A nation that does not know God has invaded our Christian land. These people have destroyed the holy altars through their evil deeds. The blood of Christians is being
thrown into fountains. These people cut down Christians and disgrace their women so much that I cannot say about it even mentioning it is a sin. Better you yourself should know all that and I will remain silent. Friends, these were the words that Catholic Pope Urban II spoke to a crowd in the French city of Clermont in November 1095. He wanted to prove to the people that the Muslims in the Middle East are severely oppressive to Christians. Especially Christians living in Jerusalem and European pilgrims are being treated very brutally. This is what he wanted to convey. However, this whole story
was just propaganda. In the Middle East and especially
in Jerusalem Christians were not being mistreated. As against what he was saying, Muslims and Christians were
living there cordially. But this propagandistic speech
of the Pope set fire all over Europe. In a short time, over a hundred thousand European men, women and children with a determination to snatch Jerusalem from Muslims left Europe. It was the beginning of a bloody war whose devastations kept their grip on the Middle East
for two centuries. These battles begot such tragedies, that their accounts cringe the people even today. History remembers these wars
as the Crusades. But the question is, why did Pope Urban II start
the Crusades? And how did the Crusades change the complexion of the Middle East? I am Faisal Waraich and in
Dekho Suno Jano's mini series, The Crusades and Ayyubi's first episode we will show you all this, Fellows, the Crusades were founded
in the battle of Minzikert In this war, the Seljuk Sultan Alp Arslan defeated the Eastern Roman Empire, i.e. the Byzantine Empire. After this battle in the next twenty years, the borders of the Seljuk Empire extended from Central Asia in the east to Constantinople in the west,
near present-day Istanbul. In south, it extended to the border of Egypt where the Fatimid Caliphate existed. Seljuks also controlled Beit al-Maqdis. While the Abbasid caliphs also kept their respectable existence under the patronage of the Seljuk. Given it, Constantinople city was the only wall between Europe and the Seljuks. Alexius I, the Roman emperor
in Constantinople, was quite concerned that if the flood of Seljuks
was not stopped, the entire Eastern Roman Empire would end along with Constantinople. So he sent to Pope Urban II his representatives and
and asked him for help. Pope Urban II was already making efforts to bring Europe
fully under the control of the Church. So he saw an opportunity in
the appeal of Alexius I. The Pope thought if the Europeans
are incited against the Muslims for waging a holy war, his authority in Europe would increase. Therefore, he pledged to support
Alexius I. Then he visited France in 1095. Here in November, he chaired a religious gathering in the city of Claremont. At the end of the meeting, he announced that he wanted to speak to
the general public personally. Now look at the coincidence that Claremont is a city where some volcanoes also existed. It signifies, the lava of the Crusades
also erupted in the same city whose lap was already filled
with natural fire. In his address, the Pope greatly aroused the emotions of the congregation against the Muslims. The words he said in the speech have been told you at the beginning of the video. But in addition to it, in the same address, he along with seeking help
for the Roman Empire, set a target for the Crusaders. He declared... ...that the aim of their war is to take away Jerusalem from
the Muslims. With this address... ...recruitment for the Crusades
began in Europe. Let me also tell you here that the term Crusades was not
given by the Pope. This term came about a century
after the Crusades. Pope Urban II had named
the Crusaders ...Armed Pilgrims. In other words, those who will go to occupy Beit al-Maqdis should not be called warriors, but they are going to their holy places. This means, as conquerors, they will visit those places. It was his dream and idea. The Pope also announced that those who, on his call will go to fight, will be absolved of all their sins and they will be in
heaven hereafter. The projection of the Pope
and the good news of heaven began to be made throughout
Europe. The Pope himself visited different places in France and began to gather troops. As per the plan, proceeding from Europe the Crusader army would first reach Constantinople
and from there take the Roman forces with it and and across the Bosphorus attack the Seljuk Empire. Then, passing through present-day Turkey they would travel along the Mediterranean coast and attack Jerusalem. So it was that at the end of
the 11th century, the Pope and his supporters were enthusiastically recruiting for
