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Eyyubi Dynasty
(1171-1252) |
One of the dynasties established by the Turks in the history
is the Eyyubi dynasty. This Turkish State has been known as Eyyubi State in the history
due to the name of the father of Selahaddin who was the founder of this dynasty. Today, it
has been alleged that this Turkish State pertained to an artificial nation in the region
with the substitution of the history that they did not have at all. The principal reason
for this situation results from the lack of the determination about the lineage of the
family before Eyyub's father. Therefore, some historians have been under the influence of
the contemporary historians of the period with Arabian roots that tried to relate this
dynasty with Arabian identity pursuant to the death of Selahaddin (1193). Therefore, they
also tried to relate the origin of Selahaddin Eyyubi with the Arabian identity. On the
other hand, particularly the separatist elements and their ideologies allege that this
dynasty pertain to any other nation apart from Turks in order to create a new national
history for themselves.
Considering the historical realities, we can observe that these
allegations do not have any effective basis. The geographical region on which the state
was founded is Egypt and its environs. Although most of the people were Arabians, the
middle class and the administrative class were under the control of the Turkish majority.
Tolunoglu Ahmed had established his own dynasty in the same region before (875) and this
dynasty survived until the year of 905. Afterwards, another Turkish commander, Muhammed
Ebu Bekir had established a dynasty called as Ihsidi in the history and this dynasty
established dominion in the region between the years of (935-969). Both of the Turkish
dynasties had emerged as a result of the policy of Abbasi caliphate that provided the
excessive employment of Turkish commanders and Turkish soldiers in the army. Ihsidi State
was abolished by the Shiite Fatimi State and Selahaddin Eyyubi came to Egypt as a Turkish
commander of Nureddin Mahmud Zengi who was the Tutor of Mosul and abolished the Shiite
Fatimi State (1171). Until the death of Nureddin Mahmud to which he had been submissive
(1174), Selahaddin had acted as a governor of Nureddin Mahmud. Then, he declared his
independence. Izzeddin Aybeg who abolished the Eyyubi Turkish State and established the
Turkish Mameluke State in its place was also one of the Turkish commanders in the Turkish
army of Egypt. These historical facts obviously indicate that the army and the dynasty
were under the dominion of Turks although most of the people were Arabians in the state.
Most of the members of Eyyubi dynasty had had the ancient Turkish
names. The name of Selahaddin's brother was Turanshah. The names of his younger brothers
were Tugtekin and Böri. The name of Selahaddin's maternal uncle was Sihabeddin Mahmud b.
Tukus. Selahaddin's mother was a real Turk. Similarly, one of the wives of Selahaddin,
Ismatuddin Amine who was the daughter of Unar Bey was also Turk. His two sister's husbands
were also Turks. One of them was Unaroglu Sadeddin Mesut; and the other was Muzafferüddin
Gökbörü.
The most conclusive evidence indicating that the Eyyubi dynasty is a
Turkish dynasty is the eulogy that Ibn Senâül-mülk, one of the contemporary poets of
the period wrote pursuant to the capture of Aleppo by Selahaddin. In one of the couplet of
this eulogy, the poet states that:
"Arabian nation became sublime with the state of the Turks. The
matter of Ehl-i Salip (the Crusades) was eradicated by Eyyub's son."
The state organisation of the Eyyubi dynasty is the same organisation
that was firstly initiated in the Karahanli and Gazneli Turkish states and then developed
in the Seljuk States. Tue Sultan, Divan, Meşveret, in other words, the General Assembly,
Ustazüddar (the person that manages the duties related with the palace administration,
vine works, flavour works, etc.), and the palace organisation including the posts of
Registy of inheritance, Armourers, emirahur (emir of colonels), jurisdictional judges for
the suits, el-mükebbis (legal official), taşdar (governor of district), the posts of
sergeant, etc. are the continuation of the Turkish-Islam states. As it is well known, the
institution of chief military judge that managed the administration of justice also
remained as the same in the Ottoman State.
The Turkish slaves that were called as Tavasi constituted the
foundation and the majority basis of the Eyyubi army. This Turkish army were named in
accordance with the commanders to which they pertained such as el-Nuriyye, el-Esediyye,
el-Necmiyye, el-Salâhiyye, etc. Among the commanders of this army composd of Turkish
Slaves in the period of Selahaddin, there were some Turks such as Bahaeddin Karakûş, Şerefeddin
Karakuş el-Takavî, Izzettin Cavlı, Şarimüddin Kutluaba, Hüsameddin Sungur el-Halâtî,
etc.
As it is known, one of the symbols of the sovereignty was the flag. The
flag of Eyyubi State was in the colour of yellow. Its emblem was the eagle. Eyyubi dynasty
had followed the Turkish traditions and they had adopted the colour of light yellow as the
colour of their domination. Furthermore, they had included the eagle as a Turkish emblem
in their flag. The eagle has also been used as the symbol of the state in Seljuk States,
and Artuklu State apart from Eyyubi State.
One of the other symbols of the Turkish sovereignty was the military
band of musicians. The military band has also been used in the palace of Eyyubi State in
accordance with the Turkish traditions and they would blow trumpets and attract great
respect. Moreover, Selahaddin provided the marriage of one of his favourite concubines
with the chief bandsman who was one of the high-rank officials in the palace and he showed
the respect and value that he attached to this institution.
In the period of the lifetime of Selahaddin, the Eyyubi dynasty had a
characteristic quality of a great Turkish-Islam state. Pursuant to the death of
Selahaddin, the state was shared among his sons and brothers. Turanshah who was the last
Eyyubi ruler in Egypt was annihilated by Aybeg, one of the Turkish Mameluke commanders
(1250).
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