The 12Th Century Islamic Leader Saladin Essay Example

power vacuum emerged in Egypt in the Near East region. The ruling leaders in Egypt, the Shi'ite Fatimids, had become weak and divided. In this nation abundant with resources, two rival superpowers competed for supremacy: Nur ed-Din and the European Crusaders who had established the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem after settling in Syria early on. To prevent the Latins from gaining control, Nur ed-Din dispatched his general Shirkuh to conquer Egypt. Accompanying his uncle, Saladin aided him in achieving victory.

By 1169, Shirkuh achieved the position of vizier of Egypt, second in command only to Nur ed-Din. After a short time, Shirkuh passed away, and Nur ed-Din selected Saladin as the new vizier. Saladin emerged as a wise and disciplined ruler who strengthened Cairo, one of Egypt's crucial cities, by constructing fortifications to protect against potential invaders.

Saladin established trade links with Italian merchants, providing European markets for Egyptian goods. After Nur ed-Din's death in 1174, Saladin, an ambitious leader, sought to claim his position despite Nur ed-Din's young son inheriting the kingdom. Taking advantage of his large support base in Damascus, Saladin seized control of the city and used military force and diplomacy to acquire power. By 1175, he was proclaimed as the sultan of Egypt, Syria, and Mesopotamia. Furthermore, in 1176, Saladin solidified his legitimacy by marrying Nur ed-Din's widow. However, one of Saladin's major challenges revolved around organizing and funding his armies. As a devout follower of orthodox Islam, he refrained from imposing high taxes to finance his military campaigns. Consequently, Saladin led his armies into Syria multiple times during the 1170s and 1180s.

Baldwin IV of Jerusalem consistently employed his armies to halt the

advancement of Saladin. In 1185, following Baldwin IV's demise, there was a dispute over the throne, resulting in Guy de Lusignan, Baldwin's brother-in-law, assuming the role of king. Due to his recent arrival in the Latin Kingdom, Guy possessed limited political acumen. A peace treaty prevented Saladin and Guy from engaging in hostilities. However, Reynald de Chatillon violated the agreement shortly after Guy ascended to power.

Reynald's assault on a vulnerable caravan, which coincidentally included Saladin's sister, aroused Saladin's anger as it breached the treaty. In response, Saladin declared a holy war called jihad against the Latin Kingdom. In the summer of 1187, Saladin implemented his strategy by sieging the northern town of Tiberias and successfully capturing it, aiming to lure the crusaders towards him.

Raymond III of Tripoli's wife was held captive by Guy in Tiberias' castle. In response to Saladin's aggression, Guy called a conference of his barons to determine their next move. Reynald of Chatillon and Gerard de Ridfort advised Guy to launch an attack. However, Raymond III of Tripoli disagreed, believing that Saladin would ransom his wife and also expressing concerns about the difficult journey due to the summer heat and scarcity of water. Despite Raymond's objections, Reynald and Gerard persuaded Guy to proceed with the attack. On July 3, 1187, the crusader army began their march towards Tiberias, consisting mainly of knights from the Kingdom of Jerusalem. The intense sun and lack of water slowed down the Latin army, and they were further harassed by Saladin's bowmen during the day.

By evening, the Latin army had grown tired and had not yet arrived at Tiberias. They set up camp near the Hattin hills,

which were about 6 miles away from Tiberias. That night, Saladin's soldiers encircled them, sealing the fate of the crusaders.

The following day, Saladin launched a surprise attack on the dehydrated and exposed Latin camp, resulting in a fierce and protracted battle. With their army in superior condition, Saladin's forces emerged victorious and gained control over a significant portion of the crusaders' military power[6]. Subsequently, he commanded the Sufis, his Islamic religious leaders, to eliminate the knights belonging to the Hospitaler and Templar orders.

Saladin gathered the foot soldiers and sold them as slaves, but he showed mercy by allowing the noble knights to purchase their freedom. Inside his tent, Saladin brought Guy, Reynald, and Ridfort. In a gesture of kindness, Saladin offered Guy a glass of water to quench his thirst and symbolize that he would spare the king of Jerusalem. However, when Guy passed the glass to Reynald, Saladin made it clear that he wouldn't offer such mercy to him. Saladin then proposed sparing Reynald's life if the Latin noble converted to Islam.

Reynald adamantly refused and incited Saladin's anger, resulting in the beheading of the haughty Latin leader before Guy and Reynald's eyes. Guy was then taken as a prisoner but released several months later, while Reynald secured his freedom along with the other wealthy knights from Latin descent. Saladin continued his march towards Jerusalem, capturing various Latin cities during his journey. The Battle of Hattin proved devastating, causing a significant loss of knights and leaving no opposition to impede Saladin's three-month conquest.

