Middle East Kingdoms

Ayyubid Sultanate of Damascus
AD 1183 - 1260

Taking Egypt from the Fatimids, Saladin (pr. S.alâh.udDîn), later defeated and drove the Crusaders from Jerusalem, and set up his sons and relatives in several subsidiary lines, in Damascus, Aleppo, Hims, Hamat, Diyar Bakr, and Yemen, as well as the Ayyubids in Egypt itself.

1183 - 1186

an Nasir I Salahud Din (Saladin) (Yusuf ibn Ayyub)

Overlord of Damascus from 1169. Ruled direct from 1183. Later base was Ayyubid Egypt.

1186 - 1192

Damascus is ruled by a relative as a subsidiary state from 1187. The Battle of the Horns of Hattin and the capture of Guy of Jerusalem leads to the fall of Jerusalem in 1187. More fighting occurs with the Third Crusade, led by Richard I of England in1189-1192.

Saladin accepts the surrender of Guy de Lusignan and the Christian armies following the Battle of Hattin

1186 - 1196

al Afdal (Nur ad Din)

1196 - 1201

al Adil I (Sayf ad Din / Safadin) / Abu Bakr

Brother of Saladin. Also ruled Ayyubid Egypt (1200-1218).

1200

Al-Malik al-Adil I manages to acquire territory between his sultanate and in Mesopotamia, before he also overthrows al Mansur and rules in Egypt too, handing over the day-to-day running of Damascus to one of his sons as governor. When Al-Malik dies in 1218, the governor, al Muazzam, succeeds him as sultan.

1201 - 1218

al Muazzam (Sharaf ad Din)

Son and governor. Became sultan in 1218.

1218 - 1227

al Muazzam (Sharaf ad Din)

Former governor.

1227 - 1229

al Nasir II (Salah ad Din)

1228 - 1229

The Fifth Crusade hits the region and Jerusalem ceded to the Christians at Acre.

1229 - 1237

al Ashraf I (Muzaffar ad Din)

1234 - 1240

From Egypt, Sultan al-Kamil sends his son, the future as-Salih II, to rule Damascus, removing him from the succession in Egypt after suspecting him of conspiring against him with the Mamelukes. His uncle, as-Salih Ismail, soon expels him from Damascus, and he flees to the Jazirah, where he becomes allied to forces from the former emirate of Khwarazm. When his brother, al-Adil II, succeeds in 1238, as-Salih II overthrows him.

1237 - 1238

as Salih I (Imad ad Din)

Son of al-Adil I.

1238

al Kamil I (Nasir ad Din)

Brother. Also ruled Ayyubid Egypt (1218-1238).

1238 - 1239

al Adil II (Sayf ad Din)

Son. Also ruled Ayyubid Egypt (1238-1240). Overthrown.

1239

as Salih II (Najm ad Din)

Brother. Also ruled Ayyubid Egypt (1240-1249).

1239 - 1245

as Salih I (Imad ad Din)

Restored.

1245 - 1249

as Salih II (Najm ad Din)

Restored and murdered.

1249 - 1250

al Muazzam (Turan-Shah Ghiyat ad Din)

Son. Also ruled Ayyubid Egypt (1249-1250).

1250

Following a siege, Aleppo is captured and destroyed by the Mongols while al-Muazzam is commanding there. Although the defenders are allowed to live, the sultan does not rule again.

1250 - 1260

an Nasir II (Salah ad Din)

1260

Damascus is occupied by Mongols, then seized by the Mameluke sultan, Baybars

1918 - 1920

Syria is taken by the British empire and promised to France.

1920

Greater Syria falls under the Hashemites, but it is overthrown by France.