Saladin
Saladin, born Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub, rose from a Kurdish military family to become the most celebrated Muslim ruler of the medieval period. He unified Egypt and Syria under his rule, founding the Ayyubid Sultanate, and dedicated his reign to rolling back the Crusader presence in the Holy Land. His greatest triumph came at the Battle of Hattin in July 1187, where he decisively defeated the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem, capturing King Guy of Lusignan and the relic of the True Cross. Jerusalem fell to his forces shortly thereafter, ending over 80 years of Crusader control. Unlike the bloody conquest of 1099, Saladin permitted the city's Christian inhabitants to ransom themselves, sparing wholesale slaughter. Saladin's reputation for chivalry extended even to his enemies. He sent his personal physician to treat Richard I when the English king fell ill during the Third Crusade, and exchanged respectful correspondence with his foe. Even Christian chroniclers praised his honor and magnanimity. He died in Damascus in 1193 having given away most of his wealth to the poor, leaving too little even to cover his funeral.
- Lived: 1137 CE – 1193 CE
- Nationality: arab
- Roles: military_leader, leader
