Al-Adil I

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Abu-Bakr Malik Al-Adil I (also known as Saphadin, from his Arabic honorific Sayf ad-Din, "sword of the faith") (1145-1218) (Arabic: أبو بكر سيف الدين الملك العادل) was an Ayyubid-Egyptian general and ruler of Kurdish descent.

He was a son of Najm ad-Din Ayyub, and a younger brother of Saladin. He was born in June 1145, possibly in Damascus. He first achieved distinction as an officer in Nur ad-Din's army during his uncle Shirkuh's third and final campaign in Egypt (1168-1169); following Nur ad-Din's death in 1174, Al-Adil governed Egypt on behalf of his brother Saladin, and mobilized that country's vast resources in support of his brother's campaigns in Syria and his war against the Crusaders (1175-1183). He was governor of Aleppo (1183-1186), but returned to administer Egypt during the Third Crusade (1186-1192); as governor of Saladin's northern provinces (1192-1193), he suppressed the revolt of 'Izz Al-Din of Mosul following Saladin's death (March 1193), and played the role of kingmaker during the succession dispute among Saladin's sons Al-Aziz Uthman and Al-Afdal (1193-1196). He was named governor of Damascus and used this base to expand his power, and championed the faction opposed to Al-Afdal's inept rule following Al-Aziz's death in 1198. Although he was closely besieged in Damascus (1199), he defeated Al-Afdal at the Battle of Bilbeis in January of 1200. After his victory he was proclaimed Sultan, and ruled wisely and well over both Egypt and Syria for nearly two decades, promoting trade and good relations with the Crusader states (1200-1217). He took the field again on hearing news of the Fifth Crusade, despite his advanced age (1217), and organized the defenses of Egypt and Palestine. He fell ill and died while on campaign (August 1218) and was succeeded by his son Malik Al-Kamil.

A gifted and effective administrator and organizer, Al-Adil provided crucial military and civilian support for Saladin's great campaigns (an early example of the great minister of war). He was also a capable general and strategist in his own right, and the foundation and persistence of the Ayyubid state was as much his achievement as it was Saladin's.