#salah ad-din Yusuf ibn Ayyub

[angevinyaoiz]

Al-Adil doodles idk

#Al-Adil I #Saladin #salah ad-din Yusuf ibn Ayyub #Sayf ad-din #Saphadin #richard the lionheart #third crusade #12th century #Maybe al-Afdal just had bad vibes!

[crusera]

The Sultan, they said, was a good man. Soft, quickly moved to tears. Out of compassion, he bought the freedom of a Christian woman's stolen daughter. Even Walther von der Vogelweide, the minnesinger in distant Germany, praised the "mildness" of the powerful ruler in the Orient, whose name has a good reputation in the West: Saladin, a righteous man.

He was a man who always kept his word, even to his enemies.

He let his subjects drag him to court, because God's laws applied equally to everyone. Also for him, the ruler who managed to do what no one had ever managed before: to unite the Islamic world of the Middle East after centuries of discord and to wrest Jerusalem, the holy city of the Muslims, from the Christians in 1187.

His name translates as "righteousness of faith", and Saladin is indeed a devout Muslim. Nevertheless, after his conquest of the Holy Land, he allowed the Christians and Jews there to continue praying to their God. This is another reason why, more than half a millennium later, Western Enlightenment thinkers would make him the epitome of the tolerant ruler.

But this al-Malik an-Nasir Salah ad-Din Abu'l-Muzaffer Yusuf ibn Ayyub ibn Shadi, known as Saladin for short, also had other sides.

He could be treacherous, vile and mean. He did not shy away from murder. Nevertheless, this man fascinated his contemporaries. He became one of the most revered rulers of the Islamic world and the most important opponent of the Crusaders.

Saladin was born in 1138 in Tikrit (in present-day Iraq), the son of a Kurdish officer. During his political career, Saladin was the first to bring Egypt's army under his control.

Saladin, a Sunni, now founds two universities where theology is taught according to Sunni theology - a signal that he is on the side of the population. He also abolished a number of taxes that contradicted the Koran and the teachings of the Prophet.

Saladin's subsequent conquests shock the Christian world. By 1174, his power extended from North Africa to the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. In 1186, he ruled from the Nile to the Tigris.

At the height of his power, the Sultan even dreamed of taking the Holy War to Europe, conquering Rome - and putting the Pope in chains.

The Crusaders conquered Jerusalem in 1099 and held it until Saladin besieged it in 1187 and handed it over to the Ayyubid dynasty, a Muslim sultanate that ruled the Middle East at the beginning of the 12th century.

Saladin wanted to recapture the city, which had previously been ruled by Muslims.

For Muslims, Jerusalem is a place where important events in the life of Jesus and other important personalities took place. It is also the place where the Prophet Mohammed ascended to heaven according to the traditional interpretation of the Koran and other texts.

In Sunni Islam, Jerusalem is the third holiest city after Mecca and Medina. Muslims believe that Muhammad was brought to Jerusalem during his night journey (Isra and Mi'raj).

The name Jesus is mentioned twenty-five times in the Holy Qur'an, often in the form 'Isa ibn Maryam, which means "Jesus, son of Mary". In the Quran, he is given the unique title "Messiah" (al-masih in Arabic), which means "anointed one". He is considered one of many prophets from the lineage of the Prophet Ibrahim, or Abraham (peace be upon him). Many Muslim traditions regard it as an ideal example of spirituality. Unlike Christians, who generally believe in a triune God, Muslims believe that Jesus was a great prophet who was to lead mankind on the straight path of monotheism and obedience to God (Allah).

When Jerusalem also fell, two kings and an emperor set off for the Holy Land with their armies from 1189 onwards. One of the monarchs is King Richard I of England. Even before the armed pilgrimage, he had already earned himself an honourable name: "Lionheart."

Saladin lies in wait for the Christians in the forests of Arsuf near the Mediterranean coast. But King Richard of England had anticipated the attack; on 7 September 1191, his troops won a clear victory. Nevertheless, the Muslim army is still strong enough to block the road to Jerusalem.

