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Muslim Main 3 Flashcards

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1
Q

Who was Zengi?

A

Zengi was the Atabeg of Mosul and Aleppo from 1127 to 1146.

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2
Q

When did Zengi die?

A

September 14, 1146.

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3
Q

How did Zengi die?

A

He was assassinated by a Frankish slave.

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4
Q

Who appointed Zengi as Atabeg of Mosul and when?

A

Seljuk Sultan Mahmud II appointed Zengi in 1127.

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5
Q

What was Zengi’s initial focus after becoming Atabeg of Mosul?

A

Strengthening his rule in northern Iraq.

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6
Q

What type of campaigns did Zengi launch early in his reign?

A

Military campaigns to extend authority over Upper Mesopotamia.

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7
Q

Which city did Zengi capture in 1128?

A

Aleppo.

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8
Q

Why was capturing Aleppo in 1128 significant?

A

It united Aleppo and Mosul, a major step toward Muslim unity against the Crusaders.

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9
Q

What impact did the unification of Aleppo and Mosul have on Zengi’s reputation?

A

It increased his prestige as a defender of Islam.

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10
Q

Between which years did Zengi expand his power in Syria and northern Iraq?

A

Between 1130 and 1144.

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11
Q

Which smaller emirates did Zengi take control of during his expansion?

A

Hama and Harran.

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12
Q

How did Zengi challenge the Crusaders during his reign?

A

He reasserted Muslim strength and challenged Crusader expansion.

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13
Q

What happened during Zengi’s siege of Ba’rin in 1137?

A

He besieged the fortress, and Raymond of Tripoli surrendered.

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14
Q

What did Emperor John II Comnenus do at Montferrand in 1137?

A

He arrived with reinforcements, forcing Zengi to retreat.

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15
Q

Why was the 1137 siege of Montferrand still significant for Zengi?

A

It showed his aggression and increasing pressure on the Franks.

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16
Q

What alliance did Zengi form in 1140?

A

An alliance with Damascus, led by Mu’in ad-Din Unur (Tughtegin’s successor).

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17
Q

What was the purpose of Zengi’s 1140 alliance with Damascus?

A

To counter the Crusaders and balance power among Muslim states.

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18
Q

What was Zengi’s greatest military victory?

A

The capture of Edessa on December 24, 1144.

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19
Q

Who did Zengi capture Edessa from in 1144?

A

Count Joscelin II.

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20
Q

Why was the capture of Edessa in 1144 significant?

A

It was the first Crusader state to fall.

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21
Q

What major historical event did the fall of Edessa trigger?

A

The Second Crusade.

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22
Q

How did the capture of Edessa affect Zengi’s image?

A

It boosted his legitimacy and reputation as a true leader of jihad.

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23
Q

What negative methods did Zengi rely on to maintain power?

A

Fear and brutality.

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24
Q

How was Zengi known to treat fellow Muslims?

A

With cruelty, including executing rivals and disloyal commanders.

