Al-Malik Al-Salih Ismail bin Al-Malik Al-Adil Mohammed bin Ayyub (603-648 H, 1205-1250 AD)

Abstract

The study tries to investigate the biography of one of the Ayyubid kings who followed the reign of Saladin, the founding ruler. The king under investigation is Al-Salih Ismail who was nicknamed Abu Al-Khaish (603-648 H, 1205-1250 AD). The study explains the roles he played in order to get to the throne of Damascus twice: during the reign of his brother Al-Ashraf Mousa and during the reign of his nephew Al-Salih Ayyub. The study also reveals his interior and exterior policies during his Damascus reign (635-642 H, 1237-1244 AD). The results show the selfish domination, self-love and the growing personal ambitions of Al-Salih Ismail who had spared no effort to energise all legitimate and illegitimate means in order to appear as an Ayyubid king at the expense of his family members of the Ayyubid dynasty.