Saladin - Muslim Hero - Salah Ad-din Yusuf Ibn Ayyub

Saladin was also known as: Al-malik An-nasir Salah Ad-din Yusuf I. Saladin is a westernization of Salah Ad-din Yusuf Ibn Ayyub. Saladin was known for: founding the Ayyubid dynasty and capturing Jerusalem from the Christians. He was the most famous Muslim hero and a consummate military tactician. Occupations: SultanMilitary LeaderCrusader Adversary Places of Residence and Influence: AfricaAsia: Arabia Important Dates: Born: c. 1137Victorious at Hattin: July 4, 1187Recaptured Jerusalem: Oct. 2, 1187Died: March 4, 1193 About Saladin: Saladin was born to a well-off Kurdish family in Tikrit and grew up in Balbek and Damascus. He began his military career by joining the staff of his uncle Asad ad-Din Shirkuh, an important commander. By 1169, at the age of 31, he had been appointed vizier of the Fatimid caliphate in Egypt as well as commander of the Syrian troops there. In 1171, Saladin abolished the Shiite caliphate and proclaimed a return to Sunni Islam in Egypt, whereupon he became that countrys sole ruler. In 1187 he took on the Latin Crusader Kingdoms, and on July 4 of that year he scored a resounding victory at the Battle of Hattin. On October 2, Jerusalem surrendered. In retaking the city, Saladin and his troops behaved with great civility that contrasted sharply with the bloody actions of the western conquerors eight decades earlier. However, though Saladin managed to reduce the number of cities held by the Crusaders to three, he failed to capture the coastal fortress of Tyre. Many Christian survivors of the recent battles took refuge there, and it would serve as a rallying point for future Crusader attacks. The recapture of Jerusalem had stunned Christendom, and the result was the launch of a third Crusade. Over the course of the Third Crusade, Saladin managed to keep the greatest fighters of the West from making any significant advances (including the notable Crusader, Richard the Lionheart). By the time fighting was finished in 1192, the Crusaders held relatively little territory in the Levantine. But the years of fighting had taken their toll, and Saladin died in 1193. Throughout his life he had displayed a total lack of pretension and was generous with his personal wealth; upon his death his friends discovered hed left no funds to pay for his burial. Saladins family would rule as the Ayyubid dynasty until it succumbed to the Mamluks in 1250. More Saladin Resources: Saladin in PrintBiographies,   primary sources, examinations   of Saladins military career, and books for younger readers . Saladin on the WebWebsites that offer biographical information on the Muslim hero and background  on the situation in the Holy Land during his lifetime. Medieval IslamThe Crusades Chronological Index Geographical Index Index by Profession, Achievement, or Role in Society The text of this document is copyright  ©2004-2015 Melissa Snell. You may download or print this document for personal or school use, as long as the URL below is included. Permission is  not  granted to reproduce this document on another website. For publication permission,  please  contact  Melissa Snell. The URL for this document is:http://historymedren.about.com/od/swho/p/saladin.htm