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25
Which city did Zengi fail to conquer by force?
Damascus.
26
What happened during Zengi’s 1135 siege of Damascus?
It failed due to strong resistance from local Muslim rulers.
27
What type of governance weakened Zengi’s long-term control?
He relied on personal authority and intimidation instead of durable political institutions.
28
What was the result of Zengi’s reliance on fear-based rule after his death?
His territories fragmented.
29
Where was Zengi assassinated in 1146?
While besieging Qalat Jabar.
30
What immediate effect did Zengi’s assassination have?
It created a temporary power vacuum.
31
After Zengi’s death, who inherited Mosul?
His son Sayf ad-Din Ghazi.
32
After Zengi’s death, who inherited Aleppo?
His son Nur ad-Din.
33
When did Nur ad-Din rule Aleppo?
From 1146 to 1174.
34
When did Nur ad-Din extend control over Damascus?
In 1154.
35
When and how did Nur ad-Din die?
On May 15, 1174, due to illness in Damascus.
36
Who did Nur ad-Din succeed and when?
He succeeded his father Zengi in 1146 as ruler of Aleppo.
37
What was Nur ad-Din’s first major act after taking power?
He took command of Syrian resistance against the Crusaders.
38
How did Nur ad-Din stop Joscelin II after Zengi’s death?
He prevented him from retaking Edessa and massacred Christians in the city to eliminate it as a Crusader base.
39
How did Nur ad-Din perform during the Second Crusade (1147–1149)?
He withstood it — French and German forces failed to take Damascus.
40
What did Nur ad-Din’s resistance in the Second Crusade demonstrate?
His effective defensive leadership and growing prestige among Muslims.
41
What was the significance of the Battle of Inab (1149)?
Nur ad-Din defeated and killed Raymond of Antioch, captured fortresses, and strengthened his military image.
42
What symbolic act did Nur ad-Din do after the Battle of Inab?
He bathed in the Orontes River, claiming religious legitimacy.
43
What happened to Joscelin II in 1150?
He was captured by Nur ad-Din, ending his political influence.
44
What major political achievement did Nur ad-Din accomplish in 1154?
He peacefully conquered Damascus, uniting Aleppo and Damascus.
45
Why was the unification of Aleppo and Damascus significant?
It was the first unification of Muslim Syria under one ruler since the Crusades began.
46
How did uniting Damascus strengthen Nur ad-Din’s rule?
It eliminated rival factions and built a stronger base for jihad.
47
What was the outcome of the Battle of Lake Huleh in 1157?
Nur ad-Din defeated Crusaders and took strategic towns in Galilee.
48
What pressure did the Lake Huleh victory put on the Crusaders?
It pressured the Kingdom of Jerusalem’s northeastern borders.
49
What happened between 1158–1160 between Nur ad-Din and the Byzantines?
He clashed with a joint Frankish-Byzantine force and successfully defended Syrian independence.
50
How did Nur ad-Din get involved in Egypt between 1163–1169?
He sent Shirkuh and Saladin during the Fatimid civil war to resist Crusaders.
51
What impact did Nur ad-Din’s intervention in Egypt have?
It strengthened Sunni influence, weakened the Shia Fatimid Caliphate, and prepared the way for Saladin’s rise.
52
How did Nur ad-Din promote religious reform and jihad?
He built madrasas, hospitals, and mosques, and used pious propaganda to unify Muslims.
53
What role did Nur ad-Din play in Saladin’s rise?
He appointed Shirkuh and allowed Saladin to take control of Egypt, fostering his career.
54
What was a major limitation of Nur ad-Din’s military campaigns?
He never decisively destroyed any Crusader state — Antioch and Jerusalem survived.
55
What internal challenges limited Nur ad-Din’s power?
He had to navigate rival factions and secure legitimacy among emirs and tribal leaders.
56
What was Nur ad-Din’s main tool for unifying his realm?
Religious legitimacy, which required balancing Sunni groups, Turkish officers, and Arab elites.
57
Did Nur ad-Din personally rule Egypt?
No, he ruled indirectly through Shirkuh and Saladin.
58
What happened in Nur ad-Din’s relationship with Saladin from 1169–1174?
It became strained, as Saladin increasingly acted independently in Egypt.
59
What action was Nur ad-Din reportedly planning against Saladin before he died?
He was preparing to march on Egypt to assert control.
60
What happened after Nur ad-Din’s death in 1174?
A succession crisis began because his heir, al-Salih Ismail al-Malik, was a young child.