Saladin's reconquest of Jerusalem in 1187 prompted Pope Gregory VIII to organize the Third Crusade. From 1189 to 1192, Saladin lost Acre and Jaffa and was defeated in the field at Arsūf. The Crusaders retreated to Europe without seizing Jerusalem, but Saladin's military reputation had been damaged. He died in 1193.

#learn about history #studyblr #religion #religious studies #crusaders #history #oriental #history of crusade #Saladin #king baldwin iv #kingdom of heaven #history of Jerusalem #Islam #christianity #history of Religion #teaching #books #booklr

[erinsintra]

coming up with cool fantasy names is tiring as fuck. is it okay if i only use normal people names for my stories???????? (by "normal people" i mean actual, real-world names. john smith and salah ad-din yusuf ibn ayyub are both equally normal to me)

#fyp #fypツ #memes #explorepage #explore #funny #hilarious #tumblr fyp #fypage #foryou #writing #writeblr #writer problems #fantasy stories #epic fantasy #writers on tumblr #fypシ #foryoupage #viral

[ieatwormsandtheytasteverygood]

My top 3 celebrity crushes!!!! <33

Kilij Arslan ibn Suleyman, Sultan of Rum

Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub (a.k.a. Salading Rex Ægypti)

yuor mum

#we love and cherish kilij arslan in this household. yes. destroy those peasants. #saladin more like salad ing. hashtag 15th century representation of saladin #I'm aromantic so I decided to have my celebrity crushes be anyone who killed enough crusaders. wait does this mean I have to #kiss pestilence and starvation now??? o jod #save me from the poor diets of the crusading forces #I cannot sleep because of thoughts of the first crusade. this is what autism does to you.

[nievesmorena]

SULTAN SALADINO

Saladino, conocido por su nombre completo como Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub, fue una figura histórica prominente en el siglo XII, reconocido como sultán de Egipto y Siria. Su vida y logros se entrelazan con la historia de las Cruzadas y la dinámica política del Medio Oriente medieval.

Nacido en 1137 en Tikrit, actual Irak, Saladino fue criado en una familia kurda de renombre. Su carrera comenzó bajo la tutela de su tío Shirkuh, un comandante militar en el servicio de Nur ad-Din, el poderoso líder zengí de Siria y Mosul. A través de sus habilidades y lealtad, Saladino ascendió rápidamente en las filas militares y políticas.

La entrada de Saladino en la historia egipcia fue un punto de inflexión. En 1169, después de la muerte de Shirkuh, Saladino fue nombrado visir de Egipto, una posición que le otorgó un poder sustancial. Transformó Egipto en una base poderosa, consolidando su control y reformando tanto el ejército como la economía. A la muerte de Nur ad-Din en 1174, Saladino se movió para tomar control de Damasco, marcando el comienzo de su dominio sobre Siria.

Saladino es quizás mejor conocido por su rol en las Cruzadas. En 1187, lideró a las fuerzas musulmanas en la histórica Batalla de Hattin, donde derrotó a los cruzados y capturó Jerusalén, que había estado bajo control cristiano desde la Primera Cruzada. Este evento provocó la Tercera Cruzada, liderada por figuras como Ricardo Corazón de León, rey de Inglaterra.

A pesar de su firme oposición a los cruzados, Saladino fue respetado por amigos y enemigos por su caballerosidad y justicia. Sus interacciones con Ricardo Corazón de León se han convertido en legendarias, simbolizando el respeto mutuo entre adversarios formidables.

Saladino murió en 1193 en Damasco. Su legado va más allá de sus logros militares; también es recordado por su magnanimidad, su liderazgo, y su habilidad para unir a diferentes facciones musulmanas. Su vida y su leyenda continúan siendo temas de admiración y estudio en la historia del Medio Oriente y más allá.

