"I warn you against shedding blood, indulging in it, or making a habit of it. For blood never sleeps" - Saladin. During the second half of the 12th century,
a dramatic Muslim revival reaches its' zenith under the command of Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub, a courageous and brilliant leader, known to contemporary Muslims as 'al-Nasir' (The Victorious), and to Europeans as 'Saladin' He seeks nothing less than to unite all Muslims between the Euphrates and the Nile against a common enemy. In late 11th century the Fatimid Caliphate
is in decline and the Seljuk Empire is crumbling. In this period of Muslim weakness the First
Crusade strikes the Levant. Christian lords and knights impose institutions
of Western Europe upon the social and political structures of the conquered lands. Their rule is relatively stable largely thanks
to Muslim disunity. But as 12th century rolls on, less than five
decades since European Crusaders arrived in the region, the Zengid dynasty rises to prominence
in northern Levant. Under competent leadership of Imad ad-Din
Zengi they defeat the Crusaders and retake the city of Edessa in 1144 - thus in effect
provoking the Pope to call for the Second Crusade. Although Imad is assassinated two years later,
in 1146, his son Nur ad-Din successfully continues the fight against the Crusaders, until the
Second Crusade eventually fizzles out, and he expands his father's realm over the years, bringing much needed stability and prosperity to his people. It is during Nur ad-Din's reign that Saladin
begins his rise to prominence. Born in 1137, in Tikrit (in modern day Iraq),
Saladin spends his formative years in Damascus. From a young age he is educated in Greek philosophy,
mathematics, poetry, astronomy, law, and above all he becomes an ardent student of the Quran
and theology. His upbringing is helped by members of his
family who served as skillful diplomats and administrators first in the Seljuk Empire
and later for the Zengid Dynasty. Growing up, Saladin's uncle Shirkuh and Nur
ad-Din became his biggest role models. They instilled in him the principles of chivalry,
piety, nobility, justice, humility, generosity, brotherhood, mercy and fogiveness, all of
which would come to define Saladin's life and legacy. He joins the military at the age of 14 and
is ably trained by his uncle Shirkuh, a military commander in the Zengid army. A quick learner, Saladin soon impresses his
mentor. His performance in early battles enables him
to take on leading responsibilities in military campaigns, and over the years he distinguishes
himself through his bravery, military leadership, sharp intellect and loyalty to his leaders. Saladin's star truly begins to rise during
the 1160's when Nur ad-Din decides to intervene in the affairs of the weakening Fatimid Caliphate,
aiming to forestall Amalric's quest to expand the Kingdom of Jerusalem into Egypt. Recognized as a competent, trustworthy and
ambitious leader, in 1164 Saladin is sent to Egypt as part of the command-structure
of a Zengid army commanded by his uncle Shirkuh. He becomes an integral part of several campaigns
over the years, and his uncle's second-in-command. By early 1169, the army of Amalric I, King
of Jerusalem, is finally expelled from Egypt. Saladin's uncle Shirkuh is named vizier of
the Fatimid Caliph, al-Adid, which gives Nur ad-Din de-facto control over Egypt. But just one month later, in March 1169, Shirkuh
suddenly dies after a short illness. Without his right-hand man, Nur ad-Din's
influence in Egypt is threatened. And al-Adid senses an opportunity to strengthen
his own position and quickly appoints Saladin without waiting for a decision from Damascus,
thinking that a young vizier with no political power in Egypt will be easy to control. However, the 31-year-old Saladin proves to
be more than what al-Adid has bargained for. The young vizier takes advantage of the Fatimid
political system and through clever tactics he gradually installs his close family members
in key government and military positions, which enables him to consolidate his power
enough to overthrow and dissolve the Fatimid Shia Caliphate just two years later in 1171,
thus founding the Ayyubid dynasty. Saladin can now concentrate on strengthening
Egypt as a bastion of Sunni Muslim power with himself as governor in the name of Nur ad-Din. He revitalises the economy, establishes civic
institutions, and greatly improves education by building a law college in Alexandria and
a vast number of schools all over Egypt, giving school administrators and teachers good salaries,
which attracts many scholars from across Asia and Europe, turning Egypt into an intellectual
powerhouse of the 12th century. He abolishes tolls for Muslim pilgrims who
cross the Red Sea, and pays compensation to Mecca for any loss of income - a shrewd move
