d. 1149 · Leader of the Syrian Nizaris (Assassins)
Ali ibn Wafa
Leader of the Nizari Isma'ili communities of northern Syria; in 1149 he fought alongside Prince Raymond of Antioch against Nur al-Din and died at Inab.
BIOGRAPHICAL DOSSIER
Life and historical role
Life and political setting
Ali ibn Wafa was one of the leading figures of the Nizari (Assassin) Isma'ili communities active around Aleppo and the Jabal al-Summaq. The Nizaris saw the growth of Sunni Zengid power in the region as a threat to their existence.
Role in the Crusades
During Nur al-Din's attack on Antiochene territory in 1149, Ali ibn Wafa joined Prince Raymond of Poitiers of Antioch with his forces. At the Battle of Inab in June 1149 the allied army was defeated, and Ali ibn Wafa died on the field together with Raymond.
Historical significance and source problems
Ali ibn Wafa's alliance with the Latins shows that in the crusading period alliances could be formed according to local balances of power rather than religious divisions. What is known of him rests on a few brief notices, chiefly in Ibn al-Qalanisi and Ibn al-Athir; his identity and title are reported differently in the sources.
Biographical information is linked to the sources shown on the page and to the connected event records. Disputed dates are given as approximate, gaps are not filled by conjecture, and later literary or visual depictions are not treated as contemporary portraits.