La Biblioteca de Alejandría

#Porsimelees❤️

#nievesmorena #porsimelees #eneltexto

[sopien-more]

[got300]

[avelera]

A few fun notes I’ve picked up on the Crusades, as would be relevant to Nicky and Joe, courtesy of leaving Great Courses lectures on in the background while doing other stuff (meaning if you’re a huge fan of the history of the Crusades you definitely know more than me):

- Nicolò di Genova could have been one of several, not necessarily mutually exclusive things before embarking on the Crusade - the second son of a wealthy/noble family (it would explain how he could afford the journey and weapons/armor), a poor brigand (one reason the Pope called the Crusades was to redirect European infighting and banditry) and/or a devout Christian who was spiritually moved by Pope Urban II’s call to arms. The devout option does not necessarily preclude either of the previous two possibilities, because the Pope promised total forgiveness of ALL sins (before and during) committed in one’s life and during the Crusades, so those who may have turned to banditry out of desperation but felt guilty for their immortal souls could have also been lured by the promise of spiritual reward, not just material reward.

- I’m going to go out on a limb and say Nicky was part of the Princes’ Crusade in 1096, the official one that Pope Urban wanted and I distinguish because there was a thing called the Peasants Crusade before of people who rose to the call but were, unfortunately, all non-fighting men, peasants, kids, fanatics, etc. and it went... badly. Very badly. The “crusaders” themselves (which means “cross bearers” btw) were pretty awful and killed a lot of innocent people on their way to the Holy land, and then they were wiped out when they got to Turkey anyway, and likely Nicky would be aware of these events (or even saw the piled bodies on his way to Jerusalem, if you want to go for a dramatic scene). 

I’m guessing Nicky was with the Princes’ Crusade because he actually got to the Holy Land AND again, because he’s got armor (according to the comic flashbacks) which was pretty damn expensive. (A Watsonian rationale, the Doylist one is that Rucka was going for the image of foreign knights fighting in full plate and may not have thought out all the class and wealth implications of them having that armor). Oh, and Nicky if he traveled with the Princes’ Crusade in 1096 would have spent some time in Constantinople (November-April) while on his way there. 

- The Crusaders captured Antioch before they made it to Jerusalem. I’m not sure The Old Guard clarifies which battle he and Joe first encountered each other in, it might have been Antioch, but I’m going to say it wasn’t, for several reasons. One, because of the credits that lists 1099, the year after, when Jerusalem fell, which was the last year of the First Crusade. (The other famous crusade, the Second Third Crusade of Orlando Bloom’s “Kingdom of Heaven” fame isn’t for almost 50 years after that.) And further, while it’s possible that Nicky fought Joe in Antioch before the Crusaders even made it to Jerusalem, but the push-pin in the map is also in Jerusalem and it’s where the most famous events of the First Crusade happened (and I’m not sure Rucka would be able to resist), so just from a dramatic standpoint too I think they probably fought in Jerusalem. 

- To just couch it in a scene for a second, the Crusaders seeing Jerusalem for the first time was, by all accounts, breathtaking. It was a profoundly spiritual moment for these people who had taken up arms to fight for their God and traveled for years across strange lands and lost many of their compatriots to the fighting in Antioch as well as starvation/thirst/exhaustion/disease along the way, to reach this holiest of holy sites in the Christian canon. 

- Unfortunately, the sight of Jerusalem might be the last moment of beauty we can expect from the European Crusaders. The accounts of the sack of Jerusalem are horrifying. The Crusaders laid siege to Jerusalem for just over a month, and once inside the gates, they massacred every single person in the city, until blood flowed through the streets.

- (Side note: if Nicky didn’t arrive with the main Crusader force coming over land through Turkey, he probably arrived instead with Genoese merchants who also brought the supplies needed to make the siege engines that broke through the walls, so it is possible Nicky was with them and came by boat, in which case he may feel a different kind of guilt for the atrocities that followed.)

- Having claimed the city, the Crusaders established the Kingdom of Jerusalem which would endure just barely over a hundred years. There would be constant fighting between Seljuks and the Crusaders throughout that century, complicated alliances between the Crusaders and the Seljuk’s rivals, the Fatimid Caliphate. Basically, you’d need to be a scholar or read something by a scholar who understands this much better than me to unwind it all. 

