5 Origins and History However, the relationship between the Kurds and Turks during the 11th and 12th centuries was not governed entirely by hostility. For example, a branch of the Shaddadid dynasty continued to govern the town of Ani (in present-day Armenia) as vassals of the Selcuks until the 1175. Moreover, Kurdish tribal groups were often integrated into the militaries of Turkish-dominated polities, becoming important actors in the countercrusades of the 11th and 12th centuries, which in turn pro- vided Kurdish tribal leaders with new opportunities for advancement. Perhaps the most successful Kurdish leader of this era was Saladin Ayyubi (1137–1193), the Muslim hero of the countercrusades. Saladin’s ancestors originally served the Shaddadids rulers of Dvin (in present-day Armenia). However, following the Selcuk seizure of the town, Saladin’s grandfather, Shadhi ibn Marwan, immi- grated to Iraq with his two sons, Saladin’s father, Najm ad-Din Ayyub (d. 1173), and his uncle, Asad ad-Din Shirkuh (d. 1169). Both men eventually entered the service of the Nur ad-Din Zengi (1118–1174), the Turkish ruler of Mosul and Syria, with both attaining high office within the Zengid polity. The former was appointed the governor of Baalbak and Damascus, while the latter served as governor of Homs and, in 1163, was selected to command a Zengid intervention forces into Fatimid Saladin Ayyubi was a Muslim leader of Kurdish descent. This image is believed to date from around 1180. (Jupiter Images)
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