When Ridwan of Aleppo died in 1113, Shaizar was inundated by many of his Assassin supporters that were expelled from the city by his son Alp Arslan al-Akras. Shaizar participated in Ilghazi's campaign against Antioch in 1119. When Baldwin II of Jerusalem was taken captive by the Artuqid Belek Ghazi outside Edessa in 1123, he was held at Shaizar until his release the next year. As part of his ransom he was forced to give up his daughter Ioveta as a hostage, who was also held at Shaizar until her own ransom in 1125. As Shaizar was a friendly state, Baldwin was allowed to visit his daughter there, but Shaizar was also friendly to its Muslim neighbours, and in 1125 was incorporated into the territory of Aqsunqur al-Bursuqi, atabeg of Mosul. When Zengi succeeded-Bursuqi's son in Mosul in 1127 and claimed Aleppo as well, Shaizar recognized his suzerainty.