Saladin and al-Adil: The Brother Who Secured an Empire

Saladin's conquest of Jerusalem in 1187 and his wars against the Third Crusade are legendary, but behind every great sultan stood a trusted lieutenant. This episode focuses on al-Malik al-Adil, better known as al-Adil, Saladin's younger brother and the most capable administrator and diplomat in the Ayyubid family. We explore al-Adil's early career under Saladin, his role in the conquest of Egypt and Syria, his crucial negotiations with Richard the Lionheart during the Third Crusade, and how he later became sultan himself. Drawing on the chronicles of Baha ad-Din ibn Shaddad and Ibn al-Athir, we uncover the man who held the Ayyubid confederacy together—a master of realpolitik who secured the peace that Saladin's victories made possible. From the deserts of Egypt to the walls of Acre and the treaty of Jaffa, al-Adil emerges as the architect of Ayyubid stability in the 1190s. This episode sheds light on a figure often overshadowed by his famous brother, yet indispensable to the survival of the dynasty. #Saladin #alAdil #Ayyubid #ThirdCrusade #RichardLionheart #TreatyOfJaffa #MedievalHistory #Crusades #IslamicHistory #BahaAdDin #IbnAlAthir #Egypt #Syria #Diplomacy #MiddleEast #History #FexingoHistory #Podcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo