Mawdud

Sharaf al-Dawla Mawdud ibn al-Tuntakin was a Muslim military leader who was Emir of Mosul from 1109 to 1113. He is famed for organizing several expeditions to reconquer lands from the Crusaders.

Biography According to G. Fink and I. Demirkent, the origin of Mawdud is unclear. The place and date of the emir's birth are not recorded too. Mawdud was an officer of Muhammad I Tapar. The First campaign he was sent to was against a rebel in Persia named Jawali Saqawa, Mawdud besieged him for 8 months, before being placed with another commander, which was Jawali's term to surrender. But in April 1108, Jawali, who became Emir of Mosul, rebelled, so Muhammad I sent him with other Emirs to put Mosul under siege and restore it to the sultanate. When all the Emirs retreated from the siege after Muhammed ibn Qatlaghtekin told them to do so, he refused saying: I don't leave only if the sultan command. And later in September, some rebells inside the city opened one of the gates allowing Mawdud and his forces to enter. Thus Mawdud assumed the office of Emir of Mosul, and took the Emirate which became in his domains. Mawdud's soldiers and patros even reached al-Rahbah where they clashed with Bedouins.

In 1110, Mawdud started his first campaign against the Crusaders, joined by Sokmen al-Kutbi, Shah of Ahlat, and Ilghazi, Emir of Mardin, and besieged Edessa, and Tughtekin, Emir of Damascus joined the campaign spreading defences on the Euphrates, Mawdud already lifted the siege and went to Harran and with Tughtekin leaving the Ephrates, the road was opened for the Crusaders towards a trap. But Baldwin I of Jerusalem didn't fall for it, and instead entered County of Edessa to strengthen his army, Mawdud's attempt to lure him failed again, but the Crusaders had to leave because of attacks on other fronts, and they brought the Christian population with them to not be left vulnerable for raids, but while crossing the river, they had been attacked in the rear by Mawdud, inflicting heavy losses on them, then Mawdud ended the campaign and returned to Mosul.

Assassination and death In Friday, and after Friday prayer, and while walking in the Umayyad Mosque, Mawdud was attacked and stabbed by an Assassin, though he wasn't instantly killed, and walked to the northern gate of the Mosque where he collapsed, the surgeon of Tughtekin couldn't help, and his death was announced in the next day. Accounts diffre on where he was buried, but he ended up either in Mosul or Isfahan. Both Tughtekin and the Nizari Ismaili State are accused of being the Masterminds of the Assassination.