the war against the Muslims. In order to launch the Crusades,
the Pope also fixed the date of August 15, 1096. On this date, all European armies had to turn to Constantinople to seize Jerusalem. But several months before that date, another man who was as charismatic as the Pope had already led his army
there for war. He is known in history as
Peter the Hermit. A hermit is a person who lives in solitude and separate from the world. His expedition is known in history
as the People's Crusade. Who was this person? Peter the Hermit was a French priest. It was known about him that he went to Beit-al-Maqdis and alleged oppression of the Christians at the hand of the Muslims was witnessed by him personally. One day during his stay he was sleeping in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This church is located at
the exact place where Jesus Christ was crucified according to Christian belief and here according to their faith,
he was resurrected. So while he was asleep, he dreamed that Jesus Christ was commanding him 'Go Peter and liberate Jerusalem
from the Muslims'. This dream was well publicized, but the historical record shows, he never went to Jerusalem. However, his story was traditional
and emotional. Through this story, Peter the Hermit got a large number of people around him. His followers were mostly poor people. They were about twenty to
thirty thousand in number. That is why this expedition is
called the People's Crusade. Before the Pope, Peter the Hermit marched from France to Constantinople with a popular army. But on reaching Constantinople, this army did not wait to fight the Muslims. Before reaching Constantinople, they began a crusade against the Jews, the religious rivals of the Christians in Europe. In Germany the supporters of Peter, carried out mass murders of the Jews and decimated their localities. Many Jews were also forced to convert. And when this army reached Hungary here it also carried out looting
on a large scale. It also clashed with Hungarian army which caused huge casualties on both sides. Although the Hungarians were
not Jews but Christians. But ironically those fighting in
the name of the Cross were clashing with their own
kith and kin. Ultimately on July 1096, the remaining army reached Constantinople. That is, the Eastern Roman Empire, from where they were to cross over Bosphorus Strait meaning, that sea belt, after which the Seljuk areas started where
they were to enter. The people of Constantinople opened the city gates to Peter's army. But this army caused
quite a stir here too. However, Peter and the Roman Emperor Alexius I ultimately met, whereafter peace was restored. Alexius I wanted to get rid of Peter and his pesky crusaders as soon as possible. He took Peter's army in boats across the Bosphorus Strait. Now this army entered the Seljuk territory i.e. Muslim territory. Let me also tell you here, friends, that by the time the soldiers of
the People's Crusade entered the Seljuk areas, the vast Seljuk Empire had been divided into
many small states. The Seljuk Empire in Turkey was
called the Seljukian of Rum. Its capital was Nicaea, which now is called Iznik. The remains of the old city
of Nicaea still exist. So the People's Crusade had the first encounter with the Seljuks of Rum, which was ruled by an 18/19-year-old
Kilij Arslan. My curious fellows Peter's army played the same game in the Seljuk Empire which they did in Europe. This means, here too, attacks, killing, loot and plunder were carried out. The stories of their atrocities
are heartbreaking. In short, these people cut down
even children with swords and roasted bodies of many
children on fire. The Crusaders had become so bold that even areas around the capital
of the Seluk Empire, Nicaea was not spared
of their vandalism. They also captured some small forts
of the Seljuks. The Seljuk Turks could not remain silent on these aggressive actions. They surrounded many Crusader soldiers in a fortress east of Nicaea. The siege of the fort continued
for eight days. The Crusaders ran out of water. It goes that the Crusaders were so thirsty that they killed their horses
and donkeys to quench their thirst with their blood. But obviously this blood was not enough. When the animals died and no blood was left, resistance of the Crusaders also died. The Seljuk army entered the fort and all the Crusaders were either
killed or taken slaves. The rest of the Crusader army was in another fortress, Civetot, located at a distance west of Nicaea. The leader of the Crusades,
Peter the Hermit, had gone to Constantinople to seek military aid from the Roman emperor. And when the men in the fort learned what Seljuks did to their comrades. they became anxious to take revenge. They planned an attack on
the Seljuk capital Nicaea. On October 21, 1096, they left for the attack without their leader Peter. But the Seljuks saw through
