As-Salih Ayyub
Encyclopedia
Al-Malik as-Salih Najm al-Din Ayyub (Nickname: Abu al-Futuh أبو الفتوح ) (Cairo
, c. 1205 – 22 November 1249 in Al Mansurah), also known as al-Malik al-Salih was the Ayyubid ruler of Egypt
from 1240 to 1249.
, while John of Brienne
became a hostage of as-Salih's father Al-Kamil
, until Damietta
was reconstructed and restored to Egypt. In 1232 he was given Hisn Khayfa
in the Jazirah (now part of Turkey
), which his father had captured from the Ortoqids. In 1234 his father sent him to rule Damascus
, removing him from the succession in Egypt after suspecting him of conspiring against him with the Mamluk
s. His uncle as-Salih Ismail
soon expelled him from Damascus, and he fled to the Jazirah, where he allied with the Khwarezmians.
In 1238 al-Kamil died and was succeeded by his son Al-Adil II
, as-Salih's brother; by 1240 as-Salih had overthrown him and taken control of Egypt. In 1244 the Khwarezmians sacked Jerusalem, which had been handed over to Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
by al-Kamil during the Sixth Crusade
. Later that year as-Salih and the Khwarezmians defeated as-Salih's uncle in Syria
, who had allied with the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem
, at the Battle of La Forbie
. In 1245 as-Salih captured Damascus
, and was awarded the title of sultan
by the caliph
al-Musta'sim
in Baghdad
. The next year the combined forces of the Ayyubids defeated the unruly Khwarezmians, who no longer recognized as-Salih as their lord.
In 1249 Louis IX of France
invaded Egypt on the Seventh Crusade
, and occupied Damietta
. As-Salih was away fighting his uncle in Syria, but quickly returned and encamped at al-Mansourah, where he died after having his leg amputated in an attempt to save his life from a serious abscess affliction in November. As-Salih's heir, al-Muazzam Turanshah
, was far away in Hasankeyf
, and his widow, Shajar al-Durr, hid his death until Turanshah arrived. Nevertheless, the Mamluk
s, whom as-Salih had mostly recruited from the Kipchak Turks, gained power in Egypt, and were ultimately responsible for defeating the crusade. Their dynasty, the Bahri dynasty
, were named after their barracks on an island in the Nile
(Bahr al-Nil). The Bahriyya were also called Salihiyya, after as-Salih. The Mamluks did not control Syria, however, and as-Salih was the last Ayyubid to rule a united territory.
As-Salih had also purchased a slave who would later become Sultan. He purchased Qalawun al-Alfi for 1000 dinars. He was called al-Alfi ['the Thousand-man'] because he was bought for a thousand dinars of gold. Qalawun was an important Sultan in the Bahri dynasty
of Mamlukes.
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, c. 1205 – 22 November 1249 in Al Mansurah), also known as al-Malik al-Salih was the Ayyubid ruler of Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
from 1240 to 1249.
Biography
In 1221 he became a hostage at the end of the Fifth CrusadeFifth Crusade
The Fifth Crusade was an attempt to reacquire Jerusalem and the rest of the Holy Land by first conquering the powerful Ayyubid state in Egypt....
, while John of Brienne
John of Brienne
John of Brienne was a French nobleman who became King of Jerusalem by marriage, and ruled the Latin Empire of Constantinople as regent.-Life:...
became a hostage of as-Salih's father Al-Kamil
Al-Kamil
Al-Kamil was a Kurdish Ayyubid sultan who ruled North Africa. During his tenure as sultan, the Ayyubids defeated two crusades. In a temporary agreement with the Crusaders, he ceded Jerusalem to the Christians.-Biography:He was the son of sultan al-Adil, a brother of Saladin...
, until Damietta
Damietta
Damietta , also known as Damiata, or Domyat, is a port and the capital of the Damietta Governorate in Egypt. It is located at the intersection between the Mediterranean Sea and the Nile, about north of Cairo.-History:...
was reconstructed and restored to Egypt. In 1232 he was given Hisn Khayfa
Hasankeyf
Hasankeyf is an ancient town and district located along the Tigris River in the Batman Province in southeastern Turkey. It was declared a natural conservation area by Turkey in 1981...
in the Jazirah (now part of Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
), which his father had captured from the Ortoqids. In 1234 his father sent him to rule Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
, removing him from the succession in Egypt after suspecting him of conspiring against him with the Mamluk
Mamluk
A Mamluk was a soldier of slave origin, who were predominantly Cumans/Kipchaks The "mamluk phenomenon", as David Ayalon dubbed the creation of the specific warrior...
s. His uncle as-Salih Ismail
As-Salih Ismail
Imad ad-Din "al-Malik as-Salih" Ismail bin Saif ad-Din Ahmad better known as as-Salih Ismail was the Ayyubid sultan based in Damascus in 1237 then in 1239-45.- Sultan of Damascus :...
soon expelled him from Damascus, and he fled to the Jazirah, where he allied with the Khwarezmians.
In 1238 al-Kamil died and was succeeded by his son Al-Adil II
Al-Adil II
Saif ad-Dīn al-Malik al-ʿĀdil Abū Bakr b. Nāṣir ad-Dīn Muḥammad was the Ayyubid sultan of Egypt from 1238 to 1240.When his father al-Kamil, nephew of Saladin, died in 1238, al-Adil II followed him somewhat unprepared. When the country plunged into anarchy, his exiled half-brother, as-Salih Ayyub,...
