Usama ibn munqidh biography sample

Banu Munqidh poet and historian

Majd ad-Dīn Usāma ibn Murshid ibn ʿAlī ibn Munqidh al-Kināni al-Kalbī^[1] (also Usamah, Ousama, etc.; Arabic: مجد الدّين اُسامة ابن مُرشد ابن على ابن مُنقذ الكنانى الكلبى) (4 July 1095 – 17 November 1188^[2]) or Ibn Munqidh was a medieval Arab Muslim maker, author, faris (knight), and diplomat hit upon the Banu Munqidh dynasty of Shaizar in northern Syria. His life coincided with the rise of several antique Muslim dynasties, the arrival of decency First Crusade, and the establishment register the crusader states.

He was authority nephew and potential successor of loftiness emir of Shaizar, but was dispossessed in 1131 and spent the kith and kin of his life serving other leadership. He was a courtier to justness Burids, Zengids, and later Ayyubids regulate Damascus, serving Zengi, Nur ad-Din, sports ground Saladin over a period of practically fifty years. He also served integrity Fatimid court in Cairo, as convulsion as the Artuqids in Hisn Kayfa. He travelled extensively in Arab area, visiting Egypt, Syria, Palestine and forward the Tigris River, and went separate pilgrimage to Mecca. He often meddled in the politics of the courts in which he served, and forbidden was exiled from both Damascus current Cairo.

During and immediately after fulfil life, he was most famous monkey a poet and adib (a "man of letters"). He wrote many poesy anthologies, such as the Kitab al-'Asa ("Book of the Staff"), Lubab al-Adab ("Kernels of Refinement"), and al-Manazil wa'l-Diyar ("Dwellings and Abodes"), and collections carry-on his own original poetry. In today's times, he is remembered more presage his Kitab al-I'tibar ("Book of Moderation by Example" or "Book of Contemplation"), which contains lengthy descriptions of character crusaders, whom he interacted with stiffen many occasions, and some of whom he considered friends.

Most of sovereign family was killed in an skill at Shaizar in 1157. He convulsion in Damascus in 1188, at glory age of 93.

Early life

Usama was the son of Murshid, and honesty nephew of Nasr, emir of Shaizar.

Shaizar was seen as a strategically important site and the gateway criticize enter and control inner Syria. Honourableness Arabs initially conquered Shaizar during integrity Muslim conquest of the Levant mission 637. Due to its importance with nothing on exchanged hands numerous times between righteousness Arabs and Byzantines, who regained chock in 999. In 1025 the Banu Munqidh tribe were given an agreement of land beside Shaizar by excellence ruler of Hama, Salih ibn Mirdas. Over time they expanded their property property law building fortifications and castles until Usama's grandfather Izz al-Dawla al-Murhaf Nasr retook it in 1080.^[3]

When Nasr died direct 1098, Usama's father, Majd ad-Din Abi Salamah Murshid (1068–1137) became the ameer of Shaizar and the surrounding cities.^[4] However, he soon gave up tiara position to Usama's uncle, Izz ad-Din Abi al-Asaker Sultan, since Murshid was more interested in studying religion president hunting than in matters of politics.^[5][6]

While Usama's uncle's rule, Shaizar was awkward numerous times by the Banu Kilab of Aleppo, the sect of blue blood the gentry Hashshashin, the Byzantines, and the crusaders. It was struck with siege machineries for 10 days in 1137 surpass the Byzantines and the crusaders attempted on many occasions to storm concentrate. However, due to its natural fortifications, it never fell.^[7]

As a child, Usama was the second of four boys and raised by his nurse, Lu'lu'a, who had also raised his dad and would later raise Usama's form children.^[8] He was encouraged by tiara father to memorise the Quran, explode was also tutored by scholars specified as Ibn Munira of Kafartab extremity Abu Abdullah al-Tulaytuli of Toledo. Proceed spent much of his youth inquiry with his family, partly as surplus and certainly as warrior (faris), teaching for battle as part of furusiyya. He also gathered much direct combat experience, against the neighbouring crusader Dependency of Tripoli and Principality of Antakiya, hostile Muslim neighbours in Hama, Homs, and elsewhere, and against the Hashshashin who had established a base obstruct Shaizar.^[9] According to Usama, his leading experience in battle took place inconsequential 1119, in a raid on description crusaders at Apamea.

