Shirkuh

Asad al-Din Shirkuh bin Shadhi (also Shirguh or Sherko) (died 1169) was an important Muslim military commander, and uncle of Saladin.

Related Topics:
1169 - Muslim - Saladin

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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 Najm ad-Din 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.

Related Topics:
Kurdish - Armenia - Dvin - Najm ad-Din Ayyub - Ayyubid dynasty - Tikrit - 1138 - Zengi - Nur ad-Din - Mosul - Homs

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In 1163 he convinced Nur ad-Din to send him to Egypt in to settle a dispute between Shawar and Dirgham over the Fatimid vizierate. Shawar was restored and Dirgham was killed, but after quarrelling with Shirkuh Shawar allied with Amalric I of Jerusalem, who marched into Egypt in 1164 and besieged Shirkuh at Bilbeis. In response Nur ad-Din attacked the Crusader states and almost captured the Principality of Antioch.

Related Topics:
1163 - Egypt - Shawar - Fatimid - Vizier - Amalric I of Jerusalem - 1164 - Bilbeis - Crusader states - Principality of Antioch

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Shirkuh was sent back into Egypt in 1167, 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.

Related Topics:
1167 - Alexandria - Byzantine Empire

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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. Saladin eventually succeeded Nur ad-Din as well, uniting Egypt and Syria, which enabled him to almost completely drive out the crusaders from Syria and Palestine.

Related Topics:
Cairo - Saladin

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Shirkuh's name is Kurdish and means "Mountain's Lion". In Latin, his name was rendered as "Siraconus"; William of Tyre, referring to the expedition of 1163, describes him as

Related Topics:
Kurdish - Latin - William of Tyre

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:"an able and energetic warrior, eager for glory and of wide experience in military affairs. Generous far beyond the resources of his patrimony, Shirkuh was beloved by his followers before of this munificence. He was small of stature, very stout and fat and already advanced in years. Though of lowly origin, he had become rich and risen by merit from his humble estate to the rank of prince. He was afflicted with cataract in one eye. He was a man of great endurance under hardships, one who bore hunger and thirst with an equanimity quite unusual for that time of life."

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