Struggle versus the Crusaders
On two occasions, in 1170 and 1172, Saladin retreated from an invasion of the
Kingdom of Jerusalem. These had been launched by
Nur ad-Din, and Saladin hoped that the Crusader kingdom would remain intact, as a
buffer state between Egypt and Syria, until Saladin could gain control of Syria as well. Nur ad-Din and Saladin were headed towards open war on these counts when Nur ad-Din died in 1174. Nur ad-Din's heir
as-Salih Ismail al-Malik was a mere boy, in the hands of court
eunuchs, and died in 1181.
Immediately after Nur ad-Din's death, Saladin marched on
Damascus and was welcomed into the city. He reinforced his legitimacy there in the time-honoured way -- by marrying Nur ad-Din's widow.
Aleppo and
Mosul, on the other hand, the two other largest cities that Nur ad-Din had ruled, were never taken, but Saladin managed to impose his influence and authority on them in 1176 and 1186 respectively. While he was occupied in
besieging Aleppo, on
May 22, 1176 the elite shadowy assassin group "
Hashshashins" attempted to murder him. They made two attempts on his life, the second time coming close enough to inflict wounds.
While Saladin was consolidating his power in Syria, he usually left the Crusader kingdom alone, although he was generally victorious whenever he did meet the Crusaders in battle. One exception was the
Battle of Montgisard on
November 25, 1177. He was defeated by the combined forces of
Baldwin IV of Jerusalem, Raynald of Chatillon and the
Knights Templar. Only one tenth of his army made it back to Egypt.
A truce was declared between Saladin and the Crusader States in 1178. Saladin spent the subsequent year recovering from his defeat and rebuilding his army, renewing his attacks in 1179 when he defeated the Crusaders at the
Battle of Jacob's Ford. Crusader counter-attacks provoked further responses by Saladin. Raynald of Chatillon, in particular, harassed Muslim
trading and
pilgrimage routes with a fleet on the
Red Sea, a water route that Saladin needed to keep open. In response, Saladin built a fleet of 30 galleys to attack
Beirut in 1182. Raynald threatened to attack the holy cities of
Mecca and
Medina. In retaliation, Saladin
besieged Kerak, Raynald's fortress in
Oultrejordain, in 1183 and 1184. Raynald responded by looting a caravan of pilgrims on the
Hajj in 1185. According to the later
thirteenth-century Old French Continuation of William of Tyre, Raynald captured Saladin's sister in a raid on a caravan, although this is not attested in contemporary sources, Muslim or Frankish. In fact, Raynald had attacked a preceding caravan, and Saladin set guards to ensure the safety of his sister and her son, who came to no harm.
In July 1187, Saladin recaptured most of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. On
July 4, 1187, he faced at the
Battle of Hattin the combined forces
Guy of Lusignan, King Consort of Jerusalem, and
Raymond III of Tripoli. In the battle alone the Crusader army was largely annihilated by the motivated army of Saladin in what was a major disaster for the Crusaders and a turning point in the history of the Crusades. Saladin captured Raynald de Chatillon and was personally responsible for his
execution. Guy of Lusignan was also captured but his life was spared. Two days after the Battle of Hattin, Saladin ordered the execution of all prisoners of the military orders by beheading. The executions took place as Saladin's secretary himself, Imad ad-Din, from the Ibid, page 138, describes: “He (Saladin) ordered that they should be beheaded, choosing to have them dead rather than in prison. With him was a whole band of scholars and Sufis and a certain number of devout men and ascetics; each begged to be allowed to kill one of them, and drew his sword and rolled back his sleeve. Saladin, his face joyful, was sitting on his dais; the unbelievers showed black despair.” The execution of prisoners at Hattin was not the first by Saladin. On
August 29 1179, he captured the castle at Bait al-Ahazon and approximately 700 prisoners were taken and executed.
Before Saladin recaptured Jerusalem, Baha ad-Din quotes Saladin as saying:
While I (Beha ad-Din) was standing thus Saladin turned to me and said: "I think that when God grants me victory over the rest of Palestine I shall divide my territories, make a will stating my wishes, then set sail on this sea for their far-off lands and pursue the Franks there, so as to free the earth of anyone who does not believe in God, or die in the attempt."
Soon, Saladin had taken back almost every Crusader city. He re-claimed
Jerusalem on
October 2, 1187, after 88 years of Crusader rule (see
Siege of Jerusalem). Saladin initially was unwilling to grant terms of quarter to the European occupants of Jerusalem until
Balian of Ibelin threatened to kill every Muslim in the city, estimated between 3,000 to 5,000, and to destroy Islam’s holy shrines of the Dome of the Rock and the Aqsa Mosque if quarter was not given. Saladin consulted his council and these terms were accepted. Ransom was to be paid for each Frank in the city whether man, woman, or child. Saladin allowed many to leave without having the required amount for ransom for others. According to Imad al-Din, approximately 7,000 men and 8,000 women could not make their ransom and were taken into slavery.
Only
Tyre held out. The city was now commanded by the formidable
Conrad of Montferrat. He strengthened Tyre's defences and withstood two sieges by Saladin. In 1188, at Tortosa, Saladin released Guy of Lusignan and returned him to his wife, Queen
Sibylla of Jerusalem. They went first to Tripoli, then to Antioch. In
1189, they sought to reclaim Tyre for their kingdom, but were refused admission by Conrad, who did not recognise Guy as King. Guy then set about besieging
Acre (see
Siege of Acre).
Hattin and the fall of Jerusalem prompted the
Third Crusade, financed in England by a special "
Saladin tithe". This Crusade took back Acre. After Richard I executed the Muslim prisoners at Acre, Saladin retaliated by killing all Franks captured from August 28 - September 10., describes a particular grisly scene with two captured Franks during this time period: "Whilst we were there they brought two Franks to the Sultan (Saladin) who had been made prisoners by the advance guard. He had them beheaded on the spot." The armies of Saladin engaged in combat with the rivaling armies of King
Richard I of England at the
Battle of Arsuf on
September 7, 1191 at which Saladin was defeated. Saladin's relationship with Richard was one of chivalrous mutual respect as well as military rivalry; both were celebrated in
courtly romances. When Richard was wounded, Saladin offered the services of his personal physician. At Arsuf, when Richard lost his horse, Saladin sent him two replacements. Saladin also sent him fresh fruit with snow, to keep his drinks cold. Richard had suggested to Saladin that his sister could marry Saladin's brother - and Jerusalem could be their wedding gift.
The two came to an agreement over Jerusalem in the
Treaty of Ramla in 1192, whereby the city would remain in Muslim hands but would be open to Christian
pilgrimages; the treaty reduced the Latin Kingdom to a strip along the coast from Tyre to
Jaffa.
Saladin died on
March 4, 1193 at
Damascus, not long after Richard's departure. When they opened Saladin's treasury they found there was not enough money to pay for his funeral; he had given most of his money away in charity .
His tomb is in Damascus, at the
Umayyad Mosque, and is a popular attraction.
