Burid dynasty

The Burid dynasty (Arabic: الدولة البورية Romanized: Al-Dawla al-Buria) 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.

Burid dynasty الدولة البورية
1104–1154
Capital	Damascus
Religion	Sunni Islam
Government	Emirate
Emir
• 1104–1128	Toghtekin (first)
• 1140–1154	Mujir ad-Din Abaq (last)
History
• Established	1104
• Disestablished	1154
Currency	Dinar
Preceded by Succeeded by Seljuk Empire Zengid dynasty

History

See also: Tutush I and Malik-Shah I

The first Burid ruler, Toghtekin,^[1] began as a servant to the Seljuk ruler of Damascus, Duqaq. Following Duqaq's death in 1104, he seized the city for himself.^{[citation needed]}

The dynasty was named after Toghtekin's son, Taj al-Muluk Buri. The Burids gained recognition from the Abbasid caliphate in return for considerable gifts. In return, the caliphate did not interfere in the emirate.^[2]

The Burids ruled the city until 1154, when it was taken by the ruler of Aleppo, Nur ed-Din, founder of the Zengid dynasty.^[3]

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.^{[citation needed]}

Coinage of the Burid ruler Shihab al-Din Mahmud (1135-1140). Dimashq mint, dated AH 533 (1138-9 CE). This coin gives Shihab al-Din’s full name and patronymic, as well as citing his Seljuq overlords, Sanjar and Mas‘ud, and the Abbasid caliph, al-Muqtafi (called here al-Imam, "the Priest").^[4]

Burid emirs of Damascus

Titular Name(s) (Laqab)	Personal Name	Reign
Amir أمیر Saif-ul-Islam سیف الاسلام	Zahir al-Din Toghtekin ظاھر الدین طغتکین	1104–1128
Amir أمیر	Taj al-Muluk Buri تاج الملک بوری	1128–1132
Amir أمیر	Shams al-Mulk Isma'il شمس الملک اسماعیل	1132–1135
Amir أمیر	Shihab al-Din Mahmud شھاب الدین محمود	1135–1139
Amir أمیر	Jamal al-Din Muhammad جمال الدین محمد	1139–1140
Amir أمیر	Mu'in al-Din Unur معین الدین أنر	1140–1149 Regent
Amir أمیر Mujir-ud-din مجیر الدین	Abu Saʿid Ābaq ابو سعید ابق	1140–1154
Zengid dynasty replaces the Burid dynasty.

• Green shaded row signifies regency of Mu'in ad-Din Unur.

Family Tree

Burid Dynasty
Zahir al-Din Tughtekin (1) r. 1104-1128 Taj al-Muluk Buri (2) r. 1128-1132 Shams al-Mulk Isma'il (3) r. 1132-1135 Shihab al-Din Mahmud (4) r. 1135-1139 Jamal al-Din Muhammad (5) r. 1139-1140 Mujir al-Din Abaq (6) r. 1140-1154

See also

• List of Sunni Muslim dynasties

References

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Medieval Islamic Civilization: L-Z, Ed. Josef W. Meri, Jere L. Bacharach, (Taylor & Francis, 2006), 568.
4. Obverse: al-amir Shihab al-Din Mahmud bin Buri in inner marginal legend; al-Imam / al-Muqtafi in field.Reverse: Sanjar / wa Mas‘ud in two lines across field. Album 782 (RRR); ICV 883.