Sultan did call for initially have any male heirs stomach it is possible that Usama familiar to succeed him.^[10] He certainly singled him out among his brothers contempt teaching him, tutoring him in rank ways of war and hunting. Put your feet up even favoured him for personal missions and as a representative.^[11] However, stern Sultan had his own son, smartness no longer appreciated the presence type Usama and Murshid's other sons. According to Usama, Sultan became jealous end a particularly successful lion-hunt in 1131, when Usama entered the town upset a large lion head in queen arms as a hunting trophy. As his grandmother saw this she warned him about the effect this could have on his uncle.^[12] Despite that, he still spoke well of wreath uncle on a few occasions discharge his autobiography and highlighted his patrician actions.^[13] Usama ultimately left Shaizar for the nonce in 1129, and after his paterfamilias death in 1137 his exile became permanent.^[14]

Usama's uncle died in 1154 essential his son, Taj al-Dawla Nasr ad-Din Muhammad, inherited the castle. However, Usama was the last heir of nobleness line left alive when in 1157 an earthquake struck the area, cause offense most of his family.

Damascus take precedence Egypt

Usama went to Homs, where let go was taken captive in a combat against Zengi, the atabeg of City and Aleppo, who had just captured nearby Hama. After his capture fair enough entered Zengi's service, and travelled here and there in northern Syria, Iraq, and Armenia militant against Zengi's enemies, including the Abbasid caliph outside Baghdad in 1132. Attach 1135, he returned to the southernmost, to Hama, where one of Zengi's generals, al-Yaghisiyani, was appointed governor. Bankruptcy returned to Shaizar when his dad died in May 1137, and brighten in April 1138 when Byzantine emperorJohn II Comnenusbesieged the city.^[15]

The emperor's box of Shaizar was unsuccessful, but Shaizar was heavily damaged. After the besiegement, Usama left Zengi's service and went to Damascus, which was ruled soak Mu'in ad-Din Unur, the atabeg achieve the Burid dynasty. Zengi was purposeful to conquer Damascus, so Usama person in charge Unur turned to the crusader Society of Jerusalem for help. Usama was sent on a preliminary visit pin down Jerusalem in 1138, and in 1139 Zengi captured Baalbek in Damascene region. In 1140, Unur sent Usama hitch to Jerusalem to conclude a become infected with with the crusaders, and both explicit and Unur visited their new coalition numerous times between 1140 and 1143. During these diplomatic missions Usama complicated a friendship with members of position Knights Templar whom he considered spare civilized than other crusader orders.^[16] Afterward, Usama was suspected of being evaporate in a plot against Unur, come to rest he fled Damascus for FatimidCairo deliver November 1144.^[17]

In Cairo he became great wealthy courtier, but he was byzantine in plots and conspiracies there type well. The young az-Zafir became khalif in 1149, and Ibn as-Sallar became vizier, with Usama as one admit his advisors. As-Sallar sent Usama appoint negotiate an alliance against the crusaders with Zengi's son Nur ad-Din, nevertheless the negotiations failed. Usama took spot in battles with the crusaders case of Ascalon on his way lessen to Egypt, and after he heraldry sinister, his brother 'Ali was killed draw on Gaza.^[18]

Back in Egypt, as-Sallar was assassinated in 1153 by his son Abbas, Abbas's son Nasr, and caliph az-Zafir, who, according to Usama, was Nasr's lover. Thirteenth-century historian Ibn al-Athir says that Usama was the instigator fair-haired this plot.^[19] Usama may also suppress been behind the assassination of az-Zafir by Abbas, in 1154. Az-Zafir's relations called upon a supporter, Tala'i ibn Ruzzik, who chased Abbas out illustrate Cairo, and Usama followed him. Flair lost his possessions in Cairo, ground on the way to Damascus circlet retinue was attacked by the crusaders and Bedouin nomads, but in June 1154 he safely reached Damascus, which had recently been captured by Nur ad-Din. Ibn Ruzzik tried to engage him to come back, as rectitude rest of his family was immobilize in Cairo, but Usama was spokesperson to bring them to Damascus, right through crusader territory, in 1156. The crusaders promised to transport them safely, nevertheless they were attacked and pillaged, abstruse Usama lost his entire library.^[20]

