Husam al-Din Abu'l-Hayja

Husam al-Din Abu'l-Hayja
Husam al-Din Abu'l-Hayja
Allegiance	Zengids; Ayyubids; Abbasids
Rank	sepahsalar
Unit	Al-Mihraniyya; Al-Salahiya
Battles / wars	Turan-Shah's Nubian campaign; Battle of the Horns of Hama; Battle of Cresson; Battle of Hattin; Third Crusade Siege of Acre; ;

Names
	Husam al-Din Abu'l-Hayja al-Samin al-Hadhbani

Husam al-Din Abu'l-Hayja
Husam al-Din Abu'l-Hayja
Emir
Emir of Nisibis
Reign	1182-1189
Predecessor	Zengids
Emir of Jerusalem
Reign	10th September 1195-13 July 1196
Predecessor	‘Izz al-Din Jurduk al-Nuri
Successor	Shams al-Din Sungur al-Kabir
Born	Erbil, Hadhbani Emirate
Died	1197; Daquq, Abbasid caliphate
Names
Names
	Husam al-Din Abu'l-Hayja al-Samin al-Hadhbani
Dynasty	Hadhabani
Allegiance
Husam al-Din Abu'l-Hayja
Allegiance	Zengids; Ayyubids; Abbasids
Rank	sepahsalar
Unit	Al-Mihraniyya; Al-Salahiya
Battles / wars	Turan-Shah's Nubian campaign; Battle of the Horns of Hama; Battle of Cresson; Battle of Hattin; Third Crusade Siege of Acre; ;

Husam al-Din Abu'l-Hayja, also known as al-Samin (lit. 'the Fat') and al-Hadhbani, was a Kurdish general and aristocrat in service of the Ayyubid dynasty. He was the commander of Salahiya regiment of Saladin and prominent figure in the Third Crusade.^[1]^[2]

Husam al-Din played an important role in Saladin's war against the Crusaders and conquest of Levant and Upper Mesopotamia. He also aided al-Afdal on his power struggle against his relatives.

Early life

Husam al-Din Abu'l-Hayja was born in Erbil, a Kurd hailing from Hadhbani tribe. However according to Ibn Athir he was of the Hkmi clan, that belongs to Hadhbani tribe.^[2] He was known as Abu-Hayja (lit. 'Man of war' or 'Father of war') and al-Samin ('fat, obese') for his unusual fatness.^[1]^[3] although the fat should be read as a sign of good health.^[4]

Personality and appearance

Abu'l-Hayja was nicknamed "al-Samin" for his monstrous obesity. he must have been a merciless man, however all sources praise him for his courage. he was highly trusted commander by Saladin.^[2]

Military career

Zengid and Ayyubid Service

Abu'l-Hayja was the Ispahsalar of the Kurdish Mihraniyya corps, and tribal chief of Hadhbani tribe. in the service of the Zengids and later the Ayyubids in 1171.^[5] In 1174 he was given a fiefdom in upper Egypt by Saladin. In 1182 he was appointed as governor of Nisibis up until 1189.^[2]^[6] he was the commander of Ayyubid garrison in Siege of Acre from August 1189-1191.^[2] after the death of Saladin in 1193, Abu Al-Haija participated in internal Ayyubid power struggle. He first sided with al-Aziz Uthman, but defected to al-Afdal's side in 10th September 1195. Al-Afdal rewarded him with the governorship of Jerusalem. However when al-Aziz Uthman retook Jerusalem in 13 July 1196 and stripped Abu-l-Hayja’ al-Samin of the governorship of Jerusalem and appointed Shams al-Din Sungur al-Kabir. Abu'l-Hayja’ was sent to go into exile, abandoning the Ayyubids, he went to Iraq to seek service with the Abbasid Caliphate.^[7]

Abbasid service

After his exile by al-Aziz Uthman in 1196, he went to Mosul and stayed there for 2 years. After that he went to the caliph of Baghdad and served as a military commander. The caliph sent him against the Eldiguzid ruler of Adharbayjan, Muzaffar al-Din Uzbek, who by that time was occupying Hamadan. Despite his obesity Abu'l-Hayja displayed much energy on this new ground and was able to capture Ozbek and his associates. The caliph was alarmed by his forceful methods and ordered him to return.^[2]

Death

After his campaign against The Eldiguzids, he died in Daquq in 1197, while on his way to return to his hometown Erbil.^[2]

Legacy

For his monstrous obesity and courage, extra-size bowls fabricated in Baghdad were called Abu'l-Hayja in honour of him.^[2]

The settlement of Kaukab Abu al-Hija, founded by his relatives in Palestine was named after him.

References

^ ^a ^b Humphreys 1977, p. 31.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Minorsky 1953, pp. 142–143.
^ Slyomovics, Susan (June 1998). The Object of Memory: Arab and Jew Narrate the Palestinian Village. University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 25. ISBN 978-0-8122-1525-0.
^ Hopkins, Peter; Kong, Lily; Olson, Elizabeth (2012-09-13). Religion and Place: Landscape, Politics and Piety. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 63. ISBN 978-94-007-4684-8.
^ Humphreys 1977, p. 100.
^ Baadj, Amar S. (2015-08-11). Saladin, the Almohads and the Banū Ghāniya: The Contest for North Africa (12th and 13th centuries). BRILL. p. 106. ISBN 978-90-04-29857-6.
^ Humphreys 1977, p. 104.

Sources

Humphreys, Stephen (1977), From Saladin to the Mongols: The Ayyubids of Damascus, 1193–1260, SUNY Press, ISBN 978-0-87395-263-7
Minorsky, Vladimir (1953). Studies in Caucasian History. New York: Taylor’s Foreign Press. ISBN 0-521-05735-3.

[FOOTNOTEHumphreys197731-1] Humphreys 1977, p. 31.

[FOOTNOTEMinorsky1953142–143-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Minorsky 1953, pp. 142–143.

[3] Slyomovics, Susan (June 1998). The Object of Memory: Arab and Jew Narrate the Palestinian Village. University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 25. ISBN 978-0-8122-1525-0.

[4] Hopkins, Peter; Kong, Lily; Olson, Elizabeth (2012-09-13). Religion and Place: Landscape, Politics and Piety. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 63. ISBN 978-94-007-4684-8.

[FOOTNOTEHumphreys1977100-5] Humphreys 1977, p. 100.

[6] Baadj, Amar S. (2015-08-11). Saladin, the Almohads and the Banū Ghāniya: The Contest for North Africa (12th and 13th centuries). BRILL. p. 106. ISBN 978-90-04-29857-6.

[FOOTNOTEHumphreys1977104-7] Humphreys 1977, p. 104.

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