Sayf ad-Din ÿAlë al-Mashtub al-HakkÃÂrë (Arabic: óÃÂàçÃÂïÃÂàùÃÂàçÃÂàô÷ÃÂè çÃÂÃÂÃÂçñÃÂ; c. 1130s â 6 November 1192 CE) was a Kurdish emir and one of the leading generals in Saladin's army. Born into the HakkÃÂrë Kurdish princely family, he rose through the ranks under Nà «r ad-Dën Zangë and later served the Ayyubid state.
Distinguished by a facial scar from battle hence the epithet al-Mashtub âÂÂthe slashedâ or "Scarred" (âÂÂle Balafreâ of the European chronicles), he commanded HakkÃÂrë troops loyal to Saladin and was known among his contemporaries as âÂÂKing of the Kurds.â Al-Mashtub took part in the three Zangid campaigns to Egypt, helped secure the transition of power to Saladin, and became one of his most trusted strategists. He played crucial roles in the defense of ḤamÃÂh, the suppression of Crusader incursions, and the conquest of Jerusalem (1187). For his service, he was granted the fiefdom of Sidon and Beirut. During the Third Crusade, he fought at Acre and endured its long siege, showing exceptional bravery until his capture in 1191. He was able to escape his captivity and was rewarded by Saladin with the fiefdom of Nablus before dying in 1192 CE. Contemporary and later chroniclers praised him as one of the bravest and most loyal of Saladin's Kurdish commanders.
Sayf ad-Din ÿAlë al-Mashtub belonged to the HakkÃÂrë Kurds, a prominent Kurdish tribal confederation that inhabited the ZozÃÂn Highland. His lineage traces to the royal HakkÃÂrë family, which controlled fortified strongholds such as ÃÂshb (Asp; modern day Amedi) and Nà «shë (Nusi), and exercised an independent rule over parts of the mountainous territory between Mosul and Lake Van. His father, Aḥmad ibn Abë al-HayjÃÂþ al-HakkÃÂrë, was a local Kurdish ruler whose father, Abu'l-Hayja, pledged allegiance to ÿImÃÂd ad-Dën Zangë in 1133, securing his family's position within the Mosul Atabegate sphere of influence.
The exact date of al-Mashtub's birth is not recorded, but based on his early participation in the Zangid campaigns to Egypt, historians estimate his birth in 1130s. He was raised in a military and administrative Kurdish aristocratic household, receiving martial training from his father and grandfather, both veteran commanders. The epithet al-Mashtub âÂÂthe slashedâ or "Scarred" derived from a visible scar he sustained in early battle, while his title âÂÂSayf ad-Dënâ (âÂÂSword of the FaithâÂÂ) reflected his military stature within the Ayyubid Army.