| Husam al-Din Abu'l-Hayja | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emir | |||||||||||
| Emir of Nisibis | |||||||||||
| Reign | 1182-1189 | ||||||||||
| Predecessor | Zengids | ||||||||||
| Emir of Jerusalem | |||||||||||
| Reign | 10th September 1195-13 July 1196 | ||||||||||
| Predecessor | ‘Izz al-Din Jurduk al-Nuri | ||||||||||
| Successor | Shams al-Din Sungur al-Kabir | ||||||||||
| Born | Erbil, Hadhbani Emirate | ||||||||||
| Died | 1197 Daquq, Abbasid caliphate | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| Dynasty | Hadhabani | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
Husam al-Din Abu'l-Hayja, also known as al-Samin (lit. 'the Fat') and al-Hadhbani, was a Kurdish general and aristocrat in service of the Ayyubid dynasty. He was the commander of Salahiya regiment of Saladin and prominent figure in the Third Crusade.
Husam al-Din played an important role in Saladin's war against the Crusaders and conquest of Levant and Upper Mesopotamia. He also aided al-Afdal on his power struggle against his relatives.
Early life
Husam al-Din Abu'l-Hayja was born in Erbil, a Kurd hailing from Hadhbani tribe. However according to Ibn Athir he was of the Hkmi clan, that belongs to Hadhbani tribe. He was known as Abu-Hayja (lit. 'Man of war' or 'Father of war') and al-Samin ('fat, obese') for his unusual fatness. although the fat should be read as a sign of good health.
Personality and appearance
Abu'l-Hayja was nicknamed "al-Samin" for his monstrous obesity. he must have been a merciless man, however all sources praise him for his courage. he was highly trusted commander by Saladin.
Military career
Zengid and Ayyubid Service
Abu'l-Hayja was the Ispahsalar of the Kurdish Mihraniyya corps, and tribal chief of Hadhbani tribe. in the service of the Zengids and later the Ayyubids in 1171. In 1174 he was given a fiefdom in upper Egypt by Saladin. In 1182 he was appointed as governor of Nisibis up until 1189. he was the commander of Ayyubid garrison in Siege of Acre from August 1189-1191. after the death of Saladin in 1193, Abu Al-Haija participated in internal Ayyubid power struggle. He first sided with al-Aziz Uthman, but defected to al-Afdal's side in 10th September 1195. Al-Afdal rewarded him with the governorship of Jerusalem. However when al-Aziz Uthman retook Jerusalem in 13 July 1196 and stripped Abu-l-Hayja’ al-Samin of the governorship of Jerusalem and appointed Shams al-Din Sungur al-Kabir. Abu'l-Hayja’ was sent to go into exile, abandoning the Ayyubids, he went to Iraq to seek service with the Abbasid Caliphate.
Abbasid service
After his exile by al-Aziz Uthman in 1196, he went to Mosul and stayed there for 2 years. After that he went to the caliph of Baghdad and served as a military commander. The caliph sent him against the Eldiguzid ruler of Adharbayjan, Muzaffar al-Din Uzbek, who by that time was occupying Hamadan. Despite his obesity Abu'l-Hayja displayed much energy on this new ground and was able to capture Ozbek and his associates. The caliph was alarmed by his forceful methods and ordered him to return.
Death
After his campaign against The Eldiguzids, he died in Daquq in 1197, while on his way to return to his hometown Erbil.
Legacy
For his monstrous obesity and courage, extra-size bowls fabricated in Baghdad were called Abu'l-Hayja in honour of him.
The settlement of Kaukab Abu al-Hija, founded by his relatives in Palestine was named after him.
References
- ^ Humphreys 1977, p. 31.
- ^ Minorsky 1953, pp. 142–143.
- Slyomovics, Susan (June 1998). The Object of Memory: Arab and Jew Narrate the Palestinian Village. University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 25. ISBN 978-0-8122-1525-0.
- Hopkins, Peter; Kong, Lily; Olson, Elizabeth (2012-09-13). Religion and Place: Landscape, Politics and Piety. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 63. ISBN 978-94-007-4684-8.
- Humphreys 1977, p. 100.
- Baadj, Amar S. (2015-08-11). Saladin, the Almohads and the Banū Ghāniya: The Contest for North Africa (12th and 13th centuries). BRILL. p. 106. ISBN 978-90-04-29857-6.
- Humphreys 1977, p. 104.
Sources
- Humphreys, Stephen (1977), From Saladin to the Mongols: The Ayyubids of Damascus, 1193–1260, SUNY Press, ISBN 978-0-87395-263-7
- Minorsky, Vladimir (1953). Studies in Caucasian History. New York: Taylor’s Foreign Press. ISBN 0-521-05735-3.
| Rulers of the Ayyubid dynasty | |
|---|---|
| Sultans of Egypt (1171–1250) | |
| Emirs of Damascus (1174–1260) | |
| Emirs of Aleppo (1177–1260) | |
| Emirs of Homs (1175–1262) | |
| Emirs of Hama (1175–1341) | |
| Emirs of Diyar Bakr (1180–1260) | |
| Emirs of Yemen and Hejaz (1173–1228) | |
| Emirs of Baalbek (1175–1260) | |