King Richard I of England was riding a horse with a spear in his hand. He had been loudly challenging Sultan Ayubi's army from the front. He was saying if anyone has courage, come and fight me! But no Muslim soldier was stepping forward to challenge him. Although Richard was surrounded by a Muslim army... ...and only a handful of Crusaders
were with him. Still, the Muslims posing helplessly were only listening to his call. Although it was the same Islamic army... ...that captured Jerusalem from
the Crusaders. It was this army that raised the flags of victory in Palestine and Syria. So how did this army suddenly
become so weak? In the last major battle of
the Third Crusade... ...was Sultan Saladin Ayubi victorious... ...or King Richard the Lionheart had carried the palm? Baital Maqdis recapture by the Crusaders... ...and its retrieval, what was that story? I am Faisal Warraich and in DSJ's series... ...The Crusades and Ayyubi's 9th
and the final episode... ...I will show you all this. With the conquest of Bait al Maqdis
in 1187... ...the fall of the Ayyubid army began For this reason, the Sultan at the time of the conquest of Baital Maqdis... and other areas of Palestine... ...did not allow his soldiers to loot
and plunder. At that time, the livelihood of the soldiers was only the booty... ...and no salary was paid to them
the whole year. Various kings and nobles used associate warriors on the assumption... ...that after conquering an area, they would be allowed to loot for three days. A large number of soldiers had joined the Sultan's army with this mind. When the Sultan's conquests did not provide them much wealth... ...they began to feel the campaigns of Sultan Ayubi a burden. Then these soldiers over many years... ...were in a state of war away from
their families. They were fighting even hungry and thirsty in the intense heat. There were many who were exhausted. They didn't want to fight anymore. Sultans preached jihad to them... ...in a bid to motivate them to fight. But passion alone was not enough for a long-term military campaign. Much more is needed for it. Against them, the Crusaders arriving in Palestine from Europe... ...were fresh and religiously wounded
and fervent. Because their most holy historical city Jerusalem was taken away from them. Now the Sultan had to face these powerful zealous crusader forces with an army... ...that had little hope of booty... ...and was exhausted. So there was a fear that if the fight dragged on for a long time... ...a mutiny may break out in the army. You have learned in the previous video that in 1189... ...the former king of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, Guy of Lusignan... ...besieged Acre with the help of
European crusaders. These crusaders also brought
many ships with them. These ships had blockaded the city of Acre from the seaside. There were only 2700 Muslim
soldiers in Acre... ...who were not enough to stop the enemy. They were constantly calling Saladin
for help. Sultan Saladin could not help Acre
at first... ...because his army had become weak. Then he also thought if the siege prolonged... ...the Crusaders would get fed up
and retreat. But when he was convinced the Crusaders would not lift the siege... ...he reached Acre with his army. He surrounded the besieging Crusader army from behind. Many skirmishes took place between
the two armies. Arrows were also fired at each other but no decisive stage came. The Crusader army continued to besiege the city in the same way. Rather, between themselves and the Ayyubid army... ...they dug out a deep trench to bolster their defence and safety. At the time, the Crusaders were consolidating their position... ...the army of Saladin Ayubi began to trouble him. The sultan's nephew Taqiuddin and other chieftains fed up with the fighting... ...begun to go back home with their respective troops. The rest of the army was also sitting idle. Sultan Ayubi would repeatedly go
to the front lines.... ...rousing the spirit of the troops and ordering the attack. On their orders, the soldiers would line up half-heartedly... ...and return after making small attacks
on the enemy. But planning a decisive attack... ... and its execution was not
becoming possible. The soldiers were not cooperating with the Sultan on this matter. The Sultan was so disturbed by this that he was forced to say... ...that as long as I am present, my soldiers only then do anything. It was a mutiny like situation in the Ayyubid army... ...in which the soldiers were though holding siege... ...but unwilling to do anything
beyond that. And on the other hand, King Guy also did not have enough courage... ...to go out and break the siege... ...and drive away the Sultan's army. Thus the siege of Acre dragged on... ...and lasted for almost two years. The Crusader army remained
outside the city... ...and behind this army, the Sultanate army also stood in place. Meanwhile, the Muslims inside the fort continued to fight only in the hope... ...that Saladin Ayubi would rescue them. However, this could not happen due to the weakness of the Ayyubid army. On April 20, 1191, King Philip II
of France... ...reached Acre with his army and joined the Crusaders. His arrival marked the beginning of the Third Crusade. But the Crusaders got even a bigger help on June 8... ...when trumpets sounded to announce the arrival
of King Richard the Lionheart. This British king had come