their intention, and beforehand took positions in the mountains between Nicaea and Civeteat. Under the command of their
young king Kilij Arslan they suddenly pounced and
wiped out all Crusaders. After this within two-and-a-half months, the People's Crusade came to an end. The Seljuk Muslims were victorious
in this battle. The hero of the war was
the young Sultan Kilij Arslan who achieved a great victory
at a young age. However, People's Crusade was only a trailer. These attackers were not well trained hence were easily defeated. But following them were more organized and trained armies. And they were the very armies which were going to have actual Crusades with the Muslims. My curious fellows, the European army formed with the efforts of Pope Urban II was about one hundred thousand
in number. It had thirty-five thousand foot soldiers, seven thousand knights
means, cavalry. and add to it, twenty to sixty thousand workers and common people, including women and children. This army was also not gathered
at one place in Europe but in parts at different places
in France, Germany and Italy. Its commanders were elites from
different countries in Europe. Among the famous commanders of
the First Crusade included the French general Godfrey of Boullion, his brother Baldwin of Boulogne, Robert II, son of William the Conqueror,
the first Norman king of Britain, and Bohemond of Toronto,
an Italian prince. These commanders had their
own private armies which they brought along
for the Crusades. Thousands of ordinary citizens also volunteered to become a part of this army. Although many European nations
were included in this army, but in history, these people as a whole were called Frankish or Franks. This was because the Crusades
started in France. France was named after the ancient kingdom of Frankia, which at its peak was extended to
Germany and Italy. Accordingly, the inhabitants of France were called Frankish or Franks. So in this way, all the Crusaders
were called Franks and probably this term became known as Ferangi in the Islamic world. i.e. Franks to Ferengi. At the end of 1096 e.i, a few months after the date
given by the Pope, the Crusader forces began to
leave for Constantinople. All the chieftains of the First Crusade, from different places, at different times, marched with their respective forces. Some joined the main army on the way and others on reaching Constantinople got included in the central army. Pope Urban II himself did not
go with this army, but he sent his representative, the Adhemar of Le Puy, with the army. This representative was a symbolic supreme commander of the First Crusade. However, despite his presence, all commanders were independent and made their decisions separately. Sometimes they had a consensus
and at times they would also squabble. However, this main Crusader army, including civilians, was around 100,000. By the end of 1097, the Crusader army gathered
in Constantinople. By this time the People's Crusade was over. Its leader, Peter the Hermit, was living
somewhere in the Eastern Roman Empire. The people of Constantinople had faced violent attitude from the People's Crusade. Therefore, when this new Crusader
army reached Constantinople, the citizens adopted a cautious attitude
instead of showing any enthusiasm. The Crusaders were eager to enter Seljuk territory very soon and conquer Jerusalem, ...they got enraged by the cold attitude of the citizens. On some occasions, the matter reached near fight but somehow it was averted. Alexius I not only transported the Crusaders to Seljuk territory by his ships but also sent some of his army with them. At some point along the way, Peter the Hermit also joined this army. The first target of this Crusader army was Nicaea, the Seljuk capital. After that, their intention was to attack the city of Antioch
while passing through Turkey. Only then they could advance
towards Beit al-Maqdis. The attack on Nicaea was the actual beginning of the Crusade. But compared to the Crusaders,
the Seljuk Empire was not yet fully prepared to face
such a large army. This is why what happened next virtually jolted the Islamic world of
the eleventh century. My fellows in early May 1097, the Crusaders began
to advance towards Nicaea. Some of his troops along way also found decomposed bodies and bones of Crusaders killed in the People's Crusade. Seeing all this, they got more
flared up against the Muslims. On May 14th, the Crusaders besieged
the Seljuk capital of Nicaea. Friends, this city was located in an ideal location in terms of defence. It had a huge lake called Lake Eznek
on its West. Due to this lake, the city on
the Western side could not be besieged. The city on its other three sides
had a protective wall. This wall had three doors
