Sukman ibn Artuq

سقمان بن أرتق

Sukman ibn Artuq ibn Aksak; he and his brother Abu al-Ghazi held al-Ruha and Saruj after their father's death in 483 AH, and when the Franks took Antioch in 491 he won renown in the amirs' counter-siege — he left Jerusalem under safe-conduct when al-Afdal of Egypt took it, fought a running war with Kerbogha of Mosul in which his son Yaquti was captured, joined Jikirmish in the 497 jihad that routed the Franks and captured Count Baldwin of al-Ruha, and after Yaquti's killing took Mardin itself, fixing his rule over it with Hisn Kayfa and Nisibis.

Depth

At a glance

Roles: Ruler · military-commander
Era: The Crusades, Ayyubids and Mamluks
Region: Levant & Iraq · Anatolia
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Overview

Sukman ibn Artuq, amir from the house of Artuq ibn Aksak, one of the rulers of the Artuqid dynasty. He ruled Edessa and Serugh with his brother Abu al-Gazi after their father, in the year 483 AH ¹.

In the time of the Crusades

Ibn Khaldun reports that when the Franks took Antioch in the year 491 AH, the amirs gathered to besiege them, and Sukman had in it "the praiseworthy station" ¹.

He is also reported to have left Jerusalem under safe conduct when al-Afdal, lord of Egypt, took it. Between him and Kerbogha, lord of Mosul, there were strife and wars, in some of which his son Yaquti was captured ¹.

Mardin

Sukman joined Jikirmish in fighting the Franks for the cause of holy war in the year 497 AH. They defeated them and captured Count Baldwin, lord of Edessa. Then he seized Mardin after Yaquti was killed, and his rule was settled there, together with the fortress of Kayfa and Nisibis ¹.