By the autumn of 1187, Saladin reached Jerusalem, a Holy City that was crowded with refugees from conquered towns. Despite Saladin's offer of

peace, the Latins refused to surrender. Saladin's forces then besieged the city for 13 days, and on the final day, they managed to breach a section of the defensive wall.

[7] Almost 90 years prior, the European knights from the First Crusade had entered Jerusalem's walls. These European Christians entered the city and decimated everything they encountered. The number of massacred individuals was so high that those who survived had to tread through streets flooded with blood up to their ankles. Saladin and his Muslim troops, however, did not demonstrate such brutality.

After capturing the Holy City, Saladin's soldiers showed mercy and spared the Latin individuals. Instead, Saladin chose to sell some people into slavery and offered others the opportunity to regain their freedom by paying a small ransom. Those who were wealthy had to pay a higher price but were permitted to leave Jerusalem. The Europeans experienced great sorrow over the fall of Jerusalem and grieved for the loss of this sacred city.

Three monarchs - Fredrick Barbarossa of Germany, Henry II of England, and Philip Augustus of France - answered Pope Gregory VIII's summons for the Third Crusade. Their objective was to reclaim Jerusalem, motivated by their religious devotion as well as their ambition to accumulate riches in the East. Unfortunately, tragedy occurred when Fredrick perished in Asia Minor in 1190, leading to the dissolution of his army.

Philip and Richard the Lionheart, the son of the deceased Henry II, arrived in Acre in 1191 after taking a few years to prepare and gather funds. The two monarchs joined Guy's siege of the city, which was still under Saladin's control. Despite Saladin's dismay at the arrival of

Philip and Richard's reinforcements, they were able to overpower the Muslim forces defending Acre by summer 1191. This unexpected turn of events left Saladin, who was already tired from war, furious and disconcerted.

His soldiers were becoming less reliable.[9] Philip became ill and chose to go back to France, which left Saladin with only one European opponent, Richard. Richard, who proved to be a courageous leader but sometimes acted recklessly, quickly developed a mutual respect with Saladin. Over the next year, the armies of Saladin and Richard engaged in multiple clashes. During these clashes, Richard triumphed in capturing the coastal city of Jaffa. This victory marked the end of Saladin's military dominance and turned Jaffa into the Crusader's supply base.

During the Crusades, Richard led the Crusaders in their march towards Jerusalem. However, while Richard was absent, Saladin launched an attack on Jaffa. Nevertheless, Richard managed to reclaim the city upon his return. According to legend, Richard accomplished this feat despite having very few soldiers by his side. Furthermore, when his horse disappeared during the battle, Richard chose to continue fighting on a much inferior horse. Displaying his characteristic impulsive behavior, Richard bravely charged alone towards the Muslim army.

Saladin, the Islamic sultan, observed that the king had a subpar mount. In an act of generosity, he arranged for a superior horse to be sent to the English monarch[10]. As Richard was striving to reclaim Jerusalem, negotiations between the two leaders commenced. Having experienced years of warfare, Saladin was weary of the conflict, while Richard faced troubles back in his own kingdom. Ultimately, in September 1192, an agreement was reached between the two men.

This agreement granted the Crusaders

various coastal cities and the freedom to visit sacred cities in Muslim territory, including Jerusalem. Saladin returned to Damascus shortly after Richard's departure from the Holy Land. Soon after, Saladin became sick, possibly with malaria according to modern scholars. By February 1193, Saladin, the great leader, had passed away. Among all those involved in the crusades, Saladin was celebrated as a romantic hero, with Richard the Lion-Hearted considered a lesser figure. This choice was unsurprising as Saladin possessed qualities that appealed to both Christians and Muslims.

Saladin, unlike most Muslim leaders, did not possess a broad tolerance in religion. However, some Christian leaders during the Crusades, due to their exposure to various faiths in the Holy Land and their disillusionment with their own narrow beliefs, came close to this tolerance. In The Talisman, Scott portrays Saladin as a generous and courteous individual, similar to how medieval Christian writers depicted him. Saladin also earned admiration from his allies and adversaries alike for his bravery. One of his notable virtues was that he always kept his promises, a quality that his opponents recognized but did not emulate.

Despite his occasional sternness in seeking revenge, this individual was generally known for his merciful nature. In comparison to the brutal times he lived in, his character stood out brightly. Numerous instances have been documented of his compassion towards those facing hardship, particularly Christian women and children. He displayed such immense generosity that his servants resorted to hiding funds to ensure he would not deplete his resources. Even though he passed away as the most influential ruler in the Muslim world, he was almost completely destitute.