Editing Al-Adil I (section)

== Rule ==
After his victory, he ruled wisely and well over both Egypt and Syria for nearly two decades, promoting trade and good relations with the [[Crusader states]] (1200–1217). For much of his reign however the effective ruler of Egypt was his son [[Al-Kamil]].<ref name="CHE221">{{The Cambridge History of Egypt | volume = 1 | page=221}}</ref>

The reign of al Adil was generally more one of consolidation than of expansion. He was in his late fifties by the time he consolidated his power, and by that time had been almost constantly at war for two decades. His first concern was to rebuild his treasury, which had been left almost empty by his brother's empire-building, the wars with the Crusaders and the struggles within the Ayyubid dynasty itself. Al-Adil introduced reforms both to the currency and to the taxation system.<ref name="CHE221"/> The effectiveness of his measures can be judged from the relatively rapid recovery Egypt made from an earthquake in 1200 (597) and the low flooding of the Nile between 1199 and 1202 (595–98). The resulting drought and famine were serious threats, but by a range of measures including sending his soldiers out to work the land, al-Adil ensured continued social and political stability as well as economic recovery.<ref name="CHE221"/>

Avoiding a new crusade was the second main concern of al-Adil's reign, and to this end he encouraged trade with European merchants, calculating that if the trading cities of the Mediterranean had a stake in peaceful trade they would be less inclined to support a new Crusade. He was not entirely successful in this, and there were Frankish naval raids on Rosetta in 1204 (600) and Damietta in 1211 (607).<ref name="CHE221"/>

His third concern was to maintain hegemony within the Ayyubid domains without resort to force. He proved to be a skilled diplomat in this respect and managed to avoid any confrontations after 1201. Of particular importance was the marriage of his daughter [[Dayfa Khatun]] to Saladin's son [[Az-Zahir Ghazi]] of Aleppo in 1212, which marked the end of the rivalry between the two branches of the family.<ref>From Saladin to the Mongols: The Ayyubids of Damascus, 1193–1260 by R. Stephen Humphreys p.155</ref> Al-Adil also undertook a major programme of refortification throughout his domains, and the massive citadel of Damascus was one of his most notable achievements in this respect.<ref name="NCMH"/>

Al-Adil's territorial ambitions were focused far away from the main centres of [[Ayyubid]] rule, in southern [[Anatolia]] and northern [[Mesopotamia]]. He succeeded over time in bringing much of the old [[Zengid]] dominions, apart from [[Mosul]] and [[Sinjar]], under his control, as well as the region around [[Lake Van]].<ref name="NCMH">{{New Cambridge Medieval History|volume=4b|page=748}}</ref> He took [[Ahlat]] in 1207 and brought to an end the rule of the [[Ahlatshahs]].