Saladin

From Conservapedia

Saladin or Salah al-Din (Arabic: صلاح الدين الأيوبي) was a Kurdish Muslim Sultan who died March 4, 1193. He fought against the Crusaders in the Crusades. He was famous for defeating the Christian forces and retaking Jerusalem, and his encounters with Richard I of England are recounted throughout the ages as one of the most romantic military rivalries of all time.

Regularly regarded as a fine example of chivalry, both Richard and Saldin treated each other with enormous respect during the conflict, and Saladin sent Richard fruit and other goods when he was suffering from severe dysentery during the campaign. Similarly, Richard sent Saladin fine English woolens when he heard that Saladin was suffering from flu. Nevertheless, Richard executed thousands of prisoners outside the walls of Acre during the siege, an act Saladin did not resemble by his actions throughout the campaign whatsoever.

Saladin was generally a successful general, but he was defeated by Richard I (who was the King of England at the time) at the battle of Arsuf in 1191. He also suffered a major defeat at the Battle of Montgisard in 1177 against King Baldwin IV of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem.

He first overthrew the Fatimid dynasty of Egypt, abandoning its Shiite religion in the process, and then conquered Syria.