, as-Salih's brother; by 1240 as-Salih had overthrown him and taken control of Egypt. In 1244 the Khwarezmians sacked Jerusalem, which had been handed over to Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick II , was one of the most powerful Holy Roman Emperors of the Middle Ages and head of the House of Hohenstaufen. His political and cultural ambitions, based in Sicily and stretching through Italy to Germany, and even to Jerusalem, were enormous...
by al-Kamil during the Sixth Crusade
Sixth Crusade
The Sixth Crusade started in 1228 as an attempt to regain Jerusalem. It began seven years after the failure of the Fifth Crusade. It involved very little actual fighting...
. Later that year as-Salih and the Khwarezmians defeated as-Salih's uncle in Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, who had allied with the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem
Kingdom of Jerusalem
The Kingdom of Jerusalem was a Catholic kingdom established in the Levant in 1099 after the First Crusade. The kingdom lasted nearly two hundred years, from 1099 until 1291 when the last remaining possession, Acre, was destroyed by the Mamluks, but its history is divided into two distinct periods....
, at the Battle of La Forbie
Battle of La Forbie
The Battle of La Forbie, also known as the Battle of Harbiyah, was fought October 17, 1244 – October 18, 1244 between the allied armies and the Egyptian army of the Ayyubid Sultan as-Salih Ayyub, reinforced with Khwarezmian mercenaries.-Prelude:The capture of...
. In 1245 as-Salih captured Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
, and was awarded the title of sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
by the caliph
Caliph
The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
al-Musta'sim
Al-Musta'sim
Al-Musta'sim Billah was the last Abbasid Caliph in Baghdad; he ruled from 1242 until his death.-Biography:...
in Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
. The next year the combined forces of the Ayyubids defeated the unruly Khwarezmians, who no longer recognized as-Salih as their lord.
In 1249 Louis IX of France
Louis IX of France
Louis IX , commonly Saint Louis, was King of France from 1226 until his death. He was also styled Louis II, Count of Artois from 1226 to 1237. Born at Poissy, near Paris, he was an eighth-generation descendant of Hugh Capet, and thus a member of the House of Capet, and the son of Louis VIII and...
invaded Egypt on the Seventh Crusade
Seventh Crusade
The Seventh Crusade was a crusade led by Louis IX of France from 1248 to 1254. Approximately 800,000 bezants were paid in ransom for King Louis who, along with thousands of his troops, was captured and defeated by the Egyptian army led by the Ayyubid Sultan Turanshah supported by the Bahariyya...
, and occupied Damietta
Damietta
Damietta , also known as Damiata, or Domyat, is a port and the capital of the Damietta Governorate in Egypt. It is located at the intersection between the Mediterranean Sea and the Nile, about north of Cairo.-History:...
. As-Salih was away fighting his uncle in Syria, but quickly returned and encamped at al-Mansourah, where he died after having his leg amputated in an attempt to save his life from a serious abscess affliction in November. As-Salih's heir, al-Muazzam Turanshah
Al-Muazzam Turanshah
Turanshah, also Turan Shah was a son of Sultan As-Salih Ayyub. A member of Ayyubid Dynasty, he became Sultan of Egypt for a brief period in 1249-1250.-References:...
, was far away in Hasankeyf
Hasankeyf
Hasankeyf is an ancient town and district located along the Tigris River in the Batman Province in southeastern Turkey. It was declared a natural conservation area by Turkey in 1981...
, and his widow, Shajar al-Durr, hid his death until Turanshah arrived. Nevertheless, the Mamluk
Mamluk
A Mamluk was a soldier of slave origin, who were predominantly Cumans/Kipchaks The "mamluk phenomenon", as David Ayalon dubbed the creation of the specific warrior...
s, whom as-Salih had mostly recruited from the Kipchak Turks, gained power in Egypt, and were ultimately responsible for defeating the crusade. Their dynasty, the Bahri dynasty
Bahri dynasty
The Bahri dynasty or Bahriyya Mamluks was a Mamluk dynasty of mostly Kipchak Turkic origin that ruled Egypt from 1250 to 1382 when they were succeeded by the Burji dynasty, another group of Mamluks...
, were named after their barracks on an island in the Nile
Nile
The Nile is a major north-flowing river in North Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world. It is long. It runs through the ten countries of Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Egypt.The Nile has two major...
(Bahr al-Nil). The Bahriyya were also called Salihiyya, after as-Salih. The Mamluks did not control Syria, however, and as-Salih was the last Ayyubid to rule a united territory.
As-Salih had also purchased a slave who would later become Sultan. He purchased Qalawun al-Alfi for 1000 dinars. He was called al-Alfi ['the Thousand-man'] because he was bought for a thousand dinars of gold. Qalawun was an important Sultan in the Bahri dynasty
Bahri dynasty
The Bahri dynasty or Bahriyya Mamluks was a Mamluk dynasty of mostly Kipchak Turkic origin that ruled Egypt from 1250 to 1382 when they were succeeded by the Burji dynasty, another group of Mamluks...
of Mamlukes.
See also
- List of rulers of Egypt