61
What power shift occurred after Nur ad-Din’s death?
A power vacuum allowed Saladin to take over Syria.
62
When was Saladin Vizier of Egypt?
From 1169 to 1171.
63
When was Saladin Sultan of Egypt?
From 1171 to 1193.
64
When did Saladin rule both Egypt and Syria as Sultan?
From 1174 to 1193.
65
When and where did Saladin die?
March 4, 1193, in Damascus.
66
When and how did Saladin first gain power in Egypt?
In 1169, appointed Vizier by the Fatimid caliph after Shirkuh’s death.
67
Why was Saladin originally sent to Egypt?
As part of Nur ad-Din’s campaign against Crusader influence.
68
How did Saladin consolidate power in Egypt after 1169?
Replaced Shia Fatimid officials with Sunnis, strengthened the military and finances.
69
What major reform did Saladin make in 1171?
Abolished the Fatimid Caliphate and restored Sunni Abbasid authority.
70
How did Saladin gain legitimacy in 1171 while acting independently?
He ruled in Nur ad-Din’s name but governed independently as Sultan.
71
What did Saladin achieve through the abolition of the Fatimid Caliphate?
Centralised authority, boosted Sunni legitimacy, and ended religious division in Egypt.
72
What did Saladin do in 1174 after Nur ad-Din’s death?
Marched into Syria, claimed to act for al-Salih, and took Damascus peacefully.
73
By what year did Saladin unify Egypt and Syria?
By 1176.
74
What regions did Saladin bring under his control between 1176–1183?
Aleppo, Homs, Hama, and Mosul.
75
How did Saladin achieve unification of the Muslim front?
Through diplomacy and sieges, not just battles.
76
What was the extent of Saladin’s rule by 1183?
Controlled almost all of Egypt, Syria, and northern Mesopotamia.
77
What did Saladin attempt in 1177?
Invaded the Kingdom of Jerusalem with a large army.
78
What was the result of Saladin’s raids from 1182–1186?
Weakened Crusader resources, captured key fortresses, and exploited Christian divisions.
79
What happened at the Battle of Hattin in 1187?
Saladin defeated the Crusaders, captured Guy of Lusignan and Reynald, and destroyed their army.
80
What followed the victory at Hattin?
Rapid reconquest of most Crusader-held cities.
81
When did Saladin recapture Jerusalem, and how?
October 2, 1187 — with little bloodshed, allowing ransom for captives and sparing civilians.
82
How did Saladin symbolically reassert Islamic control in Jerusalem?
By reclaiming al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock.
83
What was Saladin’s achievement during the Third Crusade (1188–1192)?
Resisted Richard I, Philip II, and others; prevented Crusaders from taking Jerusalem.
84
Despite losing Acre in 1191, what key city did Saladin hold?
Jerusalem.
85
What was the Treaty of Jaffa (1192)?
Saladin retained Jerusalem, allowed Christian pilgrimages, and ended the Third Crusade diplomatically.
86
How was Saladin viewed as a ruler?
Known for piety, justice, and chivalry, respected by Muslims and Christians alike.
87
What did Saladin promote in terms of governance and religion?
Promoted jihad, built madrasas and hospitals, and ran a centralized state.
88
What major problem did Saladin face from 1169–1174?
Lacked legitimacy in both Egypt and Syria.
89
Who viewed Saladin with suspicion during his early years?
Fatimid loyalists and Nur ad-Din’s followers.
90
What internal challenges did Saladin face in Egypt and Syria?
Had to suppress uprisings and defeat rival Sunni emirs.
91
What structural flaw weakened Saladin’s empire long-term?
It relied on personal loyalty, not deep institutions.
92
What happened to Saladin’s empire after his death?
It fragmented quickly due to weak institutional foundations.
93
What was Saladin’s worst battlefield defeat?
1177 – Battle of Montgisard, where he was defeated by Baldwin IV.
94
What limited Saladin’s success even after Hattin?
He failed to fully destroy the Kingdom of Jerusalem.
95
What key Crusader cities remained after Saladin’s peak?
Tyre, Tripoli, and Antioch.
96
What did Saladin fail to stop during the Third Crusade?
The retaking of Acre and Jaffa by Crusaders.
97
Why didn’t Richard the Lionheart attack Jerusalem?
Saladin’s defense made it risky, but the city remained vulnerable.
98
What happened after Saladin died in 1193?
His empire was divided among his sons: al-Aziz (Egypt), al-Afdal (Damascus), and al-Zahir (Aleppo).

Crusades (29 decks)

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