When did Joe and Nicky meet in all of this? Is the Siege of Jerusalem the setting of their first mutual murder of one another? Or did they meet at a later battle? A lot of that is up to the writer, because based on the line about how they’d been taught to hate one another, one could take away that they’d been on either side of the conflict for a while, at least long enough to build up some animosity towards the other side, before they encountered each other. Or, one could take the line to mean that Nicky and Joe met early in the conflict, and had only the hatred they’d been taught driving them to fight. 

Certainly the clash of the Franks, as the Seljuks called them (a word that is still found as a root for “foreigner” in Arabic to this day) or the Saracens, as the Christians called them, was a moment that was not, shall we say, hampered by sympathy on either side. The men of the other army must have been foreign and terrifying to both sides, both saw the other as infidels to the true faith, both had more or less a free pass by their religion and circumstances to not even see the other side as human (but, let’s remember, the Europeans were the invaders and the atrocities they committed are too lengthy and horrifying to go into here). 

If Nicky and Joe had stayed in the Levant throughout the events of the following centuries of Crusades (perhaps together now? perhaps still on opposite sides for some time?) they could have been caught up in a rich and complicated world of the clash of civilizations between Europe and the Middle East, Christianity and Islam, met major historical figures like Richard the Lionheart and Saladin (or, An-Nasir Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub if we’re being accurate) the latter of which is one of the greatest examples of chivalry the world has ever known, to an extent that was hailed even by Europeans (seriously, it’s some Hollywood-level stuff, Saladin is amazing and would be the obvious hero in any historical fiction set during the Second or Third Crusade, I could see Yusuf sticking around just to serve him and Nicky even switching sides to do so, especially compared to the leadership on the European side and bastards like Raynald of Châtillon, but again, for a fun intro to these events watch “Kingdom of Heaven” with a heavy grain of salt). 

A few final notes, before this becomes its own lecture on the Crusades. With regards to homophobia, it might not have been quite as present as many modern readers would assume. And you might be surprised by who would have been more OK with it. 

- On the European side, homosexuality was a sin, sure, but pretty much all non-procreative sexual practices were a sin and it wasn’t as fiercely persecuted in the early 11th century as it would come to be later. This is not to say homosexuality was celebrated, but the punishment you’d receive was basically a civil punishment for being caught, needing to do penance for a few months to a year, not execution or torture or anything like that. 

- And let’s remember throughout history, men have had few limitations enforced on their sex lives as long as they also fulfilled their duties to their families and the Church and that going on Crusade meant all of your sins were wiped away, before, during, and after (which is probably what led to the uninhibited nature of the atrocities committed by the Crusaders and I mean seriously, even the Pope who ordered the Crusades was horrified when he heard what happened). 

So what I’m saying is, even if someone like Nicky was worried about going to Hell for having sex with men (and really, it would not be the #1 sin to be concerned about by any means in those times) he wouldn’t have to worry specifically while on Crusade. He’s in the clear at least as far as his immortal soul goes, though social censure could be another matter (assuming everyone else even cared about social censure too). Actually, it would be funny if Nicky’s generally relaxed demeanor in the modern era around murders and stuff is because as far as he’s concerned, he’s still got that Papal order saying all his sins are cleared because he joined the Crusades, lol. 

- Meanwhile, on Joe’s side, we’re still in a time period that’s called the Islamic Golden Age where social strictures are relatively relaxed compared to what they’ll be at other points in Islamic history (sweeping generalization! please take it as such!) but it’s worth noting that Abu Nuwas, one of the most famous and acclaimed Islamic poets, wrote a ton of love poetry in the 700s and a not inconsiderable portion of that love poetry was devoted to homosexual love. Meaning, yeah, Yusuf wouldn’t just be able to quote poetry at Nicolò, he could quote specifically gay poetry at Nicolò, from one of his culture’s most renowned poets. 

