Chirkouh, Kurdish general of Noureddine, then vizier of Egypt in 1169. Uncle of Saladin which succeeds to him.

In 1138, the family of Najm AD-DIN Ayyub, the father of Saladin, Kurdish governor of Tikrit, must leave the city, shortly after the birth of Saladin, his/her Chirkouh brother which has had to kill a man to avenge, according to his dires, the ridiculed honor of a woman.

Later, Chirkouh becomes the right-hand man of Nur AD-DIN and in Syria in 1146 accompanies it. In 1149 it kills the prince Raymond d' Antioche at the time of a battle.

Forwardings in Egypt

When the vizier of Egypt Chawer is reversed by his lieutenant Dirgham and takes refuge in Syria (1163), Nur AD-DIN sends Chirkouh in Egypt to restore it (April 1164). While Nur  AD-DIN operates a diversion to attract Amaury Ier of Jerusalem in the north of Palestine, Chirkouh, Chawer and two thousand riders follow Eastern bank of the the Jordan, then to the south of the Dead Sea cross the the Sinai and seize Bilbeis the April 24th. May 1st, they camp under the walls of the Cairo. Taken with deprived, the vizier Dirgham does not have time to organize the defense of the city. Given up out of all, it is killed while trying to flee and its body is thrown to the dogs of the streets. Chawer east reinvests in its load by the caliph fatimide Al-Adid, a thirteen year old teenager.

Forgetting the promises made with Nur AD-DIN (he had promised tribute to him and the transfer of the Egyptian North-East), he summons Chirkouh to leave Egypt. This last, insane of anger, is determined to remain costs which costs. Chawer then calls upon Amaury, which engages in the Sinai (July). Chirkouh leaves the surroundings of the Cairo to cut off itself in Bilbeis, from where it pushes back the attacks of its enemies. Nur AD-DIN then carries out an offensive against the Francs in the north of Syria to oblige them to leave the Egypt. It attacks the fortress of Harim, close to Antioche, crushes the Francs which are massacred or made captive, of which their chiefs Bohémond III of Antioche and the count of Tripoli. In Egypt, Amaury, with the advertisement of the defeat, seeks a compromise with Chirkouh. The two men intend themselves to leave the country at the same time at the end of October. Chawer, only in Egypt, consolidates its capacity during two years.

Chawer having concluded a treaty from mutual assistance with Amaury Ier of Jerusalem, Nur AD-DIN returns Chirkouh to Egypt. Chawer claims troops with Amaury. At the first days of 1167, the frank king and the Kurdish general Chirkouh arrive almost at the same time to Egypt. Chawer and the Francs gathered their forces in front of Cairo to await Chirkouh there. But this one circumvents the city by the south, crosses the the Nile, then goes up towards north and installs a fortified camp protected by the Nile in the west from Cairo, close to the pyramids of Gizeh. He proposes in Chawer, which refuses, to link himself against the Francs. Amaury, being wary, requires an official alliance with the caliph fatimide, which is made. United Egyptians and Francs cross the Nile. Chirkouh leaves towards the south, to attract them far from their bases.

The March 18th, the two armies clash close to the locality of El-Babein. Saladin, which orders the center of the Syrian armies, made mine flee in front of the load of Amaury, while the left wings and right-hand side of the Syrian army cut any retirement to the Francs. Amaury succeeds in escaping in spite of heavy losses and regains Cairo where remained the large one of its troops. With Chawer, it prepares to return towards high Egypt, when it learns that Alexandria, hostile to alliance with the Francs, fell to the hands from Chirkouh! Amaury and Chawer put the seat in front of the city, quickly threatened of famine. A franque fleet comes to wet with broad of the port. Chirkouh entrusts the defense of the city to its nephew Saladin, while it overlaps towards High Egypt with a few hundreds of riders. It organizes a true rising against Chawer there, then approaches Cairo. He then manages an agreement with Amaury, impatient to finish some: the head office of Alexandria raised east and the two armies set out again towards their respective country in August. Amaury however leaves a quota to Cairo to control the doors of the city and to protect the frank civils servant charged to box the annual tribute of 100.000 dinars promised by Chawer. The townsmen are not long in murmuring against the occupants.

The following year, the knights and the frank civils servant remained in Cairo, in front of the hostility of the population, call Amaury with the assistance. Encouraged by the recent arrival of crusaders, it launches the fourth forwarding towards Egypt in October. The Francs seize Bilbeis, and massacre some without reason the population, man, women, children, Moslems like Christians of rite Copte. The inhabitants of the Cairo, learning that, decide to resist. Chawer orders to set fire to the old city of Fostat, which burns during 54 days, and evacuates the population towards the city founded by the Fatimides at the 10th century. The caliph fatimide Al-Adid calls Nur AD-DIN with the assistance, which dispatches again Chirkouh and its nephew Saladin.

Amaury of Jerusalem, impressed by the determination of the Inhabitants of Cairo and fearing to be taken with reverse by the Syrians, leaves Egypt the January 2nd 1169. Six days later, Chirkouh is accommodated with the Cairo as a liberator. Attracted in a ambush, the vizier Chawer is assassinated own hands of Saladin with the approval of the caliph (January 18th). Chirkouh replaces it, but dies the March 23rd following a too heavy meal. The caliph Fatimide Al-Adid names Saladin vizier then. This one is essential in a few weeks. He eliminates the civils servant doubtful fatimides to replace them by his close relations, crushes a revolt within the Egyptian troops and pushes back in October an ultimate franque invasion of Amaury against Damiette, in spite of the support of the Byzantine fleet.