Najm ad-Din Ayyub
Encyclopedia
al-Malik al-Afdal Najm ad-Din Ayyub ibn Shadhi ibn Marawan (Arabic: الملك ألأفضل نجم الدين أيوب بن شاﺬي بن مروان)) (died August 9, 1173) was a Kurdish
soldier and politician from Dvin
, and the father of Saladin
. He is eponymous of the Ayyubid dynasty
founded by Saladin.
. The family belonged to the tribe of Rawadiya
, itself a branch of the Hadhabani
tribe. The Rawadids were originally from Arab ancestry (Azd tribe), and arrived in the region in 758
CE, but they had become Kurdicized by the early 10th century. They were closely connected to the Shaddadid
dynasty, and when the last Shaddadid was deposed in Dvin in 1130, Shadhi moved the family first to Baghdad
and then to Tikrit
, where he was appointed governor by the regional administrator Bihruz. Ayyub succeeded his father as governor of Tikrit when Shadhi died soon after.
In 1132 Ayyub was in the service of Zengi
, and participated in a battle against the Seljuk Sultan
near Tikrit. Najm ad-Din saved Zengi's life when he assisted Zengi's retreat across the Tigris
. In 1136, Shirkuh killed a Christian with whom he was quarrelling in Tikrit, and the brothers were exiled (Ayyub's son Yusuf, later known as Saladin, was supposedly born the night they left). Zengi appointed Ayyub governor of Baalbek
, and when the town was besieged in 1146 by Mu'in ad-Din Unur
, the atabeg
of the Burid
emir of Damascus
, Ayyub surrendered it and retired to Damascus. Shirkuh, meanwhile, entered the service of Zengi's son Nur ad-Din, who had designs on Damascus; when the Second Crusade
besieged the city
in 1148, Nur ad-Din forced Mu'in ad-Din and the Burids into a reluctant alliance. Soon Nur ad-Din demanded the city be handed over to him, and Ayyub and Shirkuh negotiated the surrender of the city in 1154. Ayyub remained governor of Damascus under Nur ad-Din's rule. He was held in such honour that he was the only one of Nur ad-Din's officials allowed to remain seated in his presence.
Ayyub's son Saladin also took up service with Nur ad-Din, and he was sent to Egypt
to take control in Nur ad-Din's name during the period of joint crusader
-Byzantine
invasions. In 1170 Ayyub joined him there, either summoned by Saladin himself, or sent by Nur ad-Din to convince Saladin to depose the last Fatimid
caliph. Saladin offered the vizierate to him, but he refused, and instead was granted Alexandria
, Damietta
, and Al Buhayrah
as personal fiefs. Many of Saladin's other relatives also joined him in Egypt. Nur ad-Din did not trust Saladin and his family, correctly assuming that they were consolidating power against him; Ayyub publicly supported Nur ad-Din, but privately warned his son that Nur ad-Din should never be allowed to take Egypt from him.
According to Baha ad-Din ibn Shaddad
, Ayyub was "a noble, generous man, mild and of excellent character." He was also "passionately fond of polo
". Ibn al-Qalanisi
calls him "a man of resolution, intelligence and knowledge of affairs", who prudently handed over Baalbek to a superior force in return for rewards and honours.
His given name was Ayyub (Job), from which comes the Ayyubid dynasty
of Saladin and his successors. Najm ad-Din is an honorific meaning "star of the faith".
Kurdish people
The Kurdish people, or Kurds , are an Iranian people native to the Middle East, mostly inhabiting a region known as Kurdistan, which includes adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey...
soldier and politician from Dvin
Dvin
Dvin was a large commercial city and the capital of early medieval Armenia. It was situated north of the previous ancient capital of Armenia, the city of Artaxata, along the banks of the Metsamor River, 35 km to the south of modern Yerevan...
, and the father of Saladin
Saladin
Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb , better known in the Western world as Saladin, was an Arabized Kurdish Muslim, who became the first Sultan of Egypt and Syria, and founded the Ayyubid dynasty. He led Muslim and Arab opposition to the Franks and other European Crusaders in the Levant...
