Mu'in ad-Din Unur facts for kids

Mu'in ad-Din Unur (Arabic: معين الدين أنر, romanized: Muʿīn ad-Dīn ʿUnur; died August 28, 1149) was an important ruler of Damascus from 1140 to 1149. He was a skilled military leader and a Turkoman, a group of Turkish people. He served the Burid Dynasty, which ruled Damascus at that time.

Early Life and Rise to Power

Mu'in ad-Din started his career as a Mamluk, which was a soldier who was originally a slave. He served in the army of Toghtekin, who founded the Burid Dynasty in Damascus.

Defending Damascus

In 1135, a powerful leader named Zengi, who ruled Aleppo, tried to capture Damascus. Mu'in ad-Din was a key commander defending the city. That same year, Shihab ad-Din Mahmud became the new ruler of Damascus after his brother was killed. When Zengi stopped attacking Damascus and instead went to besiege Homs, Shihab ad-Din sent Mu'in ad-Din to govern Homs.

Becoming a Governor

Mu'in ad-Din was still the governor of Homs in 1137 when Zengi briefly attacked the city again. In 1138, Shihab ad-Din gave Mu'in ad-Din an important title, Isfahsalar, and made him a top military commander in Damascus. Later that year, Zengi made a deal and received Homs. Mu'in ad-Din was given the castle of Barin instead.

Challenges and New Roles

In 1139, Shihab ad-Din was killed in Damascus. Jamal ad-Din became the new ruler, and Mu'in ad-Din was chosen to govern Baalbek in his place. Zengi then attacked Baalbek to get revenge for his stepson's death. Mu'in ad-Din was in charge of defending Baalbek, but the city eventually surrendered to Zengi.

Ruling Damascus

In 1140, Jamal ad-Din died. Mu'in ad-Din continued to rule Damascus as a regent for Jamal ad-Din's young son, Mujir ad-Din Abaq. This meant Mu'in ad-Din was the real power behind the throne.

Forming Alliances

Mu'in ad-Din worked with other rulers to protect Damascus. In 1140, he attacked Banias with help from King Fulk of Jerusalem and Prince Raymond of Antioch. He paid them a lot of gold for their help. After capturing Banias, he gave it to King Fulk. Mu'in ad-Din also visited Jerusalem to make a stronger alliance to protect Damascus from Zengi.

Expanding Influence

King Fulk died in 1143, and Zengi was killed in 1146. Zengi's sons, Saif ad-Din Ghazi I and Nur ad-Din, took over his lands. Mu'in ad-Din used this chance to attack Baalbek, and its governor, Najm ad-Din Ayyub (who was Saladin's father), quickly surrendered. Mu'in ad-Din also took control of Homs and Hama.

Peace and Recognition

Mu'in ad-Din was always careful about Nur ad-Din's growing power. He tried to stay friendly with his neighbors, whether they were Christian or Muslim. In 1147, Nur ad-Din married Mu'in ad-Din's daughter, Ismat ad-Din Khatun, to seal an alliance.

Later in 1147, Mu'in ad-Din attacked Salkhad and Bosra because their governor had allied with Jerusalem against him. This broke Jerusalem's treaty with Damascus. Mu'in ad-Din asked Nur ad-Din for help, and Nur ad-Din arrived with his army. The Christian crusaders had to leave, and Bosra and Salkhad surrendered to Mu'in ad-Din. In August 1147, Mu'in ad-Din was officially recognized as the governor of Damascus by the Caliph in Baghdad and the Seljuk Sultan. He was also recognized by the Fatimid Caliph in Egypt.

The Second Crusade

In 1148, news reached Damascus about a new Christian crusade, called the Second Crusade. This crusade was launched because Zengi had captured Edessa in 1145. Mu'in ad-Din prepared for the attack on Damascus, hoping that his old alliance with Jerusalem might protect his city.

Defending Damascus Again

When the crusaders arrived in July 1148, Mu'in ad-Din bravely led the defense of Damascus. He fought with great courage and never stopped trying to push them back. Mu'in ad-Din reluctantly asked for help from Nur ad-Din and Saif ad-Din Ghazi, as he didn't want their power to spread too far south. The crusaders besieged Damascus for only four days before leaving. It is thought that Mu'in ad-Din might have paid the crusaders to leave before Nur ad-Din's army arrived.

After the Crusade

After successfully defending Damascus, Mu'in ad-Din, Nur ad-Din, and Saif ad-Din Ghazi attacked a castle called Araima. Mu'in ad-Din had to accept Nur ad-Din as his overlord, meaning Nur ad-Din was now a more powerful leader.

In 1149, Mu'in ad-Din led raids against crusader lands because they continued to attack Damascus's territory. He agreed to a two-year peace with King Baldwin III. Then, he joined Nur ad-Din against the Principality of Antioch. Mu'in ad-Din patrolled with his army while Nur ad-Din defeated Antioch at the Battle of Inab that year, where Prince Raymond was killed.

Death and Legacy

Mu'in ad-Din returned to Damascus in July 1149. He became ill with a stomach sickness and died on August 28, 1149. He was buried in a university he had built in the city.

Successor and Family

Since Mu'in ad-Din was ruling as a regent for Mujir ad-Din Abaq, Mujir ad-Din took his place as the ruler of Damascus. However, Mujir ad-Din was not a strong ruler. By 1154, Nur ad-Din had taken full control of Damascus and all of Syria.

Mu'in ad-Din had three daughters. One married Nur ad-Din, another married Mujir ad-Din, and the third married a soldier.

Historical Views

Historians wrote good things about Mu'in ad-Din. Ibn al-Qalanisi, a chronicler from Damascus, praised his bravery. The Christian chronicler William of Tyre also spoke highly of him, saying he was very loyal in his dealings with the Kingdom of Jerusalem and was "a man of much wisdom and a lover of our people."