that makes him popular among the people and also makes him a patron of Mecca. Saladin transforms Egypt into a salient against the Crusaders by creating an entirely new army, loyal only to him and starts rebuilding the navy to protect Egypt's coasts. Military forays soon follow to secure and
expand the borders, first against Nubia where hostile remnants of the Fatimid establishment
still persist, then into Lybia where Ayybid armies push west to Tripoli and expel the
Norman occupiers, although Saladin never manages to consolidate his authority west of the province
of Barqa. Most importantly, Saladin turns his attention
towards tightening his grip over Hejaz and captures Yemen, thus gaining control over
the Red Sea and its' vast maritime trading potential, which immensly increases Egypt's
commercial wealth. By all accounts Saladin is actively building
an empire which creates friction with Nur ad-Din, his master in Syria. Tensions rise and almost result in conflict,
but then Nur ad-Din dies suddenly in 1174, probably of a heart attack. In the ensuing power vacuum his 11-year-old son As-Salih cannot fill the void left by his father's death. But Saladin can. And he now sees before him a grand vision. He can unite Egypt and Syria for a holy war
against the Christian invaders. He proclaims the need for unity and jihad
as reasons to intervene in Syria. And his claims are not without merit. By controlling the Red Sea and by reconquering
the area south of the Shawbak castle, Saladin is already recognized as the 'liberator of
the Hajj Road'. Securing pilgrimage routes from Sudan and
Egypt to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina earns him a lot of credibility and as a result
his arrival into Syria is much welcomed by ordinary people, but not so much by some members
of the Zengid dynasty. Nevertheless Saladin brings most of the Zengid
territory under his control either through diplomacy or military intervention, becoming
the Sultan of Egypt and Syria. Meanwhile, across the border King Amalric
I of Jerusalem plans to exploit the political instability in Syria and expand his territory,
but he dies of dysentery in July 1174. In Saladin's view, Amalric's death is a sign
of God's favor. With the throne passing on to Baldwin IV,
a mere boy suffering from leprosy, and the Frankish nobles angling for positions in the kingdom, the threat of a major Christian invasion subsides. But Saladin knows that the time is not yet
right to fight the Crusaders, as he must consolidate his position against Nur ad-Din's relatives
who still pose a threat from their bases in Aleppo and Mosul. But as Baldwin IV matures, the kingdom adopts
a proactive foreign policy. The Crusaders then try to take Hama and Harim,
but fail in the attempt. In 1177 Saladin responds by leading a large
invasion force into the Kingdom of Jerusalem, to counter the Frankish aggression. Baldwin, now 16 years old, despite being vastly outnumbered proves he is a capable leader, able to unite his nobles against the Muslim
threat. And with the help of Raynald of Chatillon,
his second-in-command, he manages to catch Saladin by surprise at Montgisard due to a
rare tactical error by the Sultan. Saladin suffers a crushing defeat, narrowly
escaping with his own life, with many in his army killed or taken prisoner. But Baldwin lacks the resources to follow
up on the victory and the Sultan manages to regroup. In April 1179 Saladin strikes back and decisively
defeats Baldwin in the Golan region, nearly capturing the king. Another Christian army is defeated in June
of the same year, and just two months later an important Templar fortress situated on
the pilgrimage route is destroyed. Finally in 1180, Saladin and Baldwin agree
a two-year truce. But even before the ink is dry, it is clear
that the mighty fortress of Kerak will become the next flash point. Virtually impenetrable atop a steep hill,
with its' 80 meter entrance-tunnel and walls thick enough to withstand the battering of
siege weapons, Kerak is the home of Raynald of Chatillon. His fortress sits on the key road between
Damascus and Mecca and from there the baron is able to tax, raid and rob the passing camel-caravans
of traders and pilgrims. Truce or no truce Raynald thinks that Muslims
should not be allowed to pass freely. In the summer of 1181 he rides deep into Arabia and intercepts a major Muslim caravan, strips the traveleres of their posessions
and takes many prisoners. Saladin demands compensation from Baldwin,
but the king cannot force Raynald to recompense. Saladin holds a group of Christian
pilgrims hostage in Damietta as leverage, but Raynald still refuses to free the Muslim
pilgrims. In response, Christian pilgrims are sold into
slavery. Then in 1182 Raynald puts more strain on the
already delicate truce. The rogue Crusader sends troops via Red Sea,
