—THREAD—

15/100 #100books2020

Title: #SaladinBiography
Author: John Man
Genre: Biography / history
Published: 2015 by @PenguinUKBooks
Description: On the life of great Muslim leader, Saladin.
Length: 381
Binding: Paperback
#bookscache #LetsReadPakistan

Saladin is one of the greatest leaders of all time.

#SaladinBiography authored by John Man #100books2020 #bookscache

“Today, as then, the main focal point is Damascus, the hometown of both Assad and Saladin. Today warring factions make it impossible even to imagine a solution. In Saladin’s day, the problems were similar.”

#SaladinBiography authored by John Man #100books2020 #bookscache

“Bookshops thrived and libraries graced the homes of the rich. At the end of the ninth century according to the geographer Al-Ya’qubi, one street in Damascus had 100 bookshops.”

#SaladinBiography authored by John Man #100books2020 #bookscache

“Tolerance, science , philosophy, design & artictecturhe, travelling calligraphy, and reasoning all defined Islam in the era of Saladin.”

#SaladinBiography authored by John Man #100books2020 #bookscache

“Bukhara, the old Samanid capital had a royal library, with 45,000 volumes, and had a suite of rooms, each devoted to a different discipline.”

#SaladinBiography authored by John Man #100books2020 #bookscache

“By 1000, when Saladin was young, the Islamic World was divided into Shia-Sunni split and had a political dimension too.”

#SaladinBiography authored by John Man #100books2020 #bookscache

Year 1098 was no different from 2020— “There was no hope of united response from Muslims, every leader , Sunni or Shia, wondered if the new arrivals might perhaps be of use against their Islamic rivals.”

#SaladinBiography authored by John Man #100books2020 #bookscache

The crusaders were berserk with bloodlust, they burned the main synagogue, slaughtered men, women and children, expelled all the eastern Christians, beheaded many, pierced arrows into others & there were piles of bodies ‘as big as houses’.

#SaladinBiography authored by John Man

“Peter countered the doubters with an offer to undergo an ordeal by fire, idea was, if he is telling the truth,fire will not touch him, but the flames did what flames do & he died after 12 days,thus leaving the crusades without a talisman.”

#SaladinBiography authored by John Man

“By the time of Saladin‘s birth in 1137-8, almost 40 years after the loss of Jerusalem, there was a growing belief that no great leader would arise to heal the Muslim rivalries and drive the Francs into the sea.”

#SaladinBiography authored by John Man #100books2020 #bookscache

“Saladin was born in 1137-38 in Tikrit, present day Iraq, now famous as birth place of Saddan Hussein. His grand-father and then his father Ayub was governor of Tikrit.”

#SaladinBiography authored by John Man #100books2020 #bookscache

“Year 1146: The Queen slowed down the progress due to her baggae and army of servants, blamed the King. He was coward, without the guts to wear royal robes in battle; blamed the Queen.”

#SaladinBiography authored by John Man #100books2020 #bookscache

“In July 1148, Saladin; aged only eleven, not fought himself against teh crusaders, but saw his elder brother ‘Shahanshah’ dying in the battle field.”

#SaladinBiography authored by John Man #100books2020 #bookscache

“Pigeons are able to find their way home from far away distance (Upto 1600 kilometres) , they can fly upto 12 hours at 100 kilometres per hour—these were kept by all civilian & military leaders to send messages.”

#SaladinBiography authored by John Man #100books2020 #bookscache

In 1163, by Saladin’s day, the Fatimids were on decline. Out of 15 viziers, 14 had died by hanging, beheading, stabbing and poisoning each other. The only way to become vizier was to murder one’s predecessor.”

#SaladinBiography authored by John Man #100books2020 #bookscache

“In the year 1164, aged 27 Saladin was put in charge of organising stores in the army of Nur al Din Zangi. Who was betrayed by Fatimid Vizier of Egypt.”

#SaladinBiography authored by John Man #100books2020 #bookscache

“ By 1165, Amalric defeated luxury-loving / easy going Fatimid commanders by brutal assaults and unnecessary violence. In contrast Syrians were strong & reliable under command of Shirkuh, Nur al-Din & Saladin.”

#SaladinBiography authored by John Man #100books2020 #bookscache

In March 1169, after death of his uncle Shirkuh, Saladin became Vizier of Egypt. He had his father (Ayub) as a role model: the image of discretion and generosity.”

#SaladinBiography authored by John Man #100books2020 #bookscache

“At the age of 31, Saladin was serving three masters, two Abbasid Sunnis and one Fatimid Caliph in Cairo. In Egypt many of the people were Sunnis, but a 50,000 strong army of Nubians had no love for the new foreign ruler.”

#SaladinBiography authored by John Man #100books2020

“In a rebellious move against Saladin, his opponents dispatched a courier to Jerusalem, who was disguised as a poor traveler but was carrying a new pair of shoes with a letter hidden inside; thus he was caught by Saladin men.”

#SaladinBiography authored by John Man #100books2020

“By 1171, Saladin had consolidated and built a strong political and military base. He changed many Shia bureaucrats with Sunnis and also appointed his brothers and family members on key appointments.”

