Class Website: www.unf.edu/classes/crusades/
Lecture Supplement 7
Islamic Response and the Battle of Hattin
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University of North Florida/Paul
Halsall
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Presentation Topics: Zengi and Nureddin; Saladin; Muslim battle techniques; Muslim Egypt.
Reading
- OHC 10 = Irwin, Robert. "Islam and the Crusades, 1096-1699." In The Oxford Illustrated History of the Crusades, ed. Jonathan Riley-Smith. 217-59. New York: Oxford University Press, 1995.
- Gabrieli. Arab Historians of the Crusades. Part I: Chaps. 5-6; Part II: Chaps. 1-3.
Extra Reading
- Richard, Jean. "An Account of the Battle of Hattin referring to the Frankish Mercenaries in Oriental Moslem States." Speculum 27 (1952): 168-77. [Available online via JSTOR ]
- Hillenbrand, Carole. The Crusades : Islamic Perspectives. New York : Routledge, 2000.
- Maalouf, Amin. The Crusades through Arab Eyes. Translated by Jon Rothschild. New York : Schocken Books, 1985.
Online Sources
- Usmah Ibn Munqidh (1095-1188): Autobiography: Excerpts on the Franks, c.1175 CE.
- Usmah Ibn Munqidh (1095-1188): On European Piracy, c.1175 CE. [At CCNY]
- Usmah Ibn Munqidh (1095-1188): On Muslim and Christian Piety, c.1175 CE. [At CCNY]
- Philip K. Hitti : The Assasins [At Drug Library]
- Qur'an: On Jihad
- Dajani-Shakeel, Hadia. "Some Medieval Accounts of Salah al-Din's Recovery of Jerusalem (Al-Quds)" in Hisham Nashabe (ed) Studia Palaestina: Studies in honour of Constantine K. Zurayk, Institute for Palestine Studies, Beirut 1988.
Multimedia
- Maps
- The Empire of Sultan Salah Al-Din(1171-1193) and the Crusaders' Principalities in Syria and Palestine [At UPenn]
- Images
- Muhammad Leading an Army [Arabic Manuscript]
- Muslims Fighting Crusaders [Arabic Manuscript]
- Latin View of Saracens [From Roman de Fauvel]
I. Muslim Political History
In the East, Cairo was opposed to the Seljuq and the Seljuqs were based in Persia, not even Iraq. Palestine was not a priority.
So little initial response to Crusades. Since the Seljuq leader Malik Shah died just before Crusades, the westerners faced little opposition, as Islam was undergoing a period of succession strife.
II. Muslim Reaction -- The Crusaders in Muslim Eyes
The Crusades were a surprise to the Muslim world.
In 1095 Spanish Muslim certainly feeling pressure from Christians, but that was long way off from everywhere else.
Muslims did not understand the crusaders. At first thought they were Byzantine employees.
Arabs were shocked by barbarism of Crusaders - e.g. at conquest of Jerusalem.
This attitude of cultural superiority, fact-based though it was prevented the Muslims learning anything from the Franji. E.g.. some Latins learned Arabic, but little record of Muslims learning any Western language.
Gradually, Arabs cam to see Crusaders as attackers of Muslim land. Around 1140 attitudes hardened.
III. Zengi and Nur-a-din
Muslims gradually attained some unity.
A. Zengi
- 1100-25 - no unity at all. Even between Damascus and Hama
- 1125-50 - Zengi unites Aleppo and Mosul. A Turk - atabeg of Mosul- Takes Edessa 1146
- Did not used idea of Jihad
- Zengi's taking of Edessa provoked the Second Crusade
B. Nur-a-din 1150-75
- Nur-a-din, Zengi's son. Genuine Muslim. Did not drink. A real pious Sunni.
- Takes over Cairo - Khutba for Abbasid caliph - 1169
- Raise issue of Jihad against Crusaders
- Emphasis on idea of Jerusalem as a Holy City
IV. Saladin and Ayyubids
A. Rise of Saladin 1175-1200
- Nur-a-din had had Egypt ruled by Shir-Kuh, a Kurd.
- Shie-Kuh's son was Salal-al-din - Saladin
- Saladin took over Syria and Egypt after Nur-a-Din's death.
- New Muslim Unity.
- Based in Cairo.
b. The Ayyubid Dynasty
- Founder Ayyubid Dynasty.
- Ayyubid Egypt - Main state in Area 1175-1250. Very Sunni. Cairo as an important Sunni city - now most important Arab city.
The Crusaders, to an extent provoked Muslim unity. More certainly they provoked a renewed emphasis on Islam in the state, and on Jihad as a good basis for stability - built on by Ottomans.
V. The Horns of Hattin
- 1187 - Saladin's victory at the Horns of Hattin.
- Led to fall of Jerusalem.
Questions for Discussion
- Identify the stages of the Muslim response.
- Where was Saladin's power based?
- What military techniques did each side adopt?
- Did the Crusades affect Islamic thought and action in other areas?
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