Iftikhar al-Dawla (Arabic:إفتخار الدولة,lit. 'prideof the dynasty') was theFatimid governor ofJerusalem during thesiege of 1099. On 15 July, he surrendered Jerusalem toRaymond of Saint-Gilles^[1] in theTower of David and was escorted out of the city with his bodyguard.^[2]

Little is known about Iftikhar al-Dawla, although he is mentioned as governor ofAscalon following the fall of Jerusalem, which suggests he was Fatimid governor of the whole ofPalestine.^[3] The Syrian chroniclerBar-Hebraeus refers to him as anEgyptian man.Usama ibn Munqidh'sautobiography mentions an emir of the local castles ofAbu Qubays,Qadmus andal-Kaf called Iftikhar al-Dawla whose sister was married to Ibn Munqidh's uncle, the ruler ofShayzar.^[3]

Tasso, The Liberation of Jerusalem, canto 3.60 says that he met Godfrey of Bouillon “in the high court of France where I came as Egypt’s envoy long ago.” (Max Wickert translation.)

Iftikhar al-Dawla had a strong garrison of Arab andNubian troops. Hearing of the advance of theFranks hepoisoned the wells outside Jerusalem; moved livestock from the pastures inside the city walls and sent urgently toEgypt for reinforcements.^[4] He then ordered allChristians, then the majority of the population, to evacuate the city, but allowedJews to remain within.^[4] Although the garrison was well-supplied it was insufficient to man all the walls and was overwhelmed after a siege lasting six weeks.^[2]

• Geary, Patrick J. (2003).Readings in Medieval History. Broadview Press.ISBN 1-55111-550-6
• Nicolle, David (2003).The First Crusade 1096–1099: Conquest of the Holy Land. Osprey.ISBN 1-84176-515-5.
• Runciman, Steven (1992).The First Crusade. Cambridge University Press.ISBN 0-521-42705-3.

• Generals of the Fatimid Caliphate
• 11th century in Jerusalem
• 11th-century people from the Fatimid Caliphate
• 12th-century people from the Fatimid Caliphate
• Arab generals
• 11th-century Shia Muslims
• 12th-century Shia Muslims
• Muslims of the First Crusade
• 11th-century Arab people
• 12th-century Arab people
• Palestine under the Fatimid Caliphate

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