Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ - Shams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi - (15/210)

Siyar Aʿlām al-NubalāʾShams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi

Then he hurried to Damascus with only a light escort to seek the help of Nūr al-Dīn, who, a full year later, outfitted Shīrkūh (1) to accompany him. Shīrkūh restored the vizierate (2) to him and he re-established his control, yet he did not reward Shīrkūh as he deserved, so Shīrkūh kept malice in his heart. Shawar thereupon sought assistance from the Franks, while Shīrkūh entrenched himself against them in Bilbays; they besieged him for a time until they grew weary (3).

Seizing the opportunity created by their absence from the coast, Nūr al-Dīn mustered his forces for battle at Hārim (4) and captured several kings in 559 AH (5).

After a series of events too lengthy to detail here (6), Shīrkūh returned.

Al-ʿĀḍid next sent, appealing to Shīrkūh for help against the Franks (7). Shīrkūh marched out and routed the Franks after they had nearly taken the country (8). Shawar resolved to assassinate Shīrkūh and the senior officers of his army, but they forestalled him and killed him in Rabīʿ al-Ākhir 564 AH; his slayers were Jurdayk al-Nūrī and Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn. Shīrkūh then feigned illness; Shawar came to visit him, and Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn sprang upon him (9).

Concerning this, ʿUmārah said:

(1) Asad al-Din Shirkuh, the first of the Ayyubid Kurds to govern Egypt; he was the uncle of Sultan Salah al-Din. A senior commander in the army of Nur al-Din, he was known for his intelligence, strategic acumen and dignity. He died in 564 AH/1169 CE. See Ibn Khallikan, Wafayat al-Ayan, 2/479-480. (2) Abu al-Ashbal Dargam b. Amir rose up against Shawar with a large force, defeated him, and took control of the vizierate; see al-Nukat al-Asriyya, 73-77. (3) Al-Kamil, 11/299. (4) An important district facing Antioch; see Yaqut, Mu jam al-Buldan, 2/205. (5) Al-Kamil, 11/301-304. (6) Al-Kamil, 11/300-301. (7) Shirkuh mounted three campaigns into Egypt: the first in 558 AH (1163 CE) to assist Shawar; the second in 562 AH (1167 CE) to seize the country; and the third in 564 AH (1169 CE), the present expedition. (8) Al-Kamil, 11/335-340. (9) Wafayat al-Ayan, 2/441.

ثُمَّ قَدِمَ دِمَشْق جريدَةً إِلَى نورِ الدِّين مستنْجداً بِهِ، فَجَهَّزَ مَعَهُ شِيركُوهُ (١) ، بَلْ بَعْدَهُ بِسَنَةٍ، فَاسْتردَّ لَهُ الوَزَارَة (٢) ، وَتَمَكَّنَ، وَلَمْ يجَازِ شِيركُوهُ بِمَا يليقُ بِهِ، فَأَضمَرَ لَهُ الشَّرَّ، وَاسْتعَانَ شَاور بِالفِرنج، وَتَحصَّن مِنْهُم شِيركوهُ ببلْبِيس، فحصروهُ مُدَّة، حَتَّى مَلُّوا (٣) . وَاغْتَنم نورُ الدِّيْنِ خُلوّ السَّاحِلِ مِنْهُم فَعمِلَ المَصَافَّ عَلَى حَارم (٤) ، وَأَسَرَ ملوكاً فِي سَنَةِ تِسْعٍ وَخَمْسِيْنَ (٥) . وَرَجَعَ شِيركوهُ بَعْدَ أُمُورٍ طَوِيْلَةِ الشَّرْحِ (٦) . ثمَّ سيرَّ العَاضِدُ، يَسْتَنجِدُ بشِيركوهُ عَلَى الْفِرِنْج (٧) ، فَسَارَ وَهَزَمَ الْفِرِنْج بَعْدَ أَنْ كَادُوا يَأْخذُوْنَ البِلاَدَ (٨) ، وَهمَّ شَاور باغتيَال شيركوهُ وَكبارِ عَسْكره، فَنَاجَزُوهُ وَقَتَلُوهُ فِي رَبِيْعٍ الآخِرِ سَنَةَ أَرْبَعٍ وَسِتِّيْنَ قَتَلهُ جُرْديك النُّوْرِي وَصلاَح الدّينِ، فتمَارضَ شيركوهُ فَعَاد شَاور فَشَدَّ عَلَيْهِ صلاَح الدِّيْنِ (٩) . وَلعمَارَة فِيْهِ:

(١) أسد الدين شيركوه، أول من ولي مصر من الاكراد الايوبيين. وهو عم السلطان صلاح الدين. كان من كبار القواد في جيش نور الدين. وكان عاقلا مدبرا وقورا، مات سنة / ٥٦٤ / هـ له ترجمة في " وفيات الأعيان ": ٢ / ٤٧٩ - ٤٨٠. (٢) كان أبو الأشبال ضرغام بن عامر قد خرج على شاور بجموع كثيرة، وغلبه واستولى على الوزارة. انظر " النكت العصرية ": ٧٣ - ٧٧. (٣) " الكامل ": ١١ / ٢٩٩. (٤) كورة جليلة تجاه أنطاكية. " معجم البلدان ": ٢ / ٢٠٥. (٥) " الكامل ": ١١ / ٣٠١ - ٣٠٤. (٦) " الكامل ": ١١ / ٣٠٠ - ٣٠١. (٧) خرج شيركوه إلى مصر ثلاث مرات. الأولى سنة / ٥٥٨ / نجدة لشاور، والثانية / ٥٦٢ / لتملك مصر، والثالثة / ٥٦٤ / هـ، وهي هذه. (٨) " الكامل ": ١١ / ٣٣٥ - ٣٤٠. (٩) " وفيات الأعيان ": ٢ / ٤٤١.