What was the most important factor behind Saladin's series of Essay

What was the most important factor behind Saladin's series of successes - Essay Example Saladin was one of the important warriors in the history of Islamic world who has great influence on the West also. Due to his successes in crusades, Saladin has remained one of the important historical figures for West to study and explore specially the reasons and key factors behind his success. He was a Kurdish Muslim who became the first Ayyubid ruler of Egypt and Syria and also the major force behind the recapturing of the Jerusalem from the European crusaders. It was mostly because of this reason that he is a very well known figure in Islamic history and is considered as one of those individuals who could muster the courage and strength to recapture Jerusalem. (Hamblin)1 A closer analysis of his successes however, would reveal many important facets of his rise to the power and glory. His success against the crusaders in Jerusalem is mostly attributed to the internal conflict between the Crusader States. Further, his own ambitions to create an alternative Ayyubid dynasty in Arab world and use of Jihad as a tool to gain military power are other important reasons which could be considered as the key reasons behind his rise to the success. The lack of interest by the Franks as well as the failure of the agreements with the Byzantines can also be considered as the different factors which provided Saladin a perfect environment to establish his own authority and might. This paper will attempt to discuss the key success factors behind the success of Saladin and his rise to the power Saladin’s rise to Power It is important to discuss briefly as to how Saladin actually rose to the power in Arab world and became the force which actually defeated the Crusader States. Saladin’s father, Ayyub, was in military services for the Turkish Military Leader Zangi who was controlling Aleppo and Mosul. At the early age, Saladin joined his father and uncle in the army at Aleppo which was at that time controlled by Zangi’s son Nur al-Din who also emerged as on e of the strongest personality within Muslim world to successfully challenge the threat posed by the Crusaders. (Davenport)2 Saladin’s real chance for success came when Nur al-Din sent army to Egypt when the Fatimid Empire in Egypt was weakening due to the internal conflicts as well as the constant invasions from the Frankish States. It was during this campaign that Saladin’s uncle, Shirkuh, leader of Army, died and Saladin started to take control. He was first appointed as the Vizier in Egypt and than subsequently overtook the Egyptian government in the name of Nur al-Din. (Lane-Poole). 3This episode is also considered as the starting point of the rising conflicts between Nur al-Din and Saladin and on the death of Nur al-Din, Saladin went on to capture the Syria from the heirs of Nur al-Din also. (Meri and Bacharach)4 This brief recapture of Saladin’s rise to the power indicates that he actually attempted to take advantage of the internal conflicts which were e xisting within Muslim dynasties at that time. Fatimid Empire weakened not only due to the internal strife within the empire but from the constant invasions and threats posed by the Frankish States. This not only weakened the State but also allowed alternative forces like Saladin to take make their move to the throne. It is also important to note that Saladin’s rise to become the Vizier of Egypt was also based upon the fact he was Sunni Muslim and due to his age and family background, he was preferred over others as it was considered that he was too weak to pose a significant challenge. His rise to this position is also considered as a political maneuvering by the existing regime to undermine other stronger forces within the Muslim Empire. It was during his tenure as a Vizier in Egypt that Saladin started to use religion as one of his weapons to start consolidating his power. (Azzam)5 It is also important to note that Nur al-Din also emerged as one of the strongest forces agai nst the Crusader States and also help widening the conflict between the Crusader Stat

Why Most People Oppress Others because of Their Different Ethnicity, Essay

Why Most People Oppress Others because of Their Different Ethnicity, Race or Gender - Essay Example A theorist and feminist writer; Gloria Anzaldua’s works were of vital significance for the last two decades. Her work should be noted that it is now anthologized systematically in different compositions that reach different audiences on an annual basis. Her theory of Mestiza and borderland identifies the fuller theory of a culture which is different and broadly deployed in most disciplines and lecture halls. In most lecture halls across the state, most students read the chapters and excerpts from her Borderland text. Anzaldua’s work serves in a primarily essayist fashion. She explicitly shows that an individual’s act of writing assists the person in identifying and expressing his or her identity complexities. Anzaldua described her strong belief in the need for individuals to form coalitions in their different groups. My choice of Gloria Anzaldua’s literary works in her anthology of essays and poetry; Making Face, Making Soul: Haciendo Caras include: Borde rlands/La Frontera, La conciencia de la Mestiza, The Homeland, Aztlan/El Otro Mexico, How to Tame a Wild Tongue and This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color. They are all arranged in order of significance. The first three literary works are some of Anzaldua’s best works and stand out from the other two. Anzaldua understood that individuals have diverse ideas and identity and that inter-sectionalism often creates conflicts between different people (Garci?a, 2006). Thesis Statement: Anzaldua understood and recognized the different ways that people use to oppress others, and the constituents that were overlapping their identity. Literary Works: Borderlands/La Frontera: One of Anzaldua’s outstanding works was Borderlands/La Frontera, which was published in the year 1987. Borderlands traces back to the personal and historical journey of people who are on the border between the United States and Mexico. Additionally, it talks about the political, spirit ual and the European socioeconomic impact that they have on conquering the indigenous and marginalized people on the borderland. All the contributors in Anzaldua’s works got affected by Anzaldua’s willingness to face her personal risks. Through Anzaldua’s acts and words, people learn to take risks on their own. These are the risks that form blurred boundaries and the identities challenge people’s ways of thinking (Anzaldua, 1987). By use of her words, she invites critics to engage with her theories and how they impacted on her life and work. In bridging, the contributors explore and discuss on Anzaldua’s spiritual and intellectual contributions of how new bridges are created through the community and diverse disciplines. The contributors and Anzaldua represented numerous generations of diverse ages of the twenties to seventies. This connection among many people could be seen in Anzaldua herself. Anzaldua’s words have touched most of the cont ributors separately.