which opened in three directions. The guards closed all three gates and took up positions on the walls
of the fort. When the Crusaders reached here it encircled the city in front
of these three gates. Now, friends, the city of Nicaea was although the capital of the Seljuk Empire, but a small army was
deployed to protect it. After defeating the People's Crusade, the Seljuk Sultan Kilij Arslan assumed that the threat was over. So he somewhat ignored
the defence of the city. So much so, when the city was besieged he himself was not present in the city. He was far from the city and when he learned of the enemy's arrival, he began to gather troops from
other parts of his empire. After some time he came out
with an army and hid in the mountains near Nicaea. He wanted to attack the enemy
from behind but the Crusaders came to know
of his arrival. So Arslan got ready for the fight. Kilij Arslan's army attacked the Crusaders from the south. Kilij Arslan was so confident
of his victory that his soldiers, in order to tie up
the Crusaders has also brought along a large
number of ropes. On the one hand, the Crusaders had already become alert, and on the other, the Sultan's army was also smaller than the enemy's. So he was defeated and was forced to retreat. After that, the Crusaders cut off the heads of the slain Seljuk soldiers and started to throw them inside the fort. Many heads were hung on spears and displayed in front of the fort. That means the Crusaders wanted the Turkish army present inside the fort to get frightened of them. You see, they succeeded therein too. The people inside the fort lost hope
of any help from Kilij Arslan. Meanwhile, the Crusaders' ally, the Roman Empire, whose army joined them in the siege, made a clever move. The Romans brought many boats
from the sea and through the land took them to the lake behind the city. The boats also blocked the city
from the western side. The city was now under complete siege, besieged on all sides, and the guards of the city were seriously thinking to surrender. But they did not want to surrender
to the Crusaders of Europe. For they believed that the Crusaders
would sack the city and leave no one alive. So they secretly started talks with the commanders
of the Roman Empire who had come from Constantinople
with the Crusaders and who were also the representatives of the Roman Emperor. These commanders gave protection to men in the fort and the city surrendered. Thus the city was conquered in a
month-long siege. But it was a quite peaceful surrender. The surrender angered the Crusaders much as they missed a chance to loot. However, the Roman commanders from the public treasures, gave them a hefty amount and gifts
to please them. The Seljuk capital was now in the hands of the Eastern Roman Empire. After some time, the Roman Empire, with the help of the Crusaders, captured a large part of Turkey
from the Seljuks. Then Seljuk ruler Kilij Arslan was getting ready for a decisive war with the enemy. But by the time he was ready, the enemy had advanced far into his empire. However, Kilij Arslan did make
a last attempt. The outcome of this effort was
the Battle of Doryleaum. Sultan Kilij Arslan decided to use
his most lethal weapon i.e. cavalry archers. Turkish archers were known for their skill in shooting while mounted on horses. The famous Battle of Manzikert
against the Romans in 1071 was also won by the Seljuks by virtue
of these archers. Now these cavalry archers were going to target the Crusaders. Whether they won the battle? On July 1, 1097, a decisive battle took place between the Crusaders and the Seljuks. This battle took place at Doryleaum, now located near Eskişehir region of Turkey. It happened that the Crusaders were moving in different detachments. A few thousand crusaders on foot were encamping at the place of Doryleaum when the Turk sultan with
his cavalry fell upon them. The cavalry rained arrows and inflicted heavy casualties on the Crusaders. In no time the Crusaders were
surrounded in their camp and the Turkish cavalry was showering arrows on them from all sides. It seemed that the defeat
to the Crusaders was any time, but the same happened
as it was earlier. That is, the number of Turkish cavalry was much less than the Crusader army. After a while, the rest of
the Crusaders also began to arrive in the battlefield. Meanwhile, a part of the Crusader troops emerged from the rear of the Turks. When Kilij Arslan saw his cavalry was about to be surrounded, he became obliged to retreat with his army. The Crusaders had won the most important battle of Doryleaum After that, Kilij Arslan never attempted an open fight with the Crusaders and got busy managing his
remaining kingdom. That is, the Empire of the Seljuk Rum
was there, but much more squeezed
than it was before. As you can see on the map The win of Dyroleaum opened the door to Syria and Palestine on the Crusaders. They advanced into Turkey and