declaring that... ...he will take back Baital Maqdis from the Muslims at all costs. For his military campaign, he in his country... ...had also imposed a tax in the name of the enemy... ...i.e. Saladin tax. With the tax money, he prepared a great army and reached Acre. Now Sultan Saladin Ayubi had
to fight against him. Under the command of Richard
and Philip II... ...the Crusader army massively attacked Acre day-night. Stones were rained from the catapults. Engineers who came with King Richard... ...built siege towers that were higher than the city walls. Apart from this, they also began planning to demolish the protective wall. Here military pressure was increasing on Acre and on the other side... ...the Sultan was unable to inspire spirit in his army. On his orders, the Muslims repeatedly attacked the Crusader camps... ...but they were carried out with
such a low spirit... ...that there was no question
of their being successful. Then Sultan Saladin, who had been in wars for 20 years, was now 50 years old. So years-long war campaigns had also consumed his physical strength. People close to him were very worried about his health. Doctors used to give him various medicines to keep him calm. But the Sultan did not care about
his health. Instead of eating or resting,
he would ride a horse... ...and encourage his soldiers. Due to heat, his body was covered with boils from his waist to his knees... ...but still, he was performing
his military duties. During the siege of Acre, King Richard sent a message of a meeting to the Sultan. The Sultan sent some gifts to Richard... ...and replied to the message... ...that it was not proper for kings
to meet beforehand... ...and then fight with each other. It implies it is not good to fight after a friendly conversation. At one point, he also said that... ...what for a meeting when the language of Richard and his are not understandable? Although he could have communicated through interpreters... ...but why did he say so? Meanwhile, the position of Muslim forces in the Acre fort became very weak. On July 2, 1191... ...Saladin launched a desperate attack on the Crusader camps. According to the historian Ibn Shaddad, he ate nothing that day. He went to his soldiers and asked them with tearful eyes to continue the war. But this attack also failed like
the earlier attacks. On July 12, a man arrived at Saladin's camp soaked in water. It was a swimmer who swam
through the sea... ...and evading enemy ships, had brought a message from the people of Acre. Such swimmers played errands between the Sultan and the Acre people. So the swimmer who came on
July 12 conveyed... ...that condition in the city has
become very bad. You must remove the Crusaders from here within the next few hours... ...or we will have no choice but to surrender. Sultan Saladin immediately sent them a message not to surrender in any case. After this message, the communicators announced in the camp... ...that a major attack was about launching to end the siege of Acre. But the chiefs and subordinate commanders who had their own forces... ...refused to make a decisive attack. They told the Sultan... ..."Why do you want to endanger the Muslim army in vain?" The English are so outnumbered that any such attack would be suicidal. After hearing this blunt refusal
of his chiefs... ...the Sultan returned to his tent
in despair. On the other hand, when no help reached the people of Acre... ...and they also did not see the attack forthcoming... ...they surrendered in despair
after a few hours. They laid down their arms in
the name of the Sultan... ...and a message was also
delivered to him. 2700 defenders of the city and 300 children were taken as prisoners of war. In other words, a total of 3,000 prisoners were captured by the Crusaders. King Richard and King Philip
entered Acre... ..and took control of the city. As per the terms on which the Muslims of Acre surrendered to the Crusaders... ...Sultan Saladin, Acre city,
his naval fleets... ...and weapons were to be given to the control of the Franks. To Franks, meaning those Crusaders who came from Europe... ...will be given 200,000 gold coins. 1500 or according to some narratives, 1600 Crusader prisoners will be released... ...the Holy Cross, the True Cross, which in the battle of Al-Hattin... ...was taken away, was also to be returned. In addition, a local Crusader Chief Marcus of Montferrat... ...will separately be paid 4,000 gold coins. The Sultan was given 30 days to act upon this agreement. According to historians, the surrender of Acre saddened the sultan like... ...a child lost from its mother. But in order to save the lives of
3000 Muslims... ...he had accepted this agreement. 20 kilometres south of Acre, the Sultan with his army... ...shifted to the area of Shifa-Amer. From here he kept in touch with the Crusader army and... ...prepared himself to execute
the terms of the peace. He also brought the True Cross from Damascus... ...to hand it over to King Richard
of England. At the same time, a split broke out in the Crusader army. That is, from King Richard I of England and... ...and King Philip II of France, who will lead the Third Crusade? Who will lead the Crusaders in the war against the Muslims? As this disagreement could