. He is eponymous of the Ayyubid dynasty
Ayyubid dynasty
The Ayyubid dynasty was a Muslim dynasty of Kurdish origin, founded by Saladin and centered in Egypt. The dynasty ruled much of the Middle East during the 12th and 13th centuries CE. The Ayyubid family, under the brothers Ayyub and Shirkuh, originally served as soldiers for the Zengids until they...
founded by Saladin.
Life and career
Ayyub was the son of Shadhi ibn Marwan and brother of ShirkuhShirkuh
Asad ad-Din Shirkuh bin Shadhi , also known as Shêrko or "Shêrgo" was an important Kurdish military commander, and uncle of Saladin....
. The family belonged to the tribe of Rawadiya
Rawadid
Rawadid , , was a Kurdish principality ruling Azerbaijan from the 10th to the early 11th centuries, centered around Tabriz and Maragheh. The Rawadid tribe was one of the Arab tribes who became Kurdish by culture through assimilation...
, itself a branch of the Hadhabani
Hadhabani
Hadhabani was an 11th century Kurdish tribe centered at Ushnu. Their dominion included surrounding areas of Maragha and Urmia to the east, Salmas to the north and parts of Arbil and Mosul to the west....
tribe. The Rawadids were originally from Arab ancestry (Azd tribe), and arrived in the region in 758
758
Year 758 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 758 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Asia :* Emperor Junnin succeeds Empress Kōken on the...
CE, but they had become Kurdicized by the early 10th century. They were closely connected to the Shaddadid
Shaddadid
The Shaddadids were a Kurdish dynasty who ruled in various parts of Armenia and Arran from 951-1174 AD. They were established in Dvin. Through their long tenure in Armenia, they often intermarried with the Bagratuni royal family of Armenia....
dynasty, and when the last Shaddadid was deposed in Dvin in 1130, Shadhi moved the family first to 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...
and then to Tikrit
Tikrit
Tikrit is a town in Iraq, located 140 km northwest of Baghdad on the Tigris river . The town, with an estimated population in 2002 of about 260,000 is the administrative center of the Salah ad Din Governorate.-Ancient times:...
, where he was appointed governor by the regional administrator Bihruz. Ayyub succeeded his father as governor of Tikrit when Shadhi died soon after.
In 1132 Ayyub was in the service of Zengi
Zengi
Imad ad-Din Zengi was the atabeg of Mosul, Aleppo, Hama and Edessa and founder of the Zengid dynasty, to which he gave his name.-Early life:...
, and participated in a battle against the Seljuk Sultan
Seljuq dynasty
The Seljuq ; were a Turco-Persian Sunni Muslim dynasty that ruled parts of Central Asia and the Middle East from the 11th to 14th centuries...
near Tikrit. Najm ad-Din saved Zengi's life when he assisted Zengi's retreat across the Tigris
Tigris
The Tigris River is the eastern member of the two great rivers that define Mesopotamia, the other being the Euphrates. The river flows south from the mountains of southeastern Turkey through Iraq.-Geography:...
. In 1136, Shirkuh killed a Christian with whom he was quarrelling in Tikrit, and the brothers were exiled (Ayyub's son Yusuf, later known as Saladin, was supposedly born the night they left). Zengi appointed Ayyub governor of Baalbek
Baalbek
Baalbek is a town in the Beqaa Valley of Lebanon, altitude , situated east of the Litani River. It is famous for its exquisitely detailed yet monumentally scaled temple ruins of the Roman period, when Baalbek, then known as Heliopolis, was one of the largest sanctuaries in the Empire...
, and when the town was besieged in 1146 by Mu'in ad-Din Unur
Mu'in ad-Din Unur
Mu'in ad-Din Unur al-Atabeki was the ruler of Damascus in the mid-12th century.-Origins:Mu'in ad-Din was originally a Mameluk in the army of Toghtekin, the founder of the Burid Dynasty of Damascus. When Zengi, the atabeg of Aleppo, besieged Damascus in 1135, Mu'in ad-Din was at the head of army...