Similar to Europe, if my research is correct, homosexuality was pretty accepted, at least it’s not a high-priority punishable crime for men of privilege during this era the way it would be in some later eras. I don’t want to expound much more on Joe’s side because it’s definitely the one I have less knowledge of and authority to speak about but I will leave you, if you’ve made it this far, with the fact that being two men in love with each other when they met was much less of a serious issue than being two infidels (to the other’s religion) would have been, from a social standpoint.

#the old guard #tog meta #history #joe x nicky #nicky x joe #LONG post #also if someone has an authoritative biography of these guys somewhere PLEASE SEND IT TO ME #I'm making some pretty big leaps here like Joe being on the Seljuk side but that's only based on the date and location nothing biographical

[wearepaladin]

Pally, I've wondered about this one forever and thought I asked you, but I'm only seeing unrelated Destiny stuff in your blog, sooo... was Saladin (An-Nasir Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub, first sultan of Syria and Egypt, who led the fight against the Crusaders) a paladin?

I think if there is a real world example of a warrior who led his people to victory, was honorable and gracious to his enemies, and was both mantled by faith and an inspiration to friend and enemy alike, it was Saladin. Generations of hate and war preceded him, but even his foremost foes respected him because he was gracious to them in turn.

So yes, Saladin fits the mark as any western knight of the era and beyond.

[regularlesbian]

Sultan Salah ad-din Yusuf ibn Ayyub, better known in English as Saladin, can also have his name anglicized as Joseph, son of Job. Therefore, I propose that *taken out by baathist sleeper cell before i can reveal that the figure regarded as a pan-arab national hero was a stand user*

#hney bro

[alintrx]

Immersed in History / Explore the world of Gaming

With just a click of a button we can now enter the fray of battle of the world’s most famous battles and historical periods, we can become part of a battalion.

Explore!

A third-person perspective of the world that once was is a great way of seeing how and where people lived a few hundred years ago.

Immersed in History Explore the world of Gaming

One game series stands out from the rest is Assassin’s Creed.

Even though the name would imply a lot of killing and murder and stealth, one can also compare the beauties and also the horrors of living during the Renaissance, the Industrial Revolution, the French revolution, the American Civil War or the Golden Age of Piracy.

Not only these but also ancient Greece and Egypt you can access through the series’ Animus machines to find more about how people lived, ate, travelled, slept. Due to the games’ way of play you can climb almost everything you see including buildings, mountains, and sometimes even trees.

That way you can see everything around them including how buildings were made and also how they looked in the middle of construction.

Command!

If you’ve ever wondered what it was like in the Dark Ages to command a whole colony or army, look no further than the Age of Empires series.

The first installment of the game places you in the Stone Age, having to evolve and create armies from whatever resources you could find, and however fast you could find them.

The second installment (called the best one by most players) raises the stakes by placing the commander in the medieval times, during the times of historical figures such as William Wallace, Joan of Arc, Attila the Hun, El Cid, Frederick Barbarossa, An-Nasir Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub (or Saladin for short), in their campaigns to success.

Sid Meier’s Civilization is another great RTS, this time a turn-based one, which lets you conquer the Earth’s capital cities and develop armies to fight against each other in order to occupy the whole planet.

It might not be as historically accurate as the previously mentioned AoE (Age of Empires) series, but it brings up a new idea about army and country management.

Fight!

If we turn to the first-person shooters the first games that comes to mind would either be Far Cry Primal or Battlefield 1. Starting with the latter,

I honestly loved the beginning scene. The way you are put into battle just to die and become someone else truly portrays the way countries feel for their lower ranked soldiers.

You are considered meaningless, just another expandable, even though the people you fight as are barely adults, most of them died at only 18 or 19 trying to protect their country, just for them to become flesh, bones, clothes and bullets on the battlefield.

Far Cry Primal goes again all the way to the beginning of civilization, the first tribes and the first communities. You have to hunt and tame animals, upgrade your village and help you neighbours in order to restore peace across Oros, the place you live alongside two evil tribes.

This game marks the time when the humans first became homo-sapiens, when they domesticated animals and could finally sleep to relax, helping their brains develop properly, using and crafting better tools and weapons and thinking harder, better, faster, stronger.