declaring that he will destroy the Kaaba and exhume the Prophet's tomb in Hejaz. But thanks to Saladin's naval reforms, Egypt
is well prepared. Al-Adil, Saladin's brother and governor of
Egypt, dispatches the Ayyubid fleet. Most of the Christian raiders are captured
and executed on the order from the Sultan. Eulogies of Saladin abound in the Muslim community
as he is yet again seen as the protector of Islamic holy places and pilgrimage routes. And then the tide turns in favor of the Muslims. In 1183 Aleppo finally surrenders to Saladin,
who now becomes the mightiest ruler of the Muslim world, and the leader of a unified
Muslim front against the Latin Crusaders. Excercising uncontested authority over Egypt
and Syria, he is supported by the Sunni Caliph in Baghdad and is recognised as the lord of
Arabia and patron of the Holy Cities of Mecca and Medina. But most importantly, ordinary Muslims that
Saladin sought to bring together are jubilant that Islam is again united. The news of Saladin's conquest of Aleppo shocks
the Crusader states. Saladin can now direct his vast resources
to put pressure on the Kingdom of Jerusalem almost along its' entire border. A devastating raid into Christian lands is
followed by several probing attacks on the fortress of Kerak, testing the resolve of
the Franks and putting strain on their resources. To make matters worse for the Crusaders, the
tragic life of Baldwin IV is over. The king's final act was to try and secure
peace by sending Raymond of Tripoli to negotiate a four-year truce, which Saladin readily agrees
to, because he has problems of his own with the Zengid ruler in Mosul, who is forming
a coalition against him. But the lepper King's successor Baldwin V
is a sickly child, and he dies just a year later, triggering a succession crisis. After a period of political turmoil, the throne
passes on to Baldwin IV's sister, who in turn crowns her husband Guy of Lusignan as King
of Jerusalem. But the new king is not able to control his
vassal nobles. Then come troubling news from the south. In December 1186, Raynald of Chatillon once
again violates the truce. He overruns another rich caravan, slaughters
and imprisons many Muslims. Saladin immediately dispatches an envoy, demanding
the return of hostages and treasure, threatening the truce-breaker with vengeance. But Raynald, resting on his laurels behind
the walls of Kerak, refuses to even receive the envoy. Upon hearing of this, Saladin finally loses
his patience and swears that he will take the life of Raynald with his own hand, his
anger beyond words... beyond bounds. In early 1187, Saladin gathers his generals
in Damascus to draw up plans for a major invasion. Messengers gallop to all corners of the state,
urging action, vengeance, a war of liberation and annihilation. The words "Jihad" and "Jerusalem" are on the
lips of all Muslims who answer Saladin's call. Saladin leaves garrisons along the border
to protect the northern flank and begins raiding Christian lands. During one of the raids, a chance encounter
between a Muslim cavalry advanced guard and a Christian contingent of 130 knights,
400 turcopoles and infantry, at the Springs of Cresson, ends in disaster for the Templars
and Hospitallers. Heads of knights on lances, and prisoners
chained to horses are paraded in front of Tiberias. The calamity at the Springs of Cresson is
a wake up call for the Christians, who quickly mend old rivalries and unite in the face of
the conflict that is coming... On June 26th 1187, Saladin regroups his troops, and marches towards the river Jordan. His army numbers around 30.000, and is divided into three wings, with Taqi al-Din commanding
the right, Gökböri commanding the left, and Saladin himself in the centre. On June 27th the army reaches the river Jordan
and makes camp in a marshy area near Lake Tiberias. Raiding parties are sent into Christian territory to ravage the area and set the stage for the invasion. Some 25 km west, a Christian army, some 20.000 strong encamps near Saffuriya, a highly strategic location because of its' rich water resources. On June 30th, Saladin sends a contingent north
to block Tiberias and then challenges the Crusaders by moving his main camp closer to
Saffuriya, some 10km west of Lake Tiberias. But as neither side takes action, Saladin
decides to make the first move. On July 1st he sends scouts to monitor an alternative road on his northern flank that connects Saffuriya and Tiberias. Later in the day reports confirm that the
Crusaders are not advancing on either route, and on July 2nd Saladin takes the initiative. He marches east towards Tiberias with most
of his infantry, a cavalry contingent, siege engineers, and their equipment. By late morning they reach Tiberias, where
Raymond's wife is staying, and they besiege the town. Not long after, Muslim troops breach the walls
