d. 1132 · Ruler of Damascus (1128–1132)
Taj al-Muluk Buri
Son of Toghtekin and ruler of Damascus, after whom the Burid dynasty is named; in 1129 he repelled the Kingdom of Jerusalem's campaign against Damascus.
BIOGRAPHICAL DOSSIER
Life and historical role
Life and political setting
Buri was the son of Toghtekin, atabeg of Damascus, and took over the government of the city on his father's death in 1128. Relations with the Nizari Isma'ilis, who had grown strong in Damascus under his father, were the first problem of his rule.
Role in the Crusades
In 1129 a great massacre took place in Damascus on suspicion that the Nizaris were collaborating with the Franks, and Banyas, held by the Nizaris, was handed to the Franks. The same year King Baldwin II of Jerusalem marched on Damascus with newly arrived Western knights. Buri's forces defeated Frankish foraging units, and with heavy rains the campaign failed.
Historical significance and source problems
Buri was wounded in an attack by Nizari assassins in 1131 and died of his wounds in 1132. The dynasty that ruled Damascus until 1154 is called the Burids after him. Ibn al-Qalanisi is the most important source, describing events from inside the city.
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.