The Crusades Saladin - Research Paper Example

Saladin Before Saladin came to be, there was accumulated tension among the Christians and Muslims, which led to vicious religious wars referred to as crusades. Crusades describe a series of religious expeditionary wars undertaken to fulfill a solemn vow to acquire or liberate holy lands. These were common among the Christian and Muslim forces who sought assert their claim across the land during the middle ages. Such confrontations were leader by great leaders of either side guided by religious beliefs and drive for power. Cities and towns of religious interest both to Christians and to Muslims such as Damascus and Jerusalem were often the cause of crusades. Such expeditions were undertaken in pursuance of vows taken to protect the holy lands from infidels and pagans. As a result, crusades are regarded as brutal marred with mass killings of the opposing sides. Besides heavy casualties, the expeditions influenced its participants in their various aspects of life to adopt new mannerisms, foods, cultural outlooks, learning, and weapons. The Born ?ala? al-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub in 1138, Saladin emerged as a powerful and most influential Muslim sultan of his time. During his reign, Saladin led troops in wars geared at regaining holy lands such as Jerusalem, which were lost during earlier battles. This was achieved by conquering and unifying warring factions before defeating King Richard I of England in the Third crusade. As such, Saladin is regarded as a great leader for his role in uniting and leading the Muslim world into crusades such as the battle of Hattin through to the Third Crusade. This paper illustrates the life of ?ala? al-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub with regard to his rise to power, leadership, and crusades. Saladin’s heritage is subject to debate among historians who fail in consensus on his paternal family origins. Some describe him as a Kurd while others illustrate an Arab and Turkish ancestry. Saladin’s father, Najm ad-Din Ayyub was a warden at Tikrit fortress after rising in prominence as a wealthy Kurdish chief and a noble Muslim before Saladin was born. For this reason, Ayyub developed administrative skills that made him useful to the then ruler. Tikrit was a significant city as a scholars centre to both Christians and Muslims. However, the thirst for power and wealth saw Ayyub assist a rival leader, Imad ad-Din Zangi Lord of Mosul, after his defeat by offering them refuge in Tikrit. Similarly, Shirkuh, Saladin’s uncle was accused of murder, which forced Ayyub and his family to flee with his family on the same night the Saladin was born (Nicolle 10). In 1139, Saladin's family moved to Mosul where Zangi received them and proceeded to appoint Ayyub as the commander of his fortress in Baalbek, Syria as acknowledgement of his help. Saladin spent most of his early life in Baalbek following his father’s military career, which would later play a critical role in nurturing his leadership skills. Saladin’s early childhood education focused on religion, ethics, and culture, which involved learning Arabic, poetry, grammar, and formal prayers (Burhan). In addition, Saladin studied the Koran and the traditions of Prophet Muhammad as demanded in accordance to Islamic traditions. Over time, he was mainly interested in learning Islamic principles concerning Christians and Jews owing to the prevalent barbaric crusades in Jerusalem. This interest can also be attributed to the day he was born as his family was exiled following the murder of a Christian by his uncle. Saladin failed to understand how Islam called for noble treatment of Christians and Jews even as they were involved in massacres in Jerusalem, in the name of crusades. In spite of the controversy surrounding the ill treatment of Muslims by Christians, Saladin was guided by Sufism, which sought for a higher spiritual life and closer intimacy with God. With great influences such as his father and uncle, Saladin grew up in a cultured environment of Damascus where he completed his education. It is indicated that Saladin got married at the age of fourteen before being sent to his uncle in Aleppo marking the beginning of his military career (Magil and Aves 809). Following the assassination of Zangi, his son offered Saladin the deputy’s position in Damascus where he was responsible for administrative and judicial matters. Saladin dispensed his duties in accordance to the Islamic laws upholding fairness and impartiality in his judgments. However, corruption among his junior offices led to his resignation and return to Nur al-Din as an aide. The conflict between Christians and Muslims in the middle age period was characterized by suspicion, distrust, and intolerance among them. The crusades affected the Islamic community negatively as they were torn by religious disagreements and ethnic differences. As such, they were largely incapacitated to resist the European crusades that saw the initial recapture of Jerusalem that ended the 450-year rule. On his return to Nur al-Din, Saladin was sent to Egypt under his uncle Shirkuh following a long wait and missed opportunities to govern the country. The campaign of 1163 was a concerted effort between an Arab governor (Shawar) and Nur al-Din’s troops following promises made to reward the troops. Shawar emerged the victor after tricking his allies to broker a peace deal. A second campaign of 1167 by Shirkuh won the battle against Shawar despite heavy casualties. Saladin organized a continued defense in Alexandria following a vicious siege from Shawar allies. This was his first major military position held during the campaign. The campaign of 1168 consolidated the win and occupancy of Egypt, which saw the execution of Shawar and the appointment of Saladin to a high administrative position. Soon after Shirkuh’s death, Saladin became the vizier whose reign aimed at repairing the political and social status among the Egyptians. His stay in Egypt conferred military, administrative, and diplomatic skills that came in handy in the unification of the Muslim world against the Christian crusaders. As a foreign occupier in Egypt, Saladin relied of alliances between cities to present a common front against his enemies. For long, there had been poor distribution of power among military elites who were viewed as newcomers and outsiders in most cities, and among civilian elites. Saladin managed to unite these aspects for a common purpose creating a new