NUR ED-DIN MAHMUD, or MALEK AL-ADEL, emir and Sultan of Syria; born in Damascus, Turkey, in 1117. His father, Omad ed-Din Zenghi, originally governor of Mosul and Diarbekir under the Seljuk sultans, had established his independence, and extended his author ity over northern Syria. Nur ed-Din Mahmud succeeded him in 1145, and changed the seat of government from Mosul to Aleppo. From this time on ward his life was one long duel with the Christians—the Crusaders, Hospitallers, Templars, and Knights of the Latin king dom of Jerusalem. The most notable in cidents in this contest may be briefly summarized. Count Joscelin, in an at tempt to recover his capital, Edessa, was signally defeated. This gave occasion to the second Crusade. The Crusaders were, however, foiled by Nur ed-Din be fore Damascus, and, defeated in a num oer of conflicts, abandoned their enter prise. The emir next conquered Trip olis and Antioch, and before 1151 all the Christian strongholds in Syria were in Nur ed-Din's hands. He next took po-
session of Damascus in 1153. In 115'7 the Christian orders suffered a severe defeat near Paneas, but in 1159 regained some lost territories. Nur ed-Din soon won back what had been taken from him, and turned his attention to Egypt. In 1168 his brother, Asad al-Din Shirkoh, overran Egypt, but, dying soon after ward, was succeeded by his nephew, the celebrated Saladin, who completed the conquest of the country, and restored the Sunnite faith. This won for Nur ed Din the gratitude of the Caliph of Bag dad, who created him Sultan of Syria and Egypt. Nur ed-Din, however, grew jealous of his able young lieutenant, and was preparing to march into Egypt in person, when he died in Damascus in May, 1173.