moved towards Syria. A Christian Armenian state Silesia was already in southeastern Turkey. This state also gave way
to the Crusaders. Thus, this army advanced and reached outside the city of Antioch near the border of Turkey and Syria. Although this city was not a part of Kilij Arslan's empire, yet it was also under the control
of the Seljuks. A Turkish rebel leader Siyan
was its governor. He was under Fakhr al-Mulk Rizwan, the Seljuk ruler of the Syrian city of Aleppo. He refused to surrender
to the Crusaders. And the Crusaders besieged the city. It was the start of a bloody
and prolonged battle that brought the Crusaders to
the brink of destruction. The Crusades might have failed
at this point, but what happened the Crusades
did not fail here. and what was special about this siege? My curious fellows the defence of the city Antioch was quite strong. This fort-like city was built
on top of two hills. The protective wall of the city went up to the top of the mountains. At the top was the main fort of the city, which was 16 hundred and 50 feet higher than the rest of the city. From this height, it was easy to keep an eye on the city and the enemies around it. A river also flowed in the northwest
of the city, which fell into the Mediterranean Sea. This river also served as a link of the people of the city with the outside world. Because of this excellent
strategic location, the Turks dealt with the besieging Crusaders very well. Whenever the enemy was
caught napping, the Turkish soldiers would ride out of the city on their horses and escape after showing arrows
from close range. If a Crusader fell into their hands, they would take him into the city,
torture him to death, cut off his head and throw it
outside the Crusader camp. Western historians say the Turks also captured the chief priest of the city. They would hang him upside down
on the wall of the fort every day and hit his feet with sticks. The Crusaders from remote
watched this scene and boiled in fury for revenge. Meanwhile, the Seljuks from Aleppo and Damascus also came to the aid of the city, but the Crusaders routed them. Following it, they tightened the siege
of the city. The Crusaders also captured
a Turkish fort near the sea. In this way, Antioch was cut off from the sea through the river. On the other hand, a new supply line opened for the Crusaders and they began to get supplies
from the sea. But even this help proved insufficient and the Crusaders failed to
conquer the fort. When the siege prolonged for months
and no victory was in sight, the Crusaders began to flee. Their commanders begin
to fight among themselves. Despite supplies from the sea route, the army ran severely short of food. Many soldiers died of
hunger and disease. The winter of 1097 was especially doomsday for the Crusaders. Their animals also started dying due to a lack of fodder in winter. In this situation, the priests in
the army pronounced that that the army was facing troubles because of the sins of the soldiers. So, all the women in
the Crusader camp were separated from men as if they were the only cause of sins. Apart from this, the soldiers were also ordered to fast, give charity and perform other acts of worship. If a soldier was caught with
a woman, both were stripped naked with
their hands tied up. Then they were taken around the whole camp being beaten with sticks. Eventually, the summer of 1098 set in but neither the Crusaders lifted the siege nor the Turks surrendered. Friends, no idea how long this siege would last until suddenly the Crusaders got help from
a traitor from Antioch. It was a person named Feroze about whom not much information is available. Historians believe that he was an Armenian Christian who had converted to Islam. He was also among the city guards and was well familiar with security
matters and arrangements. For some reason, he turned rival to the governor of the city, Yaghi-Siyan. He somehow contacted the Crusaders
to take revenge and offered to help them
capture the city. In return, the Crusaders promised
to give him wealth. Thus a deal was reached
between the two. But in the meantime, the Crusaders received an alarming news. It was that Karbogha, the Turkish
ruler of Mosul, with about thirty thousand soldiers was coming to help
the Muslims of Antioch. It was fairly a large army. The armies that came earlier from Damascus and Aleppo were easily defeated by the Crusaders because they were small armies. But this army was larger than
what they expected. Then the Crusaders already sick of the prolonged siege, found it hard to face the fresh army. So, an attack by the Karbogha's army and open action by the city guards might have crushed the Crusader army. This situation was an alarm bell
for the Crusaders. So, in any case, before Karbogha
