Orientalist studies on Imad al-Din Zengi: A comparative study with Islamic sources

Abstract

The figure of Imad ad-Din Zengi holds great importance in Orientalist studies, as he was able to establish a hereditary state in Mosul, the Jazira, and the Levant, known as the Atabeg State. He also played a significant role in resisting the Crusader invasion and the Crusader principalities that emerged after the First Crusade (490-493 AH / 1096-1099 CE) in Edessa, Antioch, Tripoli, and Jerusalem. Imad ad-Din Zengi led the resistance against the Crusaders, unified the regions of the Levant and the Jazira, eliminated the Crusader administration, and liberated Edessa. Because of this, he received attention from a number of Orientalists and Arab writers. However, these Orientalists who studied Imad ad-Din did not address the early stages of his life or the beginnings of the state's establishment. Instead, their focus was on his initial emergence on the political scene, starting with his control of the Levant, culminating in the liberation of Edessa, his siege of Ja'bar Castle, and his assassination.