How Effective Was Saladin as a Leader?

1359 Words3 Pages

This Investigation attempts to examine the effectiveness of Saladin as a leader. This question is important because Saladin was the only leader to effectively defeat the Christians and capture Jerusalem during the time of the crusades. The topics that will be addressed are the Battle of Hattin in 1187 and the Ayyubid Dynasty. During the battle of Hattin, Saladin captured the king of Jerusalem and killed him after defeating the crusader army. This investigation will focus on the time period of 1137 to 1193 and the places investigated will include Egypt, Syria and North Africa. This will be accomplished through a thorough examination of Saladin’s leadership, battle tactics, and people skills.

Part B: Summary of Evidence
Word Count: 510
Saladin, born in 1137 in modern day Iraq, was a huge part of the Ayyubid Dynasty which he himself founded. Saladin stood apart from the crowd because he was a brave, humane, and generous. He was appointed under rule in 1169 where he quickly won over the hearts of the people. Saladin’s empires stretched from the borders of Tunisia to the mountains of Armenia. Saladin was such a good leader because he believed in “The ability to inspire rather than enforce loyalty is a critical quality of leadership.” This shows that Saladin is a different leader than his time was used to because the leader before him the Caliph Adid, who came to a sudden, unexpected death in 1169, was a cruel man . The people who had been under a long civil strife, foreign invasion, and the excesses of slave troops were happy for a change in leadership especially someone with such different tactics.
Saladin was a people’s leader he understood the common man and could relate to him. The reason for Saladin...

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...n and the Second and Third Crusades, 1147 to 1193. http://www.fsmitha.com/h3/casia01c.htm (accessed April 4, 2014).
Geoffrey Hindley, Saladin p.125

Geoffrey Hindley, Saladin p. 29

Bibliography
ELECTRONIC
Staff, History.com. "Saladin." History.com. http://www.history.com/topics/saladin (accessed March 31, 2014).
"Saladin and the Second and Third Crusades, 1147 to 1193." Saladin and the Second and Third Crusades, 1147 to 1193. http://www.fsmitha.com/h3/casia01c.htm (accessed April 4, 2014).
"Saladin Biography." Biography Online. http://www.biographyonline.net/military/saladin.html (accessed April 8, 2014).
PRINT
Hindley, Geoffrey. Saladin. New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 1976.
Regan, Geoffrey. Lionhearts: Saladin and Richard I. London: Constable, 1998.
Saunders, J.J. . A History of Medieval Islam. 1965. Reprint, New York: Routledge and Kegan Paul Ltd, 1990.

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