Usâma ibn Munqidh (Arabic: أسامة بن منقذ) (Shayzar, July 4, 1095 - Damascus, November 16, 1188) is best known from the genus of Banû Munkidh. He was a poet, writer, warrior and politician. Lifecycle
Usâma ibn Munqidh was born in Shayzar in 1095, where he lived until 1131. After that, he joined Imad ad-Din Zengî, ruler in the area around current Iraq and Syria that led the early opposition to the Crusaders. In 1138, however, he and his brothers were banned from his native country by their powerful uncle Sultan, the emir of Shayzar. According to the sources, Sultan was jealous of Usâma's military expertise and feared that Usâma would demand Sultan's position in accordance with his father.
On this, Usama went to Damascus, from which he undertook in the service of ruler Mu'in Ad-Din Unur several diplomatic missions to the Crusader States. In these years, he visited Jerusalem several times on diplomatic missions. In 1144, Usama was confiscated in the factorial battle in Damascus and he was sent away again. He left with his family to the Fatimids in Egypt.
In charge of Major Vision Âdil ibn al-Sallar, he undertook several diplomatic missions. In this way, Usâma tried to close allies against the Crusaders and fought in the battlefields around Ascalon. In 1153, he was involved in a plot to kill the bigvier and a year later he was de-masked by a conspiracy against Al-Zâfir, the caliph of Egypt. His flight brought him back to Damascus where he found a place at the court of Nûr ad-Dîn, who had just conquered the city. In his later life, Usâma ibn Munqidh further served the Oguz-Turkish emir Artukid Kara-Arslân and Saladin, Sultan of Egypt and Syria. The relationship with Saladin choked after some time, and his last years led to a bitter and retrenched life. Usâma ibn Munqidh died on November 16, 1188, at the age of 93. Poetry and writing
After his flight from Egypt in 1154, Usama ibn Munqidh devoted himself more and more to writing. He wrote, among other things, works on rhetoric, history and religion and poetry. These works were highly regarded during his life. Contemporaries like 'Imād al-Dīn and Ibn'Asākir referred much to him in their own work. The first generations of writers after Usama's death, such as Ibn al-Athîr, AbūShāma and Ibn Khallikān, praise his work. Then his work became oblivious.
His most important work is his autobiography Kitab al-I'tibar (The Book of Learning by Example). According to Phillip Hitti, however, this book does not give us an idea of Usama himself, but rather of his ideal human image that he would like to be himself. The book gives examples to live.
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