and the town is seized by nightfall. Raymond's wife barricades herself inside the
citadel with her guards and sends messengers, urging King Guy to send help. Back west, plumes of smoke can be seen in
the sky above Tiberias and when news of the siege reaches the Crusader camp, King Guy
holds a war council to debate what should be done. At first, Raymond of Tripoli makes a persuasive
argument against marching to raise the siege, insisting that the Christian army has a strong
defensive position at Saffuriya and should stay put. But the count's cautiousness is met with accusations
of cowardice and treachery, mainly from the Templar master Gerard de Ridefort and Raynald
of Chatillon, who push for a more agressive stance and put pressure on King Guy with strong
political, military and diplomatic arguments. Persuaded, the king sends a herald through
the camp to sound the call that the army will march to the rescue of Tiberias at dawn. And on July 3rd the Crusader army makes way. They set out with Raymond of Tripoli commanding
the vanguard. King Guy leads the center where the bishop
of Acre carries Christendom's greatest relic, the True Cross, on which Christ is believed
to have been crucified. Balian of Ibelin commands the rearguard where
the Templars and Hospitallers are stationed. King Guy orders the men to march with haste,
planning to reach the besieged town by the end of the day. But as noon approaches and the sun rises across
the clear, cloudless sky, it becomes apparent that the day will be extremely hot. There is no breeze and the scorching heat
slows down the coloumn. By midday the army reaches the next watering point at the village of Tur'an, only one third of the way. But as they press on, there is no escaping
the sun and the thick dust raised by the marching troops. It becomes clear to King Guy and his officers that they will not reach Tiberias in a single day. As the column moves away from Tur'an, detachments
of Saladin's fast moving horse archers appear from nearby hills and begin harassing the
Christians, cutting off their line of retreat. The Crusader infantry closes rank to protect
the cavalry against hit and run attacks, but the number of casualties in men and animals begins to rise. The day wears on, and the constant harassment,
and sporadic clashes slow the Crusader rearguard down to a crawl, and they become separated
from the rest of the army. Fearing the loss of his elite shock cavalry,
King Guy orders the center to stop to allow the rearguard to catch up. He relays the message to Raymond, ordering
him to halt the vanguard. But as the entire Crusader column gradually gets encircled by the ever increasing number of Saladin's horse archers, it becomes clear
that they have fallen into a trap. After quickly taking Tiberias, Saladin had
time to return, leaving only a small garrison to block the citadel, and with his main contingent he is now blocking the road. With nightfall fast approaching, the exhausted Christian fighters, slowed by thirst and hemmed-in by Muslim forces, cannot fight their way
past Saladin's fresh troops. King Guy has no choice but to order his men
to make camp where they stand. Not far from the king's tent, the main Muslim
contingent also encamps for the night. But the night ahead will be a difficult one
for the Crusaders. Their column stretches some 2km and it's
not protected by any natural terrain features. Muslim horse archers continue to pepper the
camp throughout the night. Skirmishers clash with the Crusaders and set
tents on fire along the camp perimeter. Unable to rest and with their water supplies
dwindling, the smoke and the heat from the fire drains the energy from the Christians. Come morning, things quiet down. Saladin waits for the heat to rise and to
see what the Christians will do. Crusaders, now without any water and tormented by thirst, have only one aim - the village of Hattin, where there is a water source. They make way across the valley, keeping the
same formation of three squares, with infantry shielding the cavalry. Saladin's troops set fire to the nearby brushwood,
sending choking clouds of smoke on a westerly breeze towards the Crusaders. And with the sun beating down from the clear
sky, the Christians push on towards Hattin, desperate to reach the water well. To prevent this, Saladin sends Taqi al-Din's wing galloping to block the valley, determined to fully encircle the enemy and not allow them to quench their
thirst. He especially wants to wear down the knights
and their heavy cavalry, aware of just how dangerous their frontal charge is. Taqi's skirmishers ride in close, then hit
and run to test the flanks of the Christians. Horse archers then unleash volley, after volley
onto the Crusader column - reportedly hundreds Exhausted, thirsty and disheartened, the Crusader infantry starts to break away from the mounted knights. They disperse and flee, with a large group
