The Burid dynasty (Arabic: الدولة البورية Romanized: ad-Dawlā al-Būriyā) or the Emirate of Damascus (Arabic: إمارة دمشق Romanized: Imarat Dimashq) was a Sunni Muslim dynasty of Oghuz Turkic origin which ruled over the Emirate of Damascus in the early 12th century, as subjects of the Seljuk Empire.
History
The first Burid ruler, Toghtekin,D.S. Richards, The Chronicle of Ibn Al-Athir for the Crusading Period from Al-Kamil Fi'l-ta-Ta'rikh, (Ashgate Publishing Ltd, 2010), 16. began as a servant to the Seljuk ruler of Damascus, Duqaq. Following Duqaq's death in 1104, he seized the city for himself.
The dynasty was named after Toghtekin's son, Taj al-Muluk Buri. The Burids gained recognition from the Abbasid caliphs in return for considerable gifts. In return, the Caliphate did not interfere in the emirate.Burids, R. LeTourneau, The Encyclopedia of Islam, Vol. I, ed. H.A.R. Gibb, J.H. Kramers, É. Lévi-Provençal and J. Schacht, (Brill, 1986), 1332.
The Burids ruled the city until 1154, when it was taken by the ruler of Aleppo, Nur ed-Din, founder of the Zengid dynasty.Medieval Islamic Civilization: L-Z, Ed. Josef W. Meri, Jere L. Bacharach, (Taylor & Francis, 2006), 568.
The Burids lost to the Crusaders in the Battle of Marj al-Saffar (1126) but were able to prevent the Second Crusade from capturing Damascus.
Burid emirs of Damascus Titular Name(s) (Laqab) Personal Name ReignAmirSaif-ul-Islam Zahir al-Din Toghtekin 1104–1128Amir Taj al-Muluk Buri1128–1132Amir Shams al-Mulk Isma'il1132–1135Amir Shihab al-Din Mahmud1135–1139Amir Jamal al-Din Muhammad1139–1140Amir Mu'in al-Din Unur1140–1149RegentAmirMujir-ud-din Abu Saʿid Ābaq1140–1154 Zengid dynasty replaces the Burid dynasty. Green shaded row signifies regency of Mu'in ad-Din Unur.
Family Tree
See also List of Sunni Muslim dynasties
References