, the atabeg
Atabeg
Atabeg, Atabek, or Atabey is a hereditary title of nobility of Turkic origin, indicating a governor of a nation or province who was subordinate to a monarch and charged with raising the crown prince...
of the Burid
Burid dynasty
The Burid dynasty was a Turkish dynasty which ruled over Damascus in the early 12th century. The first Burid ruler, Toghtekin, began as a servant to the Seljuk ruler of Damascus, Duqaq. Following Duqaq's death in 1104, he seized the city for himself. The Burids gained recognition from the...
emir of 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...
, Ayyub surrendered it and retired to Damascus. Shirkuh, meanwhile, entered the service of Zengi's son Nur ad-Din, who had designs on Damascus; when the Second Crusade
Second Crusade
The Second Crusade was the second major crusade launched from Europe. The Second Crusade was started in response to the fall of the County of Edessa the previous year to the forces of Zengi. The county had been founded during the First Crusade by Baldwin of Boulogne in 1098...
besieged the city
Siege of Damascus
The Siege of Damascus took place over four days in July 1148, during the Second Crusade. It ended in a decisive crusader defeat and led to the disintegration of the crusade. The two main Christian forces that marched to the Holy Land in response to Pope Eugenius III and Bernard of Clairvaux's call...
in 1148, Nur ad-Din forced Mu'in ad-Din and the Burids into a reluctant alliance. Soon Nur ad-Din demanded the city be handed over to him, and Ayyub and Shirkuh negotiated the surrender of the city in 1154. Ayyub remained governor of Damascus under Nur ad-Din's rule. He was held in such honour that he was the only one of Nur ad-Din's officials allowed to remain seated in his presence.
Ayyub's son Saladin also took up service with Nur ad-Din, and he was sent to 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...
to take control in Nur ad-Din's name during the period of joint crusader
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....
-Byzantine
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
invasions. In 1170 Ayyub joined him there, either summoned by Saladin himself, or sent by Nur ad-Din to convince Saladin to depose the last Fatimid
Fatimid
The Fatimid Islamic Caliphate or al-Fāṭimiyyūn was a Berber Shia Muslim caliphate first centered in Tunisia and later in Egypt that ruled over varying areas of the Maghreb, Sudan, Sicily, the Levant, and Hijaz from 5 January 909 to 1171.The caliphate was ruled by the Fatimids, who established the...
caliph. Saladin offered the vizierate to him, but he refused, and instead was granted Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
, 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:...
, and Al Buhayrah
Beheira Governorate
Beheira Governorate is a coastal governorate in Egypt. Located in the northern part of the country in the Nile Delta, its capital is Damanhur.-Overview:Beheira governorate enjoys an important strategical place, west of the Rosetta branch of the Nile...
as personal fiefs. Many of Saladin's other relatives also joined him in Egypt. Nur ad-Din did not trust Saladin and his family, correctly assuming that they were consolidating power against him; Ayyub publicly supported Nur ad-Din, but privately warned his son that Nur ad-Din should never be allowed to take Egypt from him.
Death
Najm ad-Din was injured in a horse riding accident on July 31, 1173, and died on August 9. His death exacerbated the tension between Saladin and Nur ad-Din; the latter had summoned the former to assist in an expedition against the Kingdom of Jerusalem, but Saladin returned home when he heard of his father's death. The expected confrontation between Nur ad-Din and Saladin did not occur, as Nur ad-Din died the next year, and Saladin eventually took control of the whole of Egypt and Syria.According to Baha ad-Din ibn Shaddad
Baha ad-Din ibn Shaddad
Bahā' ad-Dīn Yusuf ibn Rafi ibn Shaddād was a 12th-century Muslim jurist and scholar, an Arabian historian of great note, notable for writing a biography of Saladin whom he knew well.Ibn Shaddād was born in Mosul on 10 Ramadan 539 AH , where he studied the...
, Ayyub was "a noble, generous man, mild and of excellent character." He was also "passionately fond of polo
Polo
Polo is a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Sometimes called, "The Sport of Kings", it was highly popularized by the British. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a...
