Al-Mu'azzam Isa

Sharaf ad-Dīn al-Muʿaẓẓam ʿĪsā (al-Malik al-Muʿaẓẓam ʿĪsā) (1176 – 1227) was the Emir of Damascus from 1218 to 1227. He was the son of Sultan al-Adil I and nephew of Saladin, founder of the Kurdish Ayyubid dynasty.

Life

Al-Mu'azzam was installed by his father as governor of Damascus in 1198¹ or 1200.² In 1217-1218 al-Mu'azzam was supporting his father in operations against the Crusaders of the Fifth Crusade. He occupied Nablus to screen Jerusalem from attack, then was instructed to destroy the fortifications of Mt.Tabor in order to free up its garrison for use elsewhere. He gained success in a minor battle near Ramla, but immediately afterwards returned to Damascus on receiving news of his father's death. He resumed the rule of Syria, though loyally acknowledging the suzerainty of his brother, Al-Kamil, the new sultan.³ After his father's death in 1218, al-Mu'azzam ruled the Ayyubid lands in Syria in his own name, down to his own death in 1227.²

Al Mu'azzam moved his army to Egypt to reinforce the Sultan in his defence of Egypt against the Crusader operations against Damietta, February 1219. In 1220, al-Mu'azzam returned to Syria where he captured and destroyed Caesarea.⁴ Once again in Egypt with his troops, he was on hand for the surrender of Damietta by the Crusaders, in September 1221. With the Crusader threat lifted, the endemic strife between the leading members of the Ayyubid dynasty resurfaced. He laid siege to , in January 1223, and took and Salamya. Forced to desist and return his conquests by the sultan, al-Mu'azzam reacted by allying himself with , the ruler of . His rebellion was largely aimed at , who governed the . In order to free himself from the restraint imposed by al-Kamil, he used his influence over the army in Egypt to paralyse the Sultan's ability to interfere militarily. In 1226 al-Mu'azzam attacked , while Gökböri assaulted . The military pressure induced al Ashraf to make his submission to al Mu'azzam. However, in May 1227, al Ashraf succeeded in escaping from his captivity in Damascus. With all the Ayyubid princes now aligned against him and menaced by Emperor 's Crusaders, al Mu'azzam destroyed the fortifications of Jerusalem. On 12 November 1227, before any conflict with Frederick, he died, lamented by his soldiers and the citizens of Damascus. He was succeeded by his son, .