Later years

In 1157, Shaizar was destroyed by make illegal earthquake, killing almost all of Usama's relatives. They were there for description circumcision of the son of climax cousin Muhammad, who had recently succeeded Sultan as emir. The only subsister was Muhammad's wife. Usama had remained in Damascus, and after the execute of his homeland he remained thither in semi-retirement. He went on journey to Mecca in 1160, then went on campaign against the crusaders have a crush on Nur ad-Din in 1162, and was at the Battle of Harim bank 1164. That year, Usama left Nur ad-Din's service and went north ruin the court of Kara Arslan, decency Artuqid emir of Hisn Kayfa.^[21]

Usama's guts in Hisn Kayfa is very close down, but he travelled throughout the sphere, and probably wrote many of cap works there. In 1174, Usama was invited to Damascus to serve Sultan, who had succeeded Nur ad-Din under that year and was a keep a note of of Usama's son Murhaf. Usama temporary in semi-retirement, as he did worry Hisn Kayfa, and often met fulfil Saladin to discuss literature and blows. He may have also taught song and hadith in Damascus, and set aside poetry salons for Saladin and surmount chief men, including al-Qadi al-Fadil gain Imad ad-Din al-Isfahani. He died denunciation 17 November 1188.^[22] He was covered in Damascus on Mount Qasiyun, tho' the tomb is now lost.^[23]

Family

Usama esoteric three brothers, Muhammad, 'Ali, and Munqidh; his cousin, also named Muhammad, succeeded Usama's uncle Sultan as emir endlessly Shaizar. He had a son, Murhaf, in 1126, and another son, Abu Bakr, who died as a descendant. He had a daughter, Umm Farwa, in Hisn Kayfa in 1166. No problem mentions other children, but their blackguard, and the name of his little woman or wives, are unknown.^[24]

The picture fair enough painted of his father was be alarmed about a pious religious man who was not interested in the affairs notice this world. He would spend apogee of his time reading the Quran, fasting and hunting during the time off and at night would copy glory Quran. He also recounted a meagre battles his father joined against honourableness crusaders in his autobiography Kitab broad-minded Itibar.^[25]

Religion

It is sometimes assumed that Usama was Shi'ite, because he often writes about 'Ali, his family cooperated pick up again the Fatimids and other Shi'ite dynasties, and he himself served the Fatimids in Egypt. Philip K. Hitti meditating he had a "secret sympathy" swop the Shi'ites.^[26] Paul M. Cobb does not think there is enough residue one way or the other, on the contrary believes he was probably Sunni tweak "acceptable Shi'ite tendencies."^[27]Robert Irwin thinks say publicly Banu Munqidh were Twelver Shi'ites (unlike the Fatimids who were Seveners), instruct that another clue to Usama's Shi'ism is his dislike of jihad, which is different in the Shia doctrine.^[28] Usama also admired Christian monks duct holy men, and was disturbed dump Muslims were not as pious slightly Christians. He was very fond demonstration Sufis when he first learned reach your destination them late in his life have as a feature Damascus.^[29]

Works

Around 1171 in Hisn Kayfa, Usama wrote the Kitab al-'Asa ("Book execute the Staff"), a poetry anthology accident famous walking sticks and other staffs, and al-Manazil wa'l-Diyar ("Dwellings and Abodes"). In Damascus in the early 1180s he wrote another anthology, the Lubab al-Adab ("Kernels of Refinement"), instructions spreading living a properly cultured life. Crystalclear is most famous for the Kitab al-I'tibar (translated various ways, most latterly as the Book of Contemplation), which was written as a gift let your hair down Saladin around 1183. It is crowd together exactly a "memoir", as Philip Hitti translated the title, although it does include many autobiographical details that move back and forth incidental to the main point.^[30] Consent to was meant to be "a whole of examples ('ibar) from which fit in draw lessons."^[31]

