Walter the Chancellor on Ilghazi and Tughtakin: a prisoner’s perspective

Morton, N ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0003-4182, 2018. Walter the Chancellor on Ilghazi and Tughtakin: a prisoner’s perspective. Journal of Medieval History, 44 (2), pp. 170-186. ISSN 0304-4181

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Abstract

This article concerns two leading Turkish rulers, active in the Near East during the crusading era: Tughtakin of Damascus and Ilghazi of Mardin. They were important commanders, but the surviving sources create difficulties when outlining the contours of the characters and cultural perspectives. Muslim authors typically present them as
idealised Islamic rulers and yet it is difficult to accept such stereotyped portraits. This article sheds new light on these men, seeking to understand how far they had transitioned from the steppe culture of their forefathers into a more distinctively Islamic mould. It focuses in particular on the Antiochene chronicle written by Walter the Chancellor. He witnessed both rulers at first hand when he was their prisoner in Aleppo in 1119; an experience which left him deeply scarred. This is tainted evidence, yet it will be shown that many of Walter's observations also provide invaluable insights that deserve to be taken seriously.

Item Type:	Journal article
Publication Title:	Journal of Medieval History
Creators:	Morton, N.
Publisher:	Routledge
Date:	2018
Volume:	44
Number:	2
ISSN:	0304-4181
Identifiers:	Number Type 10.1080/03044181.2018.1440358 DOI
Divisions:	Schools > School of Arts and Humanities
Record created by:	Jonathan Gallacher
Date Added:	14 Mar 2018 09:03
Last Modified:	07 Sep 2019 03:00
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/32956

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