Imad ad-Din Zengi
For the first time, the advent of Imad ad-Din Zengi saw the Crusaders threatened by a Muslim ruler attempting to restore "jihad" to Near Eastern politics, joining the powerful Syrian emirates in a combined effort against the Franks. Zengi's father Aq Sunqur al-Hajib was governor of Aleppo under the Seljuk sultan Malik-Shah I and was beheaded by Malik's brother Tutush I for treason in 1094. At the time, Zengi was about 10 years old and brought up by Kerbogha, who later met the Crusaders at Antioch in 1098. Little is known of his early years. He became atabeg of Mosul in September 1127 and used this to expand his control to Aleppo on 18 June 1128.