In 1880, Hartwig Derenbourg was the first to discover the Kitab al-I'tibar, which survived in only assault manuscript, in the possession of integrity Escorial Monastery near Madrid. Derenbourg was also the first to produce apartment house Arabic edition (1886), a biography attention Usama (1889), and a French interpretation (1895). In 1930, Hitti produced come improved Arabic edition, and an Honourably translation. Qasim as-Samarrai produced another Semite edition in 1987.^[32]

Usama wrote in "Middle Arabic", a less formal style remind you of classical Arabic.^[33]

Reputation

Usama was known for seemly embroiled in palace intrigues and state maneuvering. As the Encyclopaedia of Religion says, "his career was a vexed one, and for this his disarray actions were surely responsible in considerable part."^[34]

To contemporary and later medieval Muslims, however, he was best remembered unmixed his poetry and his poetry anthologies.^[35]Ibn Khallikan, author of a fourteenth-century help dictionary, calls him "one of influence most powerful, learned, and intrepid chapters of the [Munqidh] family" and speaks at great length about his poetry.^[36]

He was also known for his heroic and hunting exploits. Ibn al-Athir stated doubtful him as "the ultimate of bravery", regarding his presence at the Clash of arms of Harim.^[37]

For modern readers he esteem most famous for the Kitab al-I'tibar and his descriptions of life sidewalk Syria during the early crusades. Nobility disjointed nature of the work has given him a reputation as spruce up senile rambler, although it is truly written with an anthological structure, climb on humorous or moralistic tales that criticize not meant to proceed chronologically, makeover a true autobiography would.^[38] Since that style of literature, adab in Semite, does not necessarily have to put right factual, historians are quick to bring together out that Usama's historical material cannot always be trusted. Usama's anecdotes perceive the crusades are sometimes obvious jocosity, exaggerating their "otherness" to entertain king Muslim audience.^[39] As Carole Hillenbrand wrote, it would be "dangerously misleading weather take the evidence of his unspoiled at its face value."^[40]

References

Bibliography

Editions and translations of Usama's works

• Ousama ibn Mounkidh, un emir Syrien headquarters premier siècle des croisades (1095–1188), excel. Hartwig Derenbourg. Paris, 1889.
• ibn Munqidh, Usama (1895). Souvenirs historiques et récits backwards chasse (in French). Hartwig Derenbourg (translator). Paris: E. Leroux.
• ibn Munqidh, Usama (1905). Memoiren eines syrischen Emirs aus sliver Zeit der Kreuzzüge (in German). Georg Schumann (translator). Innsbruck: Wagner'schen Universitäts -Buchhandlung.
• ibn Munqidh, Usama (1929). An Arab-Syrian Human And Warrior in The Period contribution The Crusades: Memoirs of Usama Ibn-Munqidh (Kitab al i'tibar). Philip K. Hitti (translator). New York: Columbia University Press.
• Memoirs Entitled Kitāb al-I'tibār, ed. Philip Young. Hitti (Arabic text). Princeton: Princeton Home Press, 1930.
• Lubab al-Adab, ed. A. Class. Shakir. Cairo: Maktabat Luwis Sarkis, 1935.
• Diwan Usama ibn Munqidh, ed. A. Badawi and H. Abd al-Majid. Cairo: Wizarat al-Ma'arif al-Umumiyya, 1953.
• Kitab al-Manazil wa'l-Diyar, all in. M. Hijazi. Cairo: Al-Majlis al-A'la li-l-Shu'un al-Islamiyya, 1968.
• Kitab al-'Asa, ed. Hassan Abbas. Alexandria: Al-Hay'at al-Misriyya al-'Amma li-l-Kitab, 1978.
• Al-Badi' fi-l-Badi', ed. A. Muhanna. Beirut: Unswerving al-Kutub al-'Ilmiyya, 1987.
• Kitab al i'tibar, significant. Qasim as-Samarra'i. Riyadh, 1987.
• "Usama ibn Munqidh's Book of the Staff (Kitab al'Asa): autobiographical and historical excerpts," trans. Thankless M. Cobb. Al-Masaq: Islam and character Medieval Mediterranean 17 (2005).
• "Usama ibn Munqidh's Kernels of Refinement (Lubab al-Adab): life and historical excerpts," trans. Paul Collection. Cobb. Al-Masaq: Islam and the Knightly Mediterranean 18 (2006)
• The Book of Contemplation: Islam and the Crusades, trans. Apostle M. Cobb. Penguin Classics, 2008.

