Iftikhar al-Dawla (Arabic: إفتخار الدولة, lit. 'pride of the dynasty') was the Fatimid governor of Jerusalem during the siege of 1099. On 15 July, he surrendered Jerusalem to Raymond of Saint-Gilles^[1] in the Tower of David and was escorted out of the city with his bodyguard.^[2]

Little is known about Iftikhar al-Dawla, although he is mentioned as governor of Ascalon following the fall of Jerusalem, which suggests he was Fatimid governor of the whole of Palestine.^[3] The Syrian chronicler Bar-Hebraeus refers to him as an Egyptian man. Usama ibn Munqidh's autobiography mentions an emir of the local castles of Abu Qubays, Qadmus and al-Kaf called Iftikhar al-Dawla whose sister was married to Ibn Munqidh's uncle, the ruler of Shayzar.^[3]

Tasso, The Liberation of Jerusalem, canto 3.60 says that he met Godfrey of Bouillon “in the high court of France where I came as Egypt’s envoy long ago.” (Max Wickert translation.)

Defence of Jerusalem

Iftikhar al-Dawla had a strong garrison of Arab and Sudanese troops. Hearing of the advance of the Franks he poisoned the wells outside Jerusalem; moved livestock from the pastures inside the city walls and sent urgently to Egypt for reinforcements.^[4] He then ordered all Christians, then the majority of the population, to evacuate the city, but allowed Jews to remain within.^[4] Although the garrison was well-supplied it was insufficient to man all the walls and was overwhelmed after a siege lasting six weeks.^[2]

Notes

Bibliography

• Geary, Patrick J. (2003). Readings in Medieval History. Broadview Press. ISBN 1-55111-550-6
• Nicolle, David (2003). The First Crusade 1096–1099: Conquest of the Holy Land. Osprey. ISBN 1-84176-515-5.
• Runciman, Steven (1992). The First Crusade. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-42705-3.