Assassination of Imad al-Din Zengi

Timeline

1. 1146Ja'bar Castle · JaziraAfter capturing Edessa in 1144, Zengi continued operations along the Euphrates. In 1146 he besieged Ja'bar Castle. Ibn al-Athir and others record that he drank with his army and let his guard down.
2. 1146Ja'bar Castle · JaziraOn the night of September 14, the Frankish slave Yarankash stabbed Zengi to death while he lay drunk. The assassin's motive was recorded as personal grudge or fear of punishment. Zengi's sudden death abruptly severed unified command of Mosul and Aleppo.
3. 1146–1147Aleppo · SyriaNur al-Din quickly took control of Aleppo and the Syrian cities, while Saif al-Din Ghazi held Mosul. A restoration attempt in Edessa was swiftly crushed by Nur al-Din. Zengi's death and the fall of Edessa together prompted the Second Crusade of 1147.