Iftikhar al-Dawla (Arabic: إفتخار الدولة, lit. 'pride of the dynasty') was the Fatimid governor of Jerusalem during the siege of 1099. On 15 July, he surrendered Jerusalem to Raymond of Saint-Gilles[1] in the Tower of David and was escorted out of the city with his bodyguard.[2]
Iftikhar al-Dawla | |
|---|---|
إفتخار الدولة | |
| Nationality | Fatimid |
| Known for | Being the governor of Jerusalem during the 1099 siege of the city |
Little is known about Iftikhar al-Dawla, although he is mentioned as governor of Ascalon following the fall of Jerusalem, which suggests he was Fatimid governor of the whole of Palestine.[3] The Syrian chronicler Bar-Hebraeus refers to him as an Egyptian man. Usama ibn Munqidh's autobiography mentions an emir of the local castles of Abu Qubays, Qadmus and al-Kaf called Iftikhar al-Dawla whose sister was married to Ibn Munqidh's uncle, the ruler of Shayzar.[3]
Tasso, The Liberation of Jerusalem, canto 3.60 says that he met Godfrey of Bouillon “in the high court of France where I came as Egypt’s envoy long ago.” (Max Wickert translation.)
Defence of Jerusalem
editIftikhar al-Dawla had a strong garrison of Arab and Sudanese troops. Hearing of the advance of the Franks he poisoned the wells outside Jerusalem; moved livestock from the pastures inside the city walls and sent urgently to Egypt for reinforcements.[4] He then ordered all Christians, then the majority of the population, to evacuate the city, but allowed Jews to remain within.[4] Although the garrison was well-supplied it was insufficient to man all the walls and was overwhelmed after a siege lasting six weeks.[2]
Notes
edit- ^ Count of Toulouse (1093–1105) and marquis of Provence (1066–1105).
- ^ a b Crusades. (2007). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 25 August 2007, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online.
- ^ a b Nicolle 2003, p. 19.
- ^ a b Runciman 1992, pp. 181–184.
Bibliography
edit- Geary, Patrick J. (2003). Readings in Medieval History. Broadview Press. ISBN 1-55111-550-6
- Nicolle, David (2003). The First Crusade 1096–1099: Conquest of the Holy Land. Osprey. ISBN 1-84176-515-5.
- Runciman, Steven (1992). The First Crusade. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-42705-3.