Imadüddin Zengi, the son of Ak Sungur (died in 1094)
who has been Aleppo governor connected to Great Seljuk Sultan Melikshah was assigned as
the governor of Mosul by Mugîs'üd-dîn Mahmud who was the ruler of Iraq Seljuk State
(1127). Pursuant to the capture of the castle of Zengî Cizre, Nusaybin, Sincar and
Harran, he established dominion in Aleppo that he protected against the Crusades. Then, he
founded a state that extended from the northern Iraq towards the Mediterranean Sea
(1128-1146). His principal target was to establish a Muslim Turkish union against the
dominion of Syrian Franks. He captured Hama (1130), and the castles such as Kefertâb and
Maarrat'un-Numâniye from the Crusades Princedom of Antioch. When he besieged the castle
of Ba‘arin that was under the dominion of Tripoli Crusade county, he defeated Foulqur d’Anjou
who was the king of Jerusalem and he took him prisoner (1137). Then, he continued his
fights and struggles and captured Urfa and then, abolished the Frank County (1144). This
important event led to the preparation of the Second Crusades under the command of kings
and empires in Europe.
Zengi’s son, Nuruddin Mahmud was in Aleppo, and his
other son, Seyfuddin Ghazi I was in Mosul. Pursuant to the death of their father (1146),
they started to dominate this tutor principality in two branches. Aleppo tutor Mahmud was
known as one of the great commanders that encountered the Crusades. Mahmud defeated
Raymond do Poitiers who was the Antioch Crusade prince (1149) and captured most of the
lands of this princedom. Then, he subdued the Damascus tutor principality to his country
in the year of 1154 and oriented towards Egypt that was under the dominion of Shiite
Fatimi State that had turned its back on the Sunnite Turks that protected their lands. He
defeated Bohemond III, the king of Jerusalem that the vizier Saver had collaborated with
and tried to establish the Turkish dominion in the region (1164). Sirkuh that was sent to
the region by Nuruddin Mahmud in the year of 1167 had some activities in Egypt. Salahaddin
(Eyyubi) who was one of the attendants of him established dominion as the representative
of Mahmud (1171). The Fatimi State vanished. Pursuant to the death of Mahmud (1174), the
Damascus and Aleppo tutor principalities were transferred to the possession of Eyyubi
dynasty.
As for Mosul, this region
that was under the dominion of Mevdud, the brother of Seyfuddin Gazi was assigned to
Sincar Zengi II. In the period of his brother Mes’ud, the regions of Mosul and Sincar
were submissive to the domination of Eyyubi State (1186). Finally, this region was invaded
by the Mongolian Ilhanli State (1259).
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