sense of stability while maintaining the urban structures. This was characteristic of the Ayyubid dynasty that ruled the vast Middle East for years with Egypt as its capital. The conquest into Syria was based on an independent foreign policy that sought to consolidate the dynasty’s territory. Saladin’s military skills saw him capture Aleppo and defeat Sarif al-Din of Mosul even when outnumbered. Having conquered and united the Muslims of Syria, Saladin shifted his attention to Jerusalem. The ancient city held religious significance to both factions as they regarded it as the holy city. To Muslims, it was believed Prophet Muhammad set off from it to converse with Moses and Jesus while to Christians; Jerusalem was synonymous with the life of Jesus. Jerusalem had been under the Christian rule following its capture in the 1099 crusade that saw a murderous rampage of Muslim. The population of crusaders dwindled with time owing to the hardships experienced in the region and with time, only a handful of knights remained. Although it had been Saladin’s long-term goal to recapture Jerusalem for its religious significance, the attacks made on Muslim pilgrims in 1187 precipitated the fall of Jerusalem. Saladin moved his enormous army to northern Palestine in view of the battle of Hattin, which took place near Tiberius. Saladin has amassed large numbers for his army following the unification of Muslim states that surrounded the kingdom of Jerusalem, which greatly outnumbered the opposing crusader troops (Smith et al 110). The Muslim armies united under Saladin, annihilated the crusader forces leaving them incapable of waging war or retaliation. To crown the decisive defeat, Saladin's men captured the royal tent and the Holy Cross as spoils of war. In addition, Christian cities within Syria surrendered following the crusaders defeat at the battle of Hattin. Saladin and his troops advanced with the aim of reconquering Jerusalem. The kingdom was weakened by internal disputes and was unable to withstand relentless attacks from Saladin’s troops. Saladin’s troops laid siege in Jerusalem after its occupants decline generous terms of surrender offered by Saladin. As a result, citizens who sought to leave paid hefty ransoms for safe passage. He moved his army to a different region outside the city after heavy casualties following crusader attacks. The walls of Jerusalem were pounded by catapults and siege engines in an effort to gain access. The wall collapsed following its mining by Syrian engineers allowing Saladin’s troops to breach. However, the troops could not access the main gate and thus the siege continued. Resources had grown thin especially in the Jerusalem camp, which induced despair among the residents prompting their leader, Balian to initiate talks with Saladin. The inhabitants had a month to pay their ransom marking the recapture of Jerusalem by Muslims. The news about the battle of Hattin and fall of Jerusalem necessitated the Third Crusade, which was led by the great rulers of Europe. Among them was King Richard I of England, Frederick Barbarossa and King Philip Augustus of France, the German sovereign who set out with large armies with aim of recapturing the Holy Land. The German emperor was first to set out and was to link up with his fellow crusaders on their arrival. His quest was marred by betrayal from fellow leaders who sought peace with Saladin at the expense of Barbarossa. In spite of the hurdles, Barbarossa was determined to reach his destination until his horse slipped, drowning him in the river. Most of his troops turned back in anticipation of the upcoming polls, leaving Barbarossa's son to command 5,000 men. Kings Philip and Richard arrived at Acre following a siege that saw Saladin’s force overwhelmed by opposition led by King Guy who had been previously released from prison. Quarrels erupted among the leaders of the crusade over spoils of battle and the choice of king after they reclaim Jerusalem. King Philip left for France owing to his failing health and impacts of the siege in Acre, which left King Richard in control of Acre and a vow to fulfill. Richard ordered the decapitation of over 2000 Muslim prisoners following failed negotiations with Saladin, who also order the execution of Christian prisoners as retaliation. In 1191, both sides fought in the battle of Arsuf after Saladin pushed King Richard to break his defensive formation that he maintained. In spite winning the battle, King Richard was not able to destroy Saladin’s army even with heavy casualties suffered. This defeat served to enhance the morale of the crusaders while it dented Saladin’s reputation as invincible. Nevertheless, the battle had served its purpose according to Saladin who had managed to delay the invasion of Jerusalem and deplete resources among the crusaders. The king had a fever that compelled him to reach out to his enemy seeking fresh fruit and water. As a strict Muslim, Saladin responded positively providing as requested. His positive response also provided him an opportunity to send spies to assess Richard’s camp with regard to organization, equipment, and number of men. The few resources at King Richard's disposal forced him into a truce before abandoning his quest, and with that, the Third Crusade was over. Not long after King Richard's departure, Saladin died of a fever in the month of March 1193 in Damascus where he had retired in Damascus to spend time with his wives and children. He had donated a large proportion of his wealth to his subjects at the time of his death leaving less to finance his funeral. Saladin was buried in a mausoleum built in 1196 before it was Emperor Wilhelm of Germany donated new marble towards it rebuilding. Bordering the mausoleum is the Umayyad Mosque built where most of his successors are buried around it. Saladin is regarded as an honorable leader of great character as evidenced by his response to King Richard’s cry for help. Works Cited Magil, Frank and Aves, Alison. Dictionary of World Biography: The Middle Ages, Volume 2. London: Routledge, 1998. Print. Nicolle, David. Saladin: The Background, Strategies, Tactics and Battlefield Experiences of the Greatest Commanders of History, Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2011. Print. Smith, Jonathan Simon, Jonathan and Smith, Christopher. The Crusades: A History, London: Continuum International Publishing Group, 2005. Print. Burhan, Faysal. Saladin: a Benevolent Man, Respected by both Muslims and Christians. n.d. Web. 2 May 2013. Read More