As-Salih Ayyub facts for kids

Al-Malik as-Salih Najm al-Din Ayyub (born 1205, died 1249) was an important ruler of Egypt. He was part of the Ayyubid dynasty, a powerful family that ruled parts of the Middle East. People also called him al-Malik al-Salih or Abu al-Futuh. He was the Sultan of Egypt from 1240 until his death in 1249. His time as ruler was very important for the history of Egypt.

Early Life and Challenges

As-Salih was born in 1205. His father was Al-Kamil, a powerful Sultan. In 1221, As-Salih became a hostage during a war called the Fifth Crusade. This meant he was held by the other side to make sure his father kept his promises.

Becoming a Ruler

In 1232, As-Salih was given control of Hasankeyf, a city in a region called the Jazirah. This area is now part of Turkey. Later, in 1234, his father sent him to rule Damascus. His father suspected him of planning against him, so he removed As-Salih from the line of succession in Egypt.

When his father Al-Kamil died in 1238, As-Salih was supposed to rule the Jazirah. His brother, Al-Adil II, was supposed to rule Egypt. After his father's death, there were many family arguments about who should rule. As-Salih took control of Damascus in 1239. He planned to use it as a base to make his kingdom bigger.

Struggles for Power

Some important leaders in Egypt asked As-Salih to remove his brother, Al-Adil II. As-Salih was getting ready to invade Egypt when he heard that his brother had been captured by his own soldiers. As-Salih was then invited to become the new Sultan.

However, things got complicated. In August 1239, As-Salih tried to get Al-Salih Ismail to join him in a fight for Egypt. As-Salih Ismail, with help from other Ayyubid rulers, captured Damascus from As-Salih in September 1239. As-Salih was left without his troops and was captured by local Bedouin people. He was held prisoner in Kerak, along with his wife, Shajar al-Durr.

In April 1240, another ruler, An-Nasir, had a disagreement with Al-Adil II. An-Nasir released As-Salih and teamed up with him. They agreed that As-Salih would help An-Nasir get Damascus back. Al-Adil II was then imprisoned by his own soldiers. As-Salih and An-Nasir entered Cairo in June 1240. This made As-Salih the main ruler of the Ayyubid family.

The Rise of the Mamluks

A basin made for Sultan As-Salih Ayyub in Damascus, 1247-1249. It is made of brass with silver decorations.

A detailed part of the basin, showing a horseman playing Polo.

Once As-Salih became Sultan in Cairo, his position was not very safe. The Ayyubid ruling family had many different groups with divided loyalties. Some powerful leaders in Egypt were even planning to remove him. As-Salih realized he couldn't trust many of his old allies.

Building a New Army

Because he needed loyal soldiers, As-Salih started buying many slaves from the Kipchak region. These slaves were available in large numbers after the Mongol invasions. These soldiers became known as Mamluks. Mamluks were enslaved people who were trained to be soldiers and often became very powerful.

As-Salih was not the first ruler to use Mamluks, but he was the first to rely on them so much. He created two large groups of Mamluk soldiers, with up to 1000 men.

• One group was called the 'River Corps' or Bahriyya. They lived on Rawdah island in the River Nile.
• The second, smaller group was the Jamdārīyah. They worked as As-Salih's personal bodyguards.

The Mamluks became very important. They would later take over from the Ayyubid dynasty and rule Egypt themselves. The Bahriyya Mamluks became especially famous. The Mamluks recruited by As-Salih were also known as the Salihiyya.

Wars and Crusades

From 1240 to 1243, As-Salih was busy with many wars and diplomatic talks. These involved the Crusader states in Palestine, European armies during the Barons' Crusade, and other Ayyubid rulers in Syria. He also dealt with the Khwarezmians, who were sometimes his allies.

Taking Jerusalem

His Bahri Mamluks helped him keep control in Egypt. The Khwarezmians helped him control other Ayyubid rulers nearby. In 1244, As-Salih invited the Khwarezmians to advance through Syria and Palestine. They sacked Jerusalem, meaning they attacked and looted it. Jerusalem had been given to Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor by As-Salih's father during the Sixth Crusade.

Later in 1244, As-Salih, still allied with the Khwarezmians, defeated As-Salih Ismail in Syria. Ismail had teamed up with the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem. This battle was called the Battle of La Forbie.

Becoming Sultan

In 1245, As-Salih captured Damascus. He was then given the title of sultan by the caliph in Baghdad. A caliph was a very important religious and political leader. However, As-Salih could not control much beyond Damascus.

In 1246, he decided that his Khwarezmian allies were too hard to control. So, he turned against them and defeated them near Homs. Their leader was killed, and their remaining forces were scattered.

The Seventh Crusade

As-Salih's capture of Jerusalem after the Khwarezmian attack led to a call for a new Crusade in Europe. Louis IX of France decided to lead this new Crusade. This campaign took several years to prepare. In 1249, Louis invaded Egypt as part of the Seventh Crusade. He occupied the city of Damietta.

Death and Legacy

As-Salih was fighting his uncle in Syria when he heard about the Crusader invasion. He quickly returned to Egypt and set up camp at al-Mansourah. He died there on November 22, 1249. He had a serious infection in his leg, and doctors tried to save him by amputating it, but it was too late.

As-Salih did not fully trust his son and heir, Al-Muazzam Turanshah. He had kept him far away in Hasankeyf. As-Salih's wife, Shajar al-Durr, managed to keep his death a secret until Turanshah arrived.

Turanshah's rule was very short. After him, there was a complicated period of time without a clear ruler. Eventually, the Bahri Mamluks took power. As-Salih was the last major Ayyubid ruler of Egypt. He was also the last to effectively rule both Egypt and parts of Palestine and Syria.

See also

• List of rulers of Egypt