 After the death of Emir Muhammad ibn Sultan (r. 1154–1157) and his family, the emirate passed to the Zengid emir Nur ad-Din, who granted it to the Banu al-Daya family.Through a combination of wealth, diplomatic acumen and military skills, the Banu Munqidh survived as a local power and successfully resisted attempts by the Crusaders and stronger Syrian Muslim dynasties to seize their strategic fortress in Shayzar.Among their allies and enemies alike, the Banu Munqidh gained a reputation for "martial valor, honor, piety and courtly refinement" in the words of historian Adnan Husain.