Saif ad-Din Ghazi I
Encyclopedia
Saif ad-Din Ghazi I was the Emir of Mosul from 1146 to 1149
He was the eldest son of Zengi
of Mosul
, and the elder brother of Nur ad-Din.
In 1146 Zengi was besieging the fortress of Qal Ja'bari when he was assassinated on September 15 by one of his servants who wanted to escape punishment. His forces were scattered, but Zengi's two sons were able to regain control and to divide informally the empire: Saif ad-Din succeeded him in Mosul and the Jezirah (northern Iraq
) while Nur ad-Din succeeded in Aleppo
. Saif ad-Din had first to fight to secure his position in Mosul.
Two years before, the Seljuk sultan Ghiyath ad-Din Mas'ud
had named his cadet son Alp-Arslan as overlord of Zwngi, but the latter had neutralized him and carried with him at the siege. At Zengi's death, Alp-Arlsan tried to exploit the ensuing disorder to gain the power in Mosul. Two of Zengi's advisors, the head of the diwan al-Din Muhammad Jemal and hajab Amir Salah al-Din Muhammad al-Yaghisiyani took the side of Saif ad-Din: taking advantage of the inexperience of the young Seljuk, giving Saif ad-Din the time necessary to take control of Mosul. When Alp Arslan appeared in Mosul, he was arrested and imprisoned in the citadel.
In 1148, together with Nur ad-Din, he marched south to help defend Damascus
during the Second Crusade
(see Siege of Damascus
). The atabeg of the city, Mu'in ad-Din Unur
, however refused them entrance, using the presence of Zangi's sons to convince the Franks to release the siege.
He died in November 1149 and was succeeded by another brother, Qutb ad-Din Mawdud
.
He was the eldest son 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:...
of Mosul
Mosul
Mosul , is a city in northern Iraq and the capital of the Ninawa Governorate, some northwest of Baghdad. The original city stands on the west bank of the Tigris River, opposite the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh on the east bank, but the metropolitan area has now grown to encompass substantial...
, and the elder brother of Nur ad-Din.
In 1146 Zengi was besieging the fortress of Qal Ja'bari when he was assassinated on September 15 by one of his servants who wanted to escape punishment. His forces were scattered, but Zengi's two sons were able to regain control and to divide informally the empire: Saif ad-Din succeeded him in Mosul and the Jezirah (northern Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
) while Nur ad-Din succeeded in Aleppo
Aleppo
Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
. Saif ad-Din had first to fight to secure his position in Mosul.
Two years before, the Seljuk sultan Ghiyath ad-Din Mas'ud
Ghiyath ad-Din Mas'ud
Ghiyath ad-Din Mas'ud was the Seljuq Sultan of Iraq and western Persia in 1133-1152.He was the son of sultan Mehmed I of Great Seljuq. At the age of twelve , he rebelled unsuccessfully against his elder brother, Mahmud II, who however forgave him...
had named his cadet son Alp-Arslan as overlord of Zwngi, but the latter had neutralized him and carried with him at the siege. At Zengi's death, Alp-Arlsan tried to exploit the ensuing disorder to gain the power in Mosul. Two of Zengi's advisors, the head of the diwan al-Din Muhammad Jemal and hajab Amir Salah al-Din Muhammad al-Yaghisiyani took the side of Saif ad-Din: taking advantage of the inexperience of the young Seljuk, giving Saif ad-Din the time necessary to take control of Mosul. When Alp Arslan appeared in Mosul, he was arrested and imprisoned in the citadel.
In 1148, together with Nur ad-Din, he marched south to help defend 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...
during 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...
(see Siege of Damascus
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...
). The atabeg of the city, 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...
, however refused them entrance, using the presence of Zangi's sons to convince the Franks to release the siege.
He died in November 1149 and was succeeded by another brother, Qutb ad-Din Mawdud
Qutb ad-Din Mawdud
Qutb ad-Din Mawdud was the Zengid Emir of Mosul from 1149 to 1169. He was a brother and successor of Saif ad-Din Ghazi I.-Biography:...
.