al-Malik al-Mansur
- Died
- 617 AH
- Born in
- -
al-Malik al-Mansur (d. 617 AH / 1221 CE) was the Ayyubid ruler of Hama, a historian, and a man of letters, best known for his multi-volume chronicle Midmar al-haqa'iq wa-sirr al-khala'iq ("The Arena of Truths and the Secret of Creation").
Lineage and Education
He was Muhammad ibn Umar ibn Shahanshah ibn Ayyub ibn Shadhi ibn Marwan, titled Nasir al-Din and Abu al-Ma'ali, and known as the son of al-Malik al-Muzaffar Taqi al-Din Umar. His father died in 587 AH, and his grandfather Shahanshah had died fighting the Crusaders outside Damascus in 543 AH. In his youth, he heard hadith in Alexandria from Abu al-Tahir ibn Awf al-Zuhri alongside his father's uncle, Saladin (Salah al-Din); he was also reported to have heard from Abu Tahir al-Silafi, and he transmitted from Usama ibn Munqidh.
Reign and Governance
He succeeded his father as ruler of Hama and governed the principality for thirty years. During his reign, he took part in military campaigns and defeated the Crusaders twice in battle. He married the daughter of Sultan al-Malik al-Adil, who bore his children; when she died, he grieved intensely and wore a blue turban in mourning.
Within Hama, he carried out several major building projects: he rebuilt the walls of both the city and its citadel in dressed stone—replacing the mud-brick fortifications erected by his father—and constructed the Marakib bridge (later known as the Saraya bridge), the Mansuriyya market, and the Sultan's public bathhouse. He appointed notable scholars to head the judiciary in Hama, including the chief judge Diya' al-Din ibn al-Shahrazuri upon his arrival from Baghdad, and later Najm al-Din Abu al-Barakat ibn Abi Asrun.
Scholarly Standing and Literary Activity
He maintained a court frequented by nearly two hundred turbaned scholars, jurists, grammarians, practitioners of philosophy, astrologers, and scribes, and he amassed a substantial personal library. Abu Shamah described him as brave and generous toward scholars, bringing them close and rewarding them.
The scholar Shihab al-Din al-Qusi transmitted from him in his biographical dictionary and read portions of his historical chronicle Midmar al-haqa'iq wa-sirr al-khala'iq directly to him, praising the work for its exceptional quality and scope. He also authored an extensive biographical compilation on poets titled Tabaqat al-shu'ara', and his own poetic compositions were gathered in a Diwan.
Death
Al-Malik al-Mansur died in the citadel of Hama in Dhu al-Qi'da 617 AH (January 1221 CE). He was initially succeeded as ruler of Hama by his son al-Malik al-Nasir Qilij Arslan.
Answer updated
List of Works
Midmar al-Haqa'iq wa Sirr al-Khala'iq (The Arena of Truths and the Secret of Creation) is a multi-volume annalistic chronicle of world and regional history. Arranged chronologically by year, the work combines broad historical narratives with contemporary records, including biographical notices of prominent scholars, jurists, poets, and dignitaries.