Zengi gained his legacy as the precursor to Saladin. While Zengi captured Edessa, Saladin would capture Jerusalem, and both leaders fought to establish their own realms. However, Zengi cannot be fully understood without an examination of his other policies and warfare and an appreciation of his Turkmen background, all of which influenced his fight against the Crusades. "

Zengi and the Muslim Response to the Crusades: The politics of Jihad, "provides a full and rich picture of Zengi s career: his personality and motives; his power and ambition; his background and his foundation of a...