heading east towards a hill called the Horns of Hattin and another group fleeing north
towards the village of Nimrin. Seeing the fleeing troops, Muslim riders open
gaps their line to draw out the enemy infantry. King Guy and his officers realize that they
are doomed unless they can break through. But the Muslims charge the rear of the column,
and the Templars and Hospitallers become heavily engaged, forcing Guy to halt for a second
time to prevent the cavalry formations from breaking up. But in the front, Raymond of Tripoli is already
edging away from King Guy's cavalry formation. As he advances the Muslim riders begin opening
another gap in their line. Raymond, decides not to sit and wait. He gathers his knights and charges Taqi al-Din's
cavalry. The Muslim riders let the the galloping Christians
pass through, showering Raymond and his men with arrows as they retreat from the battlefield. Back in the smoke-filled valley, the Christian
knights are dying. Guy orders the cavalry to move towards the
Horns of Hattin through a gap already created by the retreating infantry. He knows that there are shallow pools of water at the top of the hill and hopes they are not dry. Meanwhile on the hill, Saladin's troops close in and begin engage the Christian infantry. Exhausted, the enemy infantry barely put up a fight and they are quickly overwhelmed. The Muslims then turn towards the King of
Jerusalem himself. Throughout the incessant close quarter fighting,
Christian knights gather around to protect the True Cross as they retreat towards the
hill. But at the top they find no relief and no
water. King Guy rallies the knights and raises his
red tent to provide a focal point. But to no avail. Muslim troops push up the slope and engage
the Christians. In the melee the True Cross falls into Muslim
hands. Seeing this, the surviving Christian knights
rally and charge downhill to retrieve it, pushing the Muslim line back. But they have no fight left in them and they
soon begin to take heavy casualties. Finally, King Guy orders them to surrender. The knights dismount and collapse on the ground. King Guy is also found on the ground at his
tent, utterly exhausted, barely having enough strength left to hand over his sword. Saladin's army has won a great victory. King Guy is captured along with many nobles
and knights, among them, Rayland of Chatillon. Saladin orders that ice cold water be brought
and offered to the King. Then, according to Imad Al-din: "The King,
having drunk some of it, handed the cup to Raynald of Chatillon. Whereupon the Sultan said to an interpreter: Say to the king: "It is you who give him to
drink. But I give him neither to drink. Nor to eat." By these words, Saladin wishes that it be
understood that honor forbade him to harm any man who had tasted his hospitality. And with that he swings his sword and strikes
Raynald on the neck, thus fullfilling his oath to kill the truce-breaker. But more importantly, the large Crusader army
that is destroyed at Hattin cannot be replaced. Without it, Christian castles, towns and cities
are now defenseless. By 1188 only Tyre and Acre hold out to
spur Europe to embark on another crusade. But that is a story for another time... It is worth noting that we mainly focused on Saladin's military achievements in this video. But, there is much more to the man who was admired by his European enemies, And loved by his fellow Muslims. Saladin was a courageous Muslim leader who's
firm foundation in the religion and its' prime values lead to his commitment to the Islamic
cause. In just twelve years he united Mesopotamia,
Syria, Egypt, eastern Lybia, western Arabia and Yemen, using
his skills in diplomacy and administration to piece together this divided region. His scope of vision was that he gave each
situation its due attention and weight, and he never broke a bridge of diplomacy or peace
initiative with his opponents. The power or wealth he acquired never spoiled
him. He was a man of restless energy geared to
serve his goal in driving the invaders out of Muslim lands.
Absolute hero!
Saladin, great Kurdish warrior
There is a nice series called "The Great 100", it is not something that I would consider people who want to go deep into solid details to check but it is something simple with general knowledge that I think people should try.
But don't take everything the author says as absolute facts
Haven't watched the video, but what's with the generic shitty black turban and thobe all muslims apparently wore before modern times. Zero embroidery, colorful dyes, intricately decorated shoes, elaborate turban wrapping, etc. Is it because the costume designers are too lazy to research or is it due to low budget?
Who cares about Saladin? It's all about Baybars