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Asad al-Din Shirkuh bin Shadhi (died 1169) was an important Muslim military commander, and uncle of Saladin. He was originally from a Kurdish village in Armenia near the town of Dvin . He was the son of Shahdi, a Kurdish ruler, and was the brother of Ayyub, the founder of the Ayyubid dynasty. When Ayyub lost Tikrit in 1138 he and Shirkuh joined Zengi's army, and Shirkuh served under Nur ad-Din who succeeded Zengi in Mosul. Shirkuh was later given Homs as a vassal state of Mosul.
In 1163 he convinced Nur ad-Din to send him to Egypt in to settle a dispute between Shawar and Dirgham over the FatimidThe Fatimid Empire or Fatimid Caliphate ruled North Africa from A. 909 to 1171. The term "Fatimite" is sometimes used to refer to citizens of the Empire/Caliphate. The name Fatimid is derived from the name of daughter of the Prophet Muhammad, Fatima az-Za vizierA Vizier (, sometimes also spelled Wazir is an Arabic term for a high-ranking religious and political advisor, often to a king or sultan. During the days of the Ottoman Empire the Grand Vizier played the role of a pseudo- prime minister in the Sultan's coate. Shawar was restored and Dirgham was killed, but after quarrelling with Shirkuh Shawar allied with Amalric I of JerusalemAmalric I (also Amaury or Aimery ( 1136- 1174) was king of Jerusalem from 1162 to 1174. Amalric was the son of Fulk of Jerusalem, and the brother of Baldwin III. He was married twice, first to Agnes of Edessa, with whom he had two children, Baldwin IV and, who marched into Egypt in 1164Events Count Henry I of Champagne marries Marie de Champagne. Pope Adrian IV recognizes Uppsala as seat of the Swedish metropolitan. Antipope Paschal III elected by cardinals supporting Frederick Barbarossa. Olaf II of Norway is canonized as Saint Olaf. and besieged Shirkuh at BilbeisBilbeis ( Coptic Phelbs is an ancient fortress city on the eastern edge of the southern Nile delta in Egypt. In 1163, the city was besieged by crusader armies and in 1798 its fortifications were rebuilt at the order of Napoleon.. In response Nur ad-Din attacked the Crusader statesThe Crusader States were the territories created by Western Europeans who arrived in the Eastern Mediterranean during the Crusades in the 12th and 13th centuries. The first four Crusader states were: The County of Edessa The Principality of Antioch The Ki and almost captured the Principality of AntiochThe Principality of Antioch including parts of modern-day Turkey and Syria, was one of the crusader states created during the First Crusade. Foundation While Baldwin of Boulogne and Tancred headed east from Asia Minor to set up the County of Edessa, the m.
Shirkuh was sent back into Egypt in 1167Events Taira no Kiyomori becomes the first samurai to be appointed Daijyo Daijin chief minister of the government of Japan Peter of Blois becomes the tutor of William II of Sicily Absalon, archbishop of Denmark, leads the first Danish synod at Lund Absalo, with Shawar once again allying with Amalric. Amalric besieged him in Alexandria until he agreed to leave; a Crusader garrison, however, remained in Egypt and Amalric allied with the Byzantine Empire, planning to conquer it entirely. Now Shawar sought help from Shirkuh. Shirkuh avoided a pitched battle with the Crusaders, who in any case did not have the resources to conquer Egypt and were forced to retreat.
In January of 1169 Shirkuh entered Cairo and had Shawar executed. He set himself up as vizier, but died two months later. He was succeeded by his nephew Saladin, who had served with him on his campaigns in Egypt.
Shirkuh's name is Persian and means "Mountain's Lion".
Crusades
