially held all power in Egypt. He
still took orders from Nur al-Din. Nur al-Din soon
died however, and Saladin asserted his way to the
Turkish throne. He conquered Damascus and
other Syrian towns, while Egypt continued to be
his main base of operations. Saladin was a very
orthodox Sunni, and he believed the Fatimid caliph
had failed his duties, and had begun to establish
Egypt as a center for orthodox belief.
Saladin the Knight
Saladin has been much romanticized in history.
Some descriptions of him tell of strong,
bloodthirsty man with a wily beard. But historical
accounts have told us that he was interested
greatly in theology, and been described as a short
man with a neat bear and an almost frail body. But
no matter his appearance, what made him
appealing to the European people was that he
strongly enforced chivalry. Despite fierce
opposition from the Christians, he achieved a great
reputation as chivalrous knight. His relationship
with King Richard the Lionheart was mutual, along
with being militaristic rivals.
The Rise of Cairo
Saladin was an innovative and
contemporary leader. He
brought an entirely different
concept of what a city should
be to Cairo. This city had a
great deal of cultural freedom
and very few royal or private
enclaves. He wanted a city that
belonged to the people, while
he remained absolute ruler.
Between the years of 1176 and
1177 he began to build one of
Cairo’s most famous
monuments: The Citadel.
(Pictured to the right)
The Riches of the Fatimid's
Saladin had transformed Cairo, and eliminated the
Fatimid influence. He had sold many of it’s treasures,
including a 2400 karat ruby. He used this money to pay
his Turkish troops. But even then, he was still
incredibly wealthy. He replaced the Fatimid's
extravagant bureaucracy with a feudal system. All this
wealth allowed him to win countless battles in Palestine.
At the Battle of Hattin he captured Jerusalem; but more
importantly he had struck an annihilating blow to the
Crusader kingdoms. He marched thousands of Christian
prisoners 400 miles back to Cairo, where they were
forced to work improving the cities fortifications and
construction of the Citadel.
The Truce of Saladin
And Richard
After the Battle of Hattin King Richard I (King Richard the
Lionheart) he was determined to take back Jerusalem. He
fought the Battle of Arsur and won against the Muslims, but
his army was weakened and suffering. Soon Richard
appealed to Saladin, asking him for fresh fruit and water.
Saladin complied, because as a Muslim he was required to
help those in need and as well it allowed his messengers to
spy on Richards army. Richards army could not possibly
take Jerusalem, so they formulated a truce. The truce
entailed that Christians were permitted to visit Jerusalem
with no tax or tribute, and that they have free access to
holy places and remain in possession of the coast from Jaffa
to Tyre.
Saladin’s Final Days
Saladin left Cairo in 1182. He left to fight the crusaders
in Syria, but he would never return to his pride and joy.
He died in Damascus in 1193. He did not die in vain
however, he had liberated almost all of Palestine,
eradicating the armies of England, France, Burgandy,
Flanders, Sicily, Austria and essentially toppled to
power of the papacy. Saladin achieved absolutely
incredible fame and fortune, while altering entire
cultures.
The Citadel in Cairo
The Citadel in Cairo, a fortress constructed by
Saladin, can still be seen today. The Bir Yusuf was
a well that was drilled straight into the bedrock of
the Nile river 285 feet deep. The well supplied the
citadel with constant supply of freshwater, which is
of utter importance during a siege.
Contributions to Society
Saladin achieve greatly in his lifetime. He built the
Citadel in Cairo, which still stands today and
represents a great change in society. Saladin
introduced a world view to the Egyptians, but at the
same time preserved the rich cultural heritage of
the Egyptians. Saladin also constructed the
madrasa, half college and half mosque to teach
Islamic law and the ideology of the religion.
Saladin created a very solid Islamic presence in
Egypt and Palestine, establishing them to this day
strong Islamic communities.
Contributions to Society
(Con’t)
An important clinic in the Citadel has been lost to
time, but it has had elite doctors and pharmacists,
special rooms, beds, servants to look after the sick,
free food and medicine, and a special ward for sick
women. He also built a mental asylum, but instead
of mistreating these mentally disadvantaged
individuals he treated them humanely and acquired
doctors to try to figure out what was wrong with
them. This openness and humanity is incredibly
rare in the dark ages.
This map shows the empire of Saladin circa 11711193 C.E, as well as the crusader states, or
principalities. (Arrow is pointing to Cairo)
Contributions to Society
(Con’t)
Saladin was respected all throughout the Islamic
world as well as the European world. It is odd
though, because if Saladin continued to conquer the
crusader states, he may have eventually attempted
to conquer Europe, and in effect threatening the
very infrastructure of Christian Europe. He could
have possibly altered the entire course of history,
converting original Christian pilgrims to found the
New World (the America’s).
Contributions to Society
(Con’t)
As mentioned before,
Saladin replaced the old
system of bureaucracy
with the new feudalistic
system. This was very
important, because
Saladin began to bring
the Islamic people out of
civil dispute. The
foundations laid down by
Saladin in the twelfth
century paved way for
many other successful
Islamic leaders.
Conclusion
Saladin was a revolutionary leader. He brought
light to the dark ages, through expansion of the
Islamic empires, the education of his people and the
havoc he wrought upon the Christians during the
Crusades.
Works Cited
"Saladin (Salah al-Din Yusuf Ibn Ayyub)." Egypt Travel, Tours, Vacations, Ancient Egypt from Tour Egypt. Web. 17 Dec. 2009.
http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/saladin.htm
"Pics." Index of /. Web. 17 Dec. 2009. http://www.warrior-poet.net/pics/
History Learning Site. Web. 16 Dec. 2009. http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/Saladin.html
"Saladin." Middle Ages. Web. 17 Dec. 2009. http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/saladin.htm
"The Citadel in Cairo." Egypt Travel, Tours, Vacations, Ancient Egypt from Tour Egypt. Web. 17 Dec. 2009.
http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/citadel.htm
"The Legend of Saladin in Western Literature and Historiography." The Edwin Mellen Press. Web. 17 Dec. 2009.
http://www.mellenpress.com/mellenpress.cfm?bookid=1569&pc=9
"Image of Citadel." Devilcat - IT Consultancy. Web. 17 Dec. 2009. http://devilcat.com/images/cairo-citadel
"Saladin." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2009. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 17 Dec. 2009
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/518809/Saladin
"Saladin." Middle East: MidEastWeb. Web. 18 Dec. 2009. http://www.mideastweb.org/Middle-East-Encyclopedia/saladin.htm
"Saladin." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 17 Dec. 2009 http://www.encyclopedia.com
"THE MOST MISQUOTED AYAHS OF THE QURAN SINCE THE EPISODE OF 911 IN AMERICA:." Siraat-e-Mustaqeem.
Web. 18 Dec. 2009. http://asqfish.wordpress.com/2008/12/22/the-most-misquoted-ayahs-of-the-quran-since-theepisode-of-911-in-america/