Coming back full circle to third-person games, medieval warfare can be expressed pretty well in games such as Chivalry, Mordhau and For Honor, where you can choose whatever role you want in your fight, even a bard.

https://alintrx.com

#gaming #games #games news #gaming history #far cry #assassin's creed #ps4 #xbox #pc #battlefield #fps games #shooters #news #blog #alintrx.com

[jaimeariansencespedes]

JUN 08 – UN DÍA COMO HOY – AÑO (1191) – RICARDO I DE INGLATERRA –  LA TERCERA CRUZADA.

La tercera cruzada (1187-1191), también conocida como la Cruzada de los Reyes, fue un intento de los líderes europeos para reconquistar la Tierra Santa de manos de Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub, conocido en español como Saladino. Fue un éxito parcial, pero no llegó a su objetivo último: la conquista de Jerusalén.

Tras el fracaso de la segunda cruzada, la dinastía Zengida controló una Siria unida y comprometida en un conflicto con los gobernantes fatimíes de Egipto, que finalmente dio lugar a la unificación de las fuerzas egipcias y sirias bajo el mando de Saladino, que los empleó para reducir la presencia cristiana en Tierra Santa y recuperar Jerusalén en 1187.

Estimulado por el celo religioso, Enrique II de Inglaterra y Felipe II de Francia pusieron fin a su conflicto para llevar una nueva cruzada, aunque la muerte de Enrique en 1189 dejó a los ingleses bajo el gobierno de Ricardo Corazón de León en su lugar. El emperador del Sacro Imperio Romano Germánico Federico Barbarroja respondió a la llamada a las armas y dirigió un ejército poderoso a través de Anatolia, pero se ahogó antes de llegar a la Tierra Santa. Muchos de sus soldados desanimados volvieron a sus casas.

Después de expulsar a los musulmanes de Acre, el sucesor de Federico, Leopoldo V "el Virtuoso", y Felipe salieron de Tierra Santa en agosto de 1191. Saladino no pudo derrotar a Ricardo en ningún enfrentamiento militar, que aseguró varias ciudades costeras más importantes. Sin embargo, el 2 de septiembre de 1192, Ricardo firmó un tratado con Saladino por el cual Jerusalén permanecería bajo control musulmán, pero también se permitiría a los peregrinos cristianos visitar la ciudad. Ricardo salió de Tierra Santa el 9 de octubre. Los éxitos de la tercera cruzada permitirían a los cruzados mantener un reino considerable con su sede en Chipre y la costa de Siria. Sin embargo, su incapacidad para recuperar Jerusalén daría lugar a la petición de una cuarta cruzada seis años más tarde.

Tras el fracaso de la segunda cruzada, Nur ad-Din se hizo con el control de Damasco y unificó Siria. Con la finalidad de extender su poder, Nur ad-Din puso los ojos en la dinastía fatimí de Egipto. En 1163, su general de más confianza, Shirkuh, emprendió una expedición militar hacia el Nilo. Acompañaba al general su joven sobrino, Saladino.

Cuando las tropas de Shirkuh acamparon frente a El Cairo, el sultán de Egipto, Shawar, pidió ayuda al rey Amalarico I de Jerusalén. En respuesta, Amalarico envió un ejército a Egipto y atacó las tropas de Shirkuh en Bilbeis, en 1164.

En un intento de apartar de Egipto la atención de los cruzados, Nur ad-Din atacó Antioquía, lo que tuvo como resultado una masacre de soldados cristianos y la captura de varios dirigentes cruzados, entre ellos Reinaldo de Châtillon, príncipe de Antioquía. Nur ad-Din envió las cabelleras de los defensores cristianos a Egipto para que Shirkuh las expusiera en Bilbeis a la vista de los hombres de Amalarico. Esto hizo que tanto Amalarico como Shirkuh sacasen sus tropas de Egipto.