". Ibn al-Qalanisi
Ibn al-Qalanisi
Hamza ibn Asad abu Ya'la ibn al-Qalanisi was an Arab politician and chronicler in Damascus in the 12th century.He descended from the Banu Tamim tribe, and was among the well-educated nobility of the city of Damascus...
calls him "a man of resolution, intelligence and knowledge of affairs", who prudently handed over Baalbek to a superior force in return for rewards and honours.
His given name was Ayyub (Job), from which comes the Ayyubid dynasty
Ayyubid dynasty
The Ayyubid dynasty was a Muslim dynasty of Kurdish origin, founded by Saladin and centered in Egypt. The dynasty ruled much of the Middle East during the 12th and 13th centuries CE. The Ayyubid family, under the brothers Ayyub and Shirkuh, originally served as soldiers for the Zengids until they...
of Saladin and his successors. Najm ad-Din is an honorific meaning "star of the faith".
Family and children
Ayyub had several children with an unknown woman or women:- Nur ad-Din Shahanshah (died 1148)
- Salah ad-Din YusufSaladinṢalāḥ ad-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb , better known in the Western world as Saladin, was an Arabized Kurdish Muslim, who became the first Sultan of Egypt and Syria, and founded the Ayyubid dynasty. He led Muslim and Arab opposition to the Franks and other European Crusaders in the Levant...
(1137–1193) - al-Malik al-Adil Sayf ad-Din Abu Bakr AhmadAl-Adil IAl-Adil I was an Ayyubid-Egyptian general and ruler of Kurdish descent. From his honorific "Sayf al-Din" he was sometimes known to the Frankish crusaders as "Saphadin".- Life :...
(1145–1218) - al-Malik al-Mu'azzam Shams ad-Dawla Turanshah (died 1181)
- Taj al-Muluk Abu Sa'id Buri (died 1184)
- al-Malik al-'Aziz Sayf al-Islam Tughtekin (died 1197)
- unknown daughters
Sources
- Baha ad-Din ibn ShaddadBaha ad-Din ibn ShaddadBahā' ad-Dīn Yusuf ibn Rafi ibn Shaddād was a 12th-century Muslim jurist and scholar, an Arabian historian of great note, notable for writing a biography of Saladin whom he knew well.Ibn Shaddād was born in Mosul on 10 Ramadan 539 AH , where he studied the...
, The Rare and Excellent History of Saladin, ed. D. S. Richards, AshgateAshgate PublishingAshgate Publishing is an academic book and journal publisher based in Farnham, Surrey, United Kingdom. It was established in 1967 and specializes in the social sciences, arts, humanities, and professional practice...
, 2002. - The Damascus Chronicle of the Crusades, Extracted and Translated from the Chronicle of Ibn al-QalanisiIbn al-QalanisiHamza ibn Asad abu Ya'la ibn al-Qalanisi was an Arab politician and chronicler in Damascus in the 12th century.He descended from the Banu Tamim tribe, and was among the well-educated nobility of the city of Damascus...
. H.A.R. Gibb, 1932 (reprint, Dover Publications, 2002) - Vladimir Minorsky, "The Prehistory of Saladin", in Studies in Caucasian History, Cambridge University PressCambridge University PressCambridge University Press is the publishing business of the University of Cambridge. Granted letters patent by Henry VIII in 1534, it is the world's oldest publishing house, and the second largest university press in the world...
, 1957, pp. 124–132. (available online) - M. C. Lyons and D. E. P. Jackson, Saladin: the Politics of the Holy War, Cambridge University PressCambridge University PressCambridge University Press is the publishing business of the University of Cambridge. Granted letters patent by Henry VIII in 1534, it is the world's oldest publishing house, and the second largest university press in the world...
, 1982. - P. M. Holt, The Age of the Crusades: The Near East from the Eleventh Century to 1517, LongmanLongmanLongman was a publishing company founded in London, England in 1724. It is now an imprint of Pearson Education.-Beginnings:The Longman company was founded by Thomas Longman , the son of Ezekiel Longman , a gentleman of Bristol. Thomas was apprenticed in 1716 to John Osborn, a London bookseller, and...
, 1986.