Editing Second Crusade (section)

=== Muslims ===
[[File:Badr al-Din Lulu frontispiece (guards).jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|[[Zengid]] soldiers, armed with long swords and wearing Turkic military dress: the ''[[Qaba|aqbiya turkiyya]]'' coat, ''[[tiraz]]'' armbands, boots and ''[[sharbush]]'' hat. Manuscript ''[[Kitab al-Aghani]]'', 1218–1219, [[Mosul]].<ref name="DSR">{{Cite journal |last=Rice |first=D. S. |year=1953 |title=The Aghānī Miniatures and Religious Painting in Islam |journal=The Burlington Magazine |volume=95 |issue=601 |page=130 |issn=0007-6287 |jstor=871101}}</ref>]]
The professional soldiers of the Muslim states, who were usually ethnic [[Turkish people|Turks]], tended to be very well-trained and equipped. The basis of the military system in the Islamic Middle East was the ''[[iqta']]'' system of fiefs, which supported a certain number of troops in every district. In the event of war, the ''[[ahdath]]'' militias, based in the cities under the command of the ''ra’is'' (chief), and who were usually ethnic Arabs, were called upon to increase the number of troops. The ''ahdath'' militia, though less well trained than the Turkish professional troops, were often very strongly motivated by religion, especially the concept of [[jihad]]. Further support came from [[Turkmen people|Turkmen]] and [[Kurd]]ish auxiliaries, who could be called upon in times of war, though these forces were prone to indiscipline.{{sfn|Nicolle|2009|pp=28–30}}

The principal Islamic commander was [[Mu'in ad-Din Unur]], the ''atabeg'' of Damascus from 1138 to 1149. Damascus was supposedly ruled by the [[Burid dynasty]] of Damascus, but Anur, who commanded the military, was the real ruler of the city. The historian David Nicolle described Anur as an able general and diplomat, also well known as a patron of the arts. Because the Burid dynasty was displaced in 1154 by the [[Zengid dynasty]], Anur's role in repulsing the Second Crusade has been largely erased with historians and chroniclers loyal to the Zengids giving the credit to Anur's rival, [[Nur al-Din Zengi]], the emir of Aleppo.{{sfn|Nicolle|2009|pp=19–21}}