#SaladinBiography authored by John Man #100books2020 #bookscache

In September 1171, Saladin displayed his military might by marching his 147 units on streets of Cairo.

#SaladinBiography authored by John Man #100books2020 #bookscache

In every military leader, there has always been a great statesman too. Saladin acted like one of the best administrator and ruler.

#SaladinBiography authored by John Man #100books2020 #bookscache

Saladin publicly crucified the conspirators as a warning to future dissidents.

#SaladinBiography authored by John Man #100books2020 #bookscache

“In 1174, Nur al Din died and now Saladin had a grand vision to unite Egypt and Syria to wage holy war against the Christians. Egypt was too far away to assault Jerusalem. Saladin needed to be back in Syria.”

#SaladinBiography authored by John Man #100books2020 #bookscache

“The villain in question is REYNALD. If Saladin is our chivalric and generous hero, Reynald is the opposite.”

#SaladinBiography authored by John Man #100books2020 #bookscache

“After this small catastrophic battle; Saladin had to prove what type of leader he was: An egomaniac squandering resources and lives or once-more-unto-the-breach persistence type.”

#SaladinBiography authored by John Man #100books2020 #bookscache

Saladin devoutly wished to conquer Jerusalem since 1180, however he endlessly postponed the great battle at Hattin untill 1187.

#SaladinBiography authored by John Man #100books2020 #bookscache

Saladin starts winning.

#SaladinBiography authored by John Man #100books2020 #bookscache

“In early 1187, Reynald, the most perfidious and greediest broke the truce in the holy month of Muharram and looted one of the Muslim Carvan of 400 camels. He killed maximum and treated prisoners cruelly.”

#SaladinBiography authored by John Man #100books2020 #bookscache

At last in June 1187, begins the HOLY WAR !!! Saladin leads with the center of the three wings.

#SaladinBiography authored by John Man #100books2020 #bookscache

‘If we conduct ourselves as we shoudl, it’s the end of them.’ Said Saladin—.

#SaladinBiography authored by John Man #100books2020 #bookscache

Allah-o-Akbar The Cowards

Saladin finally kills the headstrong, arrogant and foolish Reynald with his own hands. Saladin wins !!!

#SaladinBiography authored by John Man #100books2020 #bookscache

Saladin had to consider strategy:

1- take Jerusalem,his main objective.

OR

2- guard 550 kilometres of coast and forestall any Christians reinforcements.

What could have you chosen 1 or 2 above?

#SaladinBiography authored by John Man #100books2020 #bookscache

Saladin Executes U-Turn

#SaladinBiography authored by John Man #100books2020 #bookscache

“There were many of Saladin’s advisers who wanted a violent conclusio; it was he alone who had the sense and humility to change his mind.”

#SaladinBiography authored by John Man #100books2020 #bookscache

Abominable treatment of women by Crusaders— a proof of their barbarity.

#SaladinBiography authored by John Man #100books2020 #bookscache

July 1191, reversal of gains, Saladin loses mainly due to non-cooperation from the Caliph. Who feared the rise of Saladin.

#SaladinBiography authored by John Man #100books2020 #bookscache

Battle of Arsuf almost did for King Richard what Hattin had done for Saladin. Defeated with demoralised troops Saladin pulled back.

#SaladinBiography authored by John Man #100books2020 #bookscache

On 2 September 1192, treaty of Jaffa was signed , which ended the third crusade in draw. Saladin stood undefeated.

#SaladinBiography authored by John Man #100books2020 #bookscache

Saladin had freed Jerusalem !!!

#SaladinBiography authored by John Man #100books2020 #bookscache

On 4 March 1192, Saladin smiled, his face grew radiant and he went in peace.

#SaladinBiography authored by John Man #100books2020 #bookscache

What was Saladin’s secret?

He combined two styles of leadership: hard and soft power.

#SaladinBiography authored by John Man #100books2020 #bookscache

#SaladinLeadership

Being charismatic explains nothing: most importantly, we must understand, how did he become charismatic?

#SaladinBiography authored by John Man #100books2020 #bookscache
#SaladinLeadership

These traits promote resilience:

What is your vision/ agenda for using @Twitter ?

#bookscache: To inculcate reading habit in masses across the globe.

Yours?

#SaladinBiography authored by John Man #100books2020 #bookscache

Two other distinctive qualities of Saladin :

Austerity and Integrity

Morale is a state of mind at three levels :-

1- Spiritual

2- Intellectual

3- Material

#SaladinBiography authored by John Man #100books2020 #bookscache

“In London’s Imperial War Musuem on 3rd floor there is a bronze wreath of laurel leaves with Arabic inscriptions , made up of initials ‘IRWII’. The story behind this strange object is link between Saladin, Turkish Sultan, Kaiser Wilhelm & Lawrence of Arabia.”
#SaladinBiography

—THREAD END—

15/100 #100books2020

Title: #SaladinBiography
Author: John Man
Genre: Biography / history
Published: 2015 by @PenguinUKBooks
Description: On the life of great Muslim leader, Saladin.
Length: 381
Binding: Paperback
#bookscache #LetsReadPakistan