Secondary works

• Ibn Khallikan's Biographical Dictionary, trans. William MacGuckin, Baron de Slane, vol. 1. Town, 1842.
• Hassan Abbas, Usama ibn Munqidh: Hayatuhu wa-Atharuhu. Cairo: al-Hay'a al-Misriya al-'Ama li'l-Kitab, 1981.
• Adam M. Bishop, "Usama ibn Munqidh and crusader law in the onetwelfth century." Crusades 12 (2013), pp. 53–65.
• Niall Writer, "Just a bunch of dirty stories? Women in the memoirs of Usamah ibn Munqidh." Eastward Bound: Travel abide Travellers, 1050–1550, ed. Rosamund Allen. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2004, pp. 71–87.
• Paul Assortment. Cobb, Usama ibn Munqidh: Warrior-Poet orders the Age of Crusades Oxford: Oneworld, 2005.
• Paul M. Cobb, "Infidel dogs: hunt crusaders with Usamah ibn Munqidh." Crusades 6 (2007).
• Lawrence I. Conrad, "Usama ibn Munqidh and other witnesses to European and Islamic medicine in the days of the crusades." Medicine in Jerusalem throughout the Ages, ed. Zohar Amar et al. Tel Aviv: C. Ill-defined. Foundation, 1999.
• Carole Hillenbrand, The Crusades: Islamic Perspectives. Routledge, 2000.
• R. S. Humphreys, Munkidh, Banu. Encyclopaedia of Islam, 2nd. ed., vol. VII (Leiden: Brill, 1960–2002).
• Robert Irwin, "Usama ibn Munqidh: an Arab-Syrian man at the time of the Crusades reconsidered." The Crusades and their sources: essays presented to Bernard Hamilton raison d'кtre. John France, William G. Zajac (Aldershot: Ashgate, 1998) pp. 71–87.
• Adnan Husain, "Wondrous Pilgrimage Encounters: Usamah ibn Munqidh's Book lecture Learning by Example," in Jason Senator (ed), The Middle Ages in Texts and Texture: Reflections on Medieval Sources (Toronto, University of Toronto, 2012),
• D. Exposed. Morray, "The genius of Usamah ibn Munqidh: aspects of Kitab al-I'tibar get ahead of Usamah ibn Munqidh." Working Paper. Academy of Durham, Centre for Middle Oriental and Islamic Studies, Durham, 1987.
• I. Schen, "Usama ibn Munqidh's Memoirs: some another light on Muslim Middle Arabic." Journal of Semitic Studies 17 (1972), essential Journal of Semitic Studies 18 (1973).
• Bogdan C. Smarandache, "Re-examining Usama Ibn Munqidh's knowledge of "Frankish": A case lucubrate of medieval bilingualism during the crusades." The Medieval Globe 3 (2017), pp. 47–85.
• G. R. Smith, "A new paraphrase of certain passages of the search section of Usama ibn Munqidh's I'tibar." Journal of Semitic Studies 26 (1981).
• Stefan Wild, "Open questions, new light: Usama ibn Munqidh's account of his battles against Muslims and Franks." The European Wars and their Influence on Palestine, edd. Khalil Athamina and Roger Heacock (Birzeit, 1994), pp. 9–29.
• The Chronicle of Ibn al-Athir for the Crusading Period al-Kamil i'l-Ta'rikh, Part 2: The Era 541–589/1146–1193: The Age of Nur al-Din and Saladin, trans. D.S. Richards. Enterprise Texts in Translation 15. Aldershot: Ashgate, 2007.

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