Saladin (1138-1193), a Kurdish ruler of Egypt and Syria, is known in the West for his opposition to the forces of the Third Crusade and for his capture of Jerusalem. From about 1130 Zengi, the Turkish atabeg (regent) of Mosul and his son, Nur-ad-Din...
Saladin, properly known as Salah al-Dīn Yusuf ibn Ayyub (Arabic: صلاح الدين الأيوبي, Kurdish: Selah'edînê Eyubî or سهلاحهدین ئهیوبی) (c. 1138 – March 4, 1193),[1] Sultan of Egypt and Syria, was a...
Tariq Ali. The Book of Saladin. London/New York. Verso. 1998. xvi + 367 pages. [pound]17/$23. isbn 1-85984-834-6. Tariq Ali is not only a journalist and filmmaker; he is also an old- fashioned novelist who likes to write large books on important issues and...
IT WAS ONCE a small, neglected backwater town, its people struggling against endemic disease and illiteracy, while lives were often cut short by outbreaks of tribal violence. But Tikrit, which lies on the mud banks of the Tigris, 100 miles north of Baghdad, is...
Question 1 of 10:Who was crowned King of France in 1108?Louis the GenerousLouis the Bald Louis the Fat Louis the ForgiverQuestion 2 of 10:It was in 1118 that the Knights Templar were formed in Jerusalem . Their initial objective was to...? Protect pilgrims Fight MuslimsHelp...
Question 1 of 10:Which order of monks was established in 1209 under the direction of a pacifist, nature-loving saint?The Benedictine The Franciscan The CistercianThe DominicanQuestion 2 of 10:Which unofficial ‘Crusade’ of 1212 led to the disappearance of its ‘fighters’ and inspired the story of the...
In the following essay, Humphreys analyzes the political structure under which Saladin operated and discusses the ways in which he adapted this structure and established his authority. Humphreys emphasizes the system of loyalties cultivated by Saladin, and observes that such a system could not be sustained after his death. But overall, the political system that was prevalent during Saladin's reign “gave his immediate successors a framework of attitudes and behavior within which to define thei...
In the following essay, the anonymous critic briefly reviews several nineteenth-century Western histories of the Crusades. The critic observes a lack of a thorough, accurate “Mohammedan history” by a Western writer and demonstrates that such information is available through Arabic sources.
In the following essay, Ehrenkreutz offers an assessment of Saladin's career that focuses on his accomplishments as well as his shortcomings. Ehrenkreutz stresses that he does not, unlike many critics, conjecture about or romanticize Saladin's intentions.