En 1167, Nur ad-Din envió de nuevo a Shirkuh a subyugar a los fatimíes. Shawar volvió a pedir ayuda a Amalarico para defender su territorio. Las fuerzas combinadas de egipcios y cristianos persiguieron a Shirkuh hasta que se retiró a Alejandría.

Al pasar por una posada cercana a Viena, en su viaje de regreso a Inglaterra, Ricardo fue hecho prisionero por orden del duque Leopoldo de Austria, cuyo estandarte Ricardo había arrojado al foso en Acre. Más tarde pasó a poder del emperador Enrique VI, que lo tuvo cautivo durante un año, y no lo puso en libertad hasta marzo de 1194, previo pago de la enorme suma de 150 000 marcos. El resto de su reinado lo pasó guerreando contra Francia, y murió a consecuencia de una herida de flecha en el lemosín, en 1199, a la edad de 42 años.

Saladino murió poco después de la partida de Ricardo, el 3 de marzo de 1193, teniendo como única posesión una moneda de oro y 47 de plata, pues había repartido el resto de su patrimonio entre sus súbditos.

El resultado poco satisfactorio de la Tercera Cruzada provocó que se predicase la Cuarta, que se desvió hasta Constantinopla. Un día como hoy - Historia Universal - [email protected]

[vikramsingh997]

5 Famous Muslim Kings in History who Changed the World

Islam is the 2nd largest religion in the world, and comes second only to Christianity, as far as a number of people following a religion are concerned. In spite of accounting for, approximately 25% of the world population, the knowledge about the great Islamic kings who left behind indelible marks in course of history, is almost unknown to the vast majority of the world. Many of these great rulers were not just champions of their religious faith but were also harbingers of great change, that affected the course of world history. Here we take a brief look at those great Muslims who changed history forever.

Harun al Rashid - The Hero of Arabian Nights & Islamic Golden Age

The Caliph of Arabian Nights

Normally not many people, outside the Islamic world would be able to recognize this name in history, but mentioned in a bit different way, he is certainly a very popular figure – The True Caliph of Arabian Nights. The stories from this collection of Folk Tales from the middle east is known by almost every child, everywhere in the world. What is rather unknown is that stories from “One Thousand and One Nights” or more commonly in English as - “Arabian Nights”, were written at the time, when Harun al Rashid ruled Baghdad. The reason that Harun al Rashid figures as the hero in many of these stories are that he indeed was a legendary figure.

The Rise of an Emperor

Harun al Rashid was born in modern-day Tehran Province, somewhere between 763 to 766 (in spite of being a legendary figure, his exact birth date remains unknown). His father – al Mahdi, was the 3rd Abbasid caliph, a ruler with considerable riches and power. His mother was al Khayzuran, former slave girl, who later became a powerful queen, thanks to the love of her husband & her own ambition and wisdom.

It was military expeditions against the Byzantine Empire in the year 780 and 782, which marked the beginning of a long era of campaigns, which would later make the caliph one of the most powerful rulers of his time. Although the main initiative for the expeditions, was taken by the senior generals, the success of the campaign made the young Harun al Rashid, governor of vast areas of land, covering modern-day – Syria, Egypt, Tunisia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. Young al Rashid’s mentor – Yahya bin Khalid bin Barmak & his mother – al Khayzuran played an important role, in his rise to power.

After the death of his father in August 785 & his elder brother al Hadi, soon after in September 786, Harun al Rashid became the 5th Abbasid Caliph on 14th September 786. His mentor – Yahya the Barmakid, became his vizier (chief minister). During his reign, there were many internal revolts & external conflicts – most notable against the Eastern Roman Empire led by Empress Irene and later the Byzantine emperor – Nikephoros I, which kept him very busy. He almost always emerged from these conflicts victorious & his empire prospered. At his zenith, his empire extended from the Mediterranean coast& entire middle east to modern day Pakistan, in the east.

Harun al Rashid Achievements

In spite of being a very powerful & prosperous ruler, Harun al Rashid understood the need for diplomacy & always chose peace, whenever it was practically possible. One of the great examples of this is the friendship between Harun al Rashid and Charlemagne (Charles the Great) – the founder of the Carolingian Empire.