could come, they had to conquer Antioch. It had become a matter of
life and death for them. So, the Crusaders
immediately contacted Feroze. Feroze told them about a part of the wall where security was short or was to be inadequate on that day. On the night between June 2 and 3, a group of fifty or sixty Crusaders climbed this part of the wall with
the help of ladders and ropes. Here they eliminated the guards and opened a city gate. Instantly, a large army of the Crusaders already stationed outside, entered
the city through this gate and started waving Crusader flags
on the walls. The Turks got much upset and confused when saw the Crusader flags on the walls. Meanwhile, the Armenian Christians
in the city also started to open the remaining
gates of the city. Soon the entire Crusader army entered the city through these gates. After that, the massacre started. Without recking age and sex,
the Crusaders began to kill the Muslims brutally. In some places, the Muslims resisted, but the Crusaders soon
overpowered them. As it was night, some Christian residents were also killed. The streets of the city were littered
with corpses. It goes that no one could go through the streets without stepping on dead bodies. There were so many dead bodies. The governor of the city, Yaghi Siyan,
tried to escape on a horse. He had even come out of the city but after some distance, he fell from the horse and became unconscious His companions left him for dead. After some time, an Armenian butcher found Yaghi Siyan wounded. He chopped off his head and
presented it to the Crusaders. Thus Yaghi Siyan who resisted the Crusaders for about eight months met a tragic end. On June 3, Antioch fell
to the Crusaders. Just a day after the Crusaders' victory, on June 4, Karbogha's army arrived
outside the city. With a gap of only one day, the Muslims missed a sure victory over the Crusaders. Now Karbogha did not have a city before him but a city of graves. Rather it was a city of the dead, whose inhabitants had
gone into eternal sleep. Karbogha besieged the city after which the Crusaders got
besieged in the city. Friends, the victory of Antioch was no less than a miracle for the Crusaders. According to them, nature
had helped them and through the source of Feroze, it made them victorious. Many soldiers were seeing holy figures
in their dreams, giving them the good news
of victory ahead. A priest even claimed to have found in Antioch the sacred spear that had been pierced into Christ's body at the time of his crucifixion. With all that, the morale of the Crusaders became unusually high. On the 28th of June, they left the city and made a surprise attack on
the Turkish army. A large part of the Muslim army did not even get a chance to be stable. While Karbogha had a majority of soldiers whose loyalties were doubtful, so they fled. Thus Karbogha was badly defeated. After this defeat, Karbogha escaped
and came to Mosul. Now the Crusaders had no mood
to go back. They entered Syria and marched towards Jerusalem, conquering one city after another. On the way, Tripoli, a Muslim city in Lebanon, surrendered to the Crusaders. The capital of Libya is also after this name, but here it is not that city. The ruler of this city also deputed a guide to help Crusaders reach Jerusalem. Apart from Tripoli, some other
cities also surrendered. Some others were captured with swords. During this time, atrocities
also continued. In the Syrian city of Maarat al-Nu'man, many Crusaders even ate the flesh of killed Muslims
to satisfy their hunger. It was such a shocking event that even the great Crusader leaders
could not believe it. So, friends, with all this, the Crusaders continued to advance, and their successes had no halt. They were moving like locusts
towards Beit al-Maqdis, which was their main target. But by then a difference had come about. Taking weakness of the Seljuks to advantage, the Fatimid Caliphate of Egypt took over Beit Al-Maqdis. The Crusaders now did not have to fight the Seljuk for Bait al-Maqdis but the Fatimids of Egypt. So, friends, when the Crusader army reached outside Jerusalem who helped them from the inside? The Fatimids in order to keep the Crusader army away from Beit al-Maqdis adopted a war strategy. What was that? The water of wells was poisoned and the Crusaders had
a shortage of water, so how the siege of Bait al-Maqdis was made in this situation? You will see it in next episode of History of Crusades and Salah al-Din Ayyubi. My curious fellows, you saw the start of the story of the Crusades, But if you want to know that in Spain the Muslims and the Crusaders fought, its complete story is here. If you want to see the full story
of Muslims' rise and fall, click here. Here see what happened to Napoleon Bonaparte at Waterloo? And know here what is the solution to Pakistan's problems in Hussain Haqqani's opinion?
