MCQ Detailed View

Salah-ud-Din Ayubi, also known in Western history as Saladin, was of Kurdish origin. He was born in Tikrit (present-day Iraq) in 1137 CE into a noble Kurdish family belonging to the Rawadiya branch of the Hadani Kurdish tribe. His father, Najm ad-Din Ayyub, was a commander under the Zengid dynasty and later became the governor of Baalbek and other regions under Nur ad-Din Zengi.

Salah-ud-Din rose to prominence as a military commander under Nur ad-Din and later established the Ayyubid dynasty. He is most renowned for his role in the Crusades, particularly for recapturing Jerusalem from the Crusaders in 1187 CE after the Battle of Hattin. Despite his military success, Salah-ud-Din was also known for his justice, generosity, and respect for both Muslims and non-Muslims.

His Kurdish heritage is a well-established historical fact and often highlighted in both Islamic and Western historical sources. This background reflects the ethnic diversity within Islamic leadership during the medieval period and shows how leadership was not confined to a single ethnicity in the Muslim world.

Key Facts:

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  Salah-ud-Din Ayubi was ethnically Kurdish.

  
  


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  He was born in Tikrit in 1137 CE to a Kurdish family from the Rawadiya tribe.

  
  


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  His father served under the Zengid dynasty in Syria.

  
  


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  Salah-ud-Din founded the Ayyubid dynasty and ruled over Egypt, Syria, and surrounding regions.

  
  


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  He is best known for liberating Jerusalem from Crusader control in 1187 CE.

  
  


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  His character combined military skill with strong Islamic ethics and tolerance.

  
  


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  Both Islamic and Western historians acknowledge his Kurdish roots.