Charlemagne was the most famous European emperor of the Medieval era. A diplomatic mission was sent by him in 798 to secure a better relationship with the Abbasid Caliphate and form an alliance. Harun al Rashid not just accepted his proposal, but sent many precious gifts to the European emperor. Among the gifts sent to emperor Charlemagne, were – an elephant (a rare sight for Europeans of the time), chess set, horn, a water clock – which was much advanced for its time, a golden pitcher and tray, brass candle holder, perfume & silk; to name a few. The European emperor was also allowed to send financial help to the Christians of Palestine.

Harun al Rashid also employed Christians & Jews in important positions, including appointing a Christian – Gabriel Bukhtichlo as his physician, who was treated as a member of the royal family.

A Great Patron of Learning- The city of Baghdad became tremendously rich under his rule. As a scholar himself an expert judge of music and poetry, he himself encouraged these in his kingdom & gave patronage to scholars, musicians, and poets. Many learned men of the time, were invited & encouraged to visit Baghdad and share their expertise in important fields.

Harun al Rashid Library – In continuation with Harun al Rashid’s efforts to make Baghdad rich in not just materialistic riches but also a center of knowledge, culture & wisdom, the Caliph established one of the greatest libraries of the time – House of Wisdom, in Baghdad. Known as Bayt al Hikma, in Arabic and otherwise, as Grand Library of Baghdad, this library continued to flourish & prosper during the time of the Caliph’s son – al-Mamun.

The academic collection in House of Wisdom was from different parts of the world and included texts in – mathematics, science, astronomy, medicine, philosophy & literature. The work also included those of ancient scholars like – Plato, Aristotle, Hippocrates, Ptolemy & Euclid. Scholars & scientists from all over Asia & Europe came to study & contribute to the library, making it a shining beacon of knowledge & wisdom during the Islamic Golden Age.

Harun al Rashid in Arabian Nights- As a conscientious king, he was always concerned that his officials should not misuse authority to harass poor & innocent people. If anything was amiss, he wanted to know about it. It is for this reason, he disguised himself and walked through the streets of the city, talking to people knowing their opinion regarding different issues affecting the lives of his subjects. These real incidents also sometimes found mention in the stories of the Arabian Nights. Harun al Rashid also finds mention, in works of western literary genius like – WB Yeats, HD Longfellow, Alfred Tennyson, O Henry, James Joyce, and Salman Rushdie.

Salahuddin al Ayyubi – The Conqueror of Jerusalem, who was Respected by Even His Enemies

Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub, also known as Saladin or Salah ad-Din, meaning the Righteousness of the Faith in Arabic. As the first Sultan of Egypt & Syria, he is most famously known as the king responsible for - Islamic conquest of Jerusalem, taking it back from the Christian crusading army in 1187.

Saladin the Great – The Early years

Saladin was born into a rather modest family, that served Nur ad-Din, the ruler of Aleppo (Syria). Since an early age, he demonstrated a great interest in religion & regional politics. The violent takeover of Jerusalem, by the Christian Crusading army, had greatly moved him. Besides religion & politics, he also demonstrated a good knowledge of mathematics, astronomy, and law.

Salahuddin al Ayyubi’s political & military career began under the guardianship of his uncle – Asad al-Din Shirkuh who was an important military commander under Nur ad-Din. The young protégé soon distinguished himself in his uncle’s army, as a skilled & reliable asset during the time of the battle. As Shirkuh rose in stature so did his nephew, who had become one of the most trusted aids of his uncle. Shirkuh later became the vizier of Egypt, and after his death was succeeded by Saladin. In 1174, Nur ad-Din fell sick & died soon after, which gave Saladin the opportunity to declare himself Sultan of Egypt and founder of Ayyubid dynasty.

For More read: https://www.guidebooktolife.com/5-famous-muslim-kings-in-history-who-changed-theworld

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[patchoulism]

If you don’t think that An-Nasir Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub wasn’t the sickest mothefucking boss, then get out of my face.