Saladin
Saladin (c. 1138-93). Muslim sultan and commander. By virtue of his military achievements he became sultan of Egypt (1174) and northern Syria (1186). In 1187 he defeated a large Crusader ‘army in northern Palestine and captured Jerusalem. The Third Crusade (1189-92), supported in England by a special tax known as the Saladin Tithe, halted ‘Saladin’s advance and he retired to Damascus. Known even among his enemies for his chivalry, he was also a patron of Muslim schools and mosques and contributed his own wealth to the war effort.
