Al-Bidayah wa an-Nihayah - Ibn Kathir - (14/464)

Al-Bidayah wa an-NihayahIbn Kathir

regarding the scheme (1) they had devised, he sent an army as reinforcements to his son al-Muʿaẓẓam ʿĪsā in Damascus (2). The troops reached the city before al-Zāhir and his brother al-Afdal could arrive; the brothers themselves did not reach it until Dhul-Qaʿdah, coming from the direction of Baalbek, where they encamped with their forces near the Masjid al-Qadam (3). The siege of the city intensified; a great number of their soldiers scaled the walls from the side of Khan al-Qadam, and nothing remained but to take the city, had nightfall not forestalled them. Then al-Zāhir reconsidered the pact by which he had pledged to his brother that Damascus (4) would belong to al-Afdal: he now desired that it should be his first, and that when Egypt was conquered it would then pass to al-Afdal. He sent to propose this, but al-Afdal would not agree. They disputed the matter, their unity dissolved (5), and they contended for dominion over Damascus, whereupon the emirs deserted them. Al-ʿĀdil was approached with proposals for peace, and he responded granting what they had requested and even added to their iqṭāʿs (6) some territory in al-Jazīrah and a portion of the Maʿarrat district. The armies then withdrew from Damascus (7) in Muḥarram of the year 598 AH, and each of the two kings went off to take possession of the lands (8) that had been assigned to him; many events occurred thereafter whose details would be lengthy to relate.

Al-Zāhir and his brother had earlier written to the ruler of Mosul, Nūr al-Dīn Arslān the Atabeg, asking him to besiege the towns of al-Jazīrah that were in their uncle al-ʿĀdil’s possession. He rode forth with his army and sent to his cousin Quṭb al-Dīn, lord of Sinjar, while the ruler of Mardin—whom al-ʿĀdil had besieged and straitened for a long time—also joined them. The combined forces marched on Harran, where al-Fāʾiz, son of al-ʿĀdil, was stationed; they besieged him for a time. When news reached them of the reconciliation between al-ʿĀdil and his nephews al-Zāhir and al-Afdal, they too turned to peace (9) at al-Fāʾiz’s request, and affairs were restored and stabilized in their former state—praise and gratitude belong to Allah.

In this same year (10) Ghiyāth al-Dīn and his brother Shihāb al-Dīn, the two Ghurids, seized all (11) that the Khwārazm-Shāh had possessed of territories, fortresses, and wealth, and events of great (12) length then unfolded.

(1) A, B read “they conspired.” (2) T reads “to Damascus.” (3) T reads “then they settled at the Qadam Mosque.” (4) T reads “in the vicinity of Damascus.” (5) T reads “so they disagreed and parted ways.” (6) A reads “so he sent someone to reply regarding what they would receive from their iqtāʿ (land grant).” (7) A, B read “concerning the town.” (8) T reads “and each of them went to whatever lands had been assigned to him.” (9) After this, A, B add “having proceeded.” (10) T reads “and therein.” (11) A, B read “what he possesses.” (12) B reads “numerous.”

ما تمالأا (١) عليه، أرسل جيشًا مددًا لابنه المعظَّم عيسى بدمشق (٢) ، فوصلوا إِليها قبل وصول الظاهر وأخيه الأفضل إِليها، وكان وصولهما إِليها في ذي القعدة من ناحية بعلبك [فنزلا بجيشهما في ناحية مسجد القدم] (٣) ، واشتد الحصار للبلد، وتسلّق كثير من الجيش من ناحية خان القدم، ولم يبق إِلا فتح البلد، لولا هجوم الليل، ثم إِن الظاهر بدا له [فيما كان عاهد أخاه عليه من كون دمشق] (٤) للأفضل، فرأى أن تكون له أولًا، ثم إِذا فُتحت مصر تسلَّمها الأفضل، فأرسل إِليه في ذلك فلم يقبل الأفضل، واختلفا في ذلك، وتفرقت (٥) كلمتهما، وتنازعا الملك بدمشق، فتفرقت الأمراء عنهما. وكوتب العادل في الصلح، فأرسل يجيب إِلى ما سألا، وزاد في إِقطاعهما (٦) شيئًا من بلاد الجزيرة، وبعض معاملة المعرَّة، وتفرقت العساكر عن دمشق (٧) في محرم سنة ثمان وتسعين [وسار كل من الملكين إِلى تسلم البلاد] (٨) التي أُقطعها، وجرت خطوب يطول شرحها. وقد كان الظاهر وأخوه كتبا إِلى صاحب الموصل نور الدين أرسلان الأتابكي أن يحاصر مدن الجزيرة التي مع عمهما العادل، فركب في جيشه وأرسل إِلى ابن عمه قطب الدين صاحب سنجار، واجتمع معهما صاحب ماردين الذي كان العادل قد حاصره وضيّق عليه مدة طويلة، فقصدت العساكر حَرَّان، وبها الفائز ابن العادل، فحاصروه مدة، ثم لما بلغهم وقوع الصلح بين العادل وابني أخيه الظاهر والأفضل عدلوا إِلى المصالحة (٩) ، وذلك بعد طلب الفائز ذلك منهم، وتمهدت الأمور واستقرت على ما كانت عليه، ولله الحمد والمنة. [وفي هذه السنة] (١٠) ملك غياث الدين وأخوه شهاب الدين الغوريان جميع [ما كان يملك] (١١) خوارزم شاه من البلدان والحواصل والأموال، وجرت لهم خطوب طويلة (١٢) جدًا.

(١) أ، ب: تمالؤوا. (٢) ط: إِلى دمشق. (٣) ط: فنزلا على مسجد القدم. (٤) ط: في كون دمشق. (٥) ط: فاختلفا وتفرقت. (٦) أ: فأرسل يجيب إِلى ما ينالا من إِقطاعهما. (٧) أ، ب: عن البلد. (٨) ط: وسار كل منهما إِلى ما تسلم من البلاد. (٩) بعده في أ، ب: مضيا. (١٠) ط: وفيها. (١١) أ، ب: ما يملكه. (١٢) ب: كثيرة.