not be resolved... ...that probably made French King Philip II withdraw from the campaign... ...and returned to France on July 21. The Third Crusade was led by Richard Lionheart on behalf of the Crusaders. Saladin Ayubi promised to pay the money to the Crusaders in 30 installments. Of which the first installment seems to have been paid immediately. However, before paying the rest of the reparation, Saladin... ...wanted the release of all Muslim prisoners. But the English King thought the Sultan's delay in payment of money and ...and the True Cross a breach of promise. When he did not get money and the True Cross for many days as per agreement... ...he took the extreme measure. On August 20, 1191, on the orders of the English King... ...all 3000 Muslim prisoners tied with ropes were taken out of Acre. The Crusader forces then brutally killed all the unarmed captured people. Richard then assembled the entire Crusader army... ...left some at Acre... ...and with the rest of the force, marched south along the coast. Their destination was Jaffa, another coastal city 130 km from Acre. They had their fleet with them in the sea... ...from where they got a constant
supply of food. When the Sultan was informed of the killing of the prisoners, he was furious. Saladin Ayubi had always treated
the Crusaders well. Compared to it, the cruel action of King Richard was very painful for him. He resolved to teach a lesson to
the enemy. The True Cross was sent back to Damascus. ...and the Crusaders could never
get it again. Where did it go? It is not known till today... ...because its record has been
erased from history. After this, the angry Sultan allegedly killed some Crusader prisoners. After some time, however, when his temper cooled... ...he paid attention to a direct fight
with King Richard. He also left Shifa-Amer for Jaffa
with his army. The situation was now that Muslim and the Crusader armies... ...were travelling parallel to each other along the coast. The distance in between was
only a few kilometres. The number of both armies was from twenty to thirty thousand. That is, it was almost equal. But both armies... ...were avoiding a direct battle. Muslims did not want to go near
the coast and fight... ...because the enemy could get
help from their ships. While the Crusaders didn't want to leave the coast and go to the open desert... ...because that way, they would be easily surrounded. However, during this journey, the Muslims showed an aggressive style. The Ayyubid cavalry would repeatedly approach the enemy... ...and withdraw after raining arrows on it. Many times the swordsmen made heavy attacks on the enemy. It aimed to make the enemy pursue them into the open desert from the coast... ...so that it could be easily wiped out. But King Richard also understood this strategy of the Sultan... ...and was not accepting the bait. He had strictly instructed his army... ...that no soldier would chase
the Muslims. The whole army will continue
on its way together. Thus the two armies continued their journey towards Jaffa. The Sultan's archers continuously fired arrows
at the enemy to break its ranks. But the enemy suffered very little loss. This was because Richard's soldiers wore heavy steel armours. The arrows of the Muslims would stuck in their armour... ...but could not injure the soldier. So often when the Crusaders were walking casually... ...many arrows would drop down from their armours... ...but they did not bother and
move forward. This situation made the Sultan even
more desperate. He planned a decisive attack on the enemy at Arsuf shortly ahead of Jaffa. Arsuf was a place where there was
a dense forest. A powerful attack could be made on the enemy by hiding in this place. The Sultan with most of his army reached the place before the Crusaders... ...and hid the soldiers in the forest. When the Crusaders reached the forest, Muslims came out shouting Allahu Akbar. They attacked the enemy. A fierce battle ensued... ...in which both sides suffered
heavy casualties. The Muslims once again attacked the enemy and retreated... ...so that the Crusaders would break their ranks and pursue them... ...and thus be surrounded. However, the Crusaders were still unwilling to give up their position. They escaped falling into the trap
of the Muslims. A time came during the battle when
the Ayyubid army... ...managed to cut off the rear of Richard's forces from the rest of the army. They showered arrows on this force. The attack was so fierce that
the Crusaders... ...had to come after the archers
to stop it. So this time around, their ranks were broken in this place. That is, in accordance with
Saladin's strategy... ...the Crusader force came out
of its safe position. But the Ayyubid army still could
not harm them. A reason for it was that, when
enemy charged... ...the Muslim cavalry archers would dismount from their horses and... ...and take a new position to fire arrows
at the enemy. All these archers were killed in the attack of the enemy. On the other hand, Richard, who was with the rest of his force... ...saw the rear of his force charging, and... ...ordered his entire army to attack. So the Crusader army unitedly... ...attacked the Muslims in such a way... ...that the Ayyubid army lost the ground... ...and ran away from the battlefield. Saladin Ayubi tried to stop them
but failed. Finally, he too retreated with the army and took shelter in the forest. King Richard stopped his army from following the enemy... ...and they resumed their advance
towards Jaffa. Along the coast... ...the Battle of Arsuf was fought
on September 7. Saladin was defeated in it. However, it was not a decisive defeat. The Ayyubid army was largely
safe and sound. The Sultan reorganized his army. But it was now impossible to stop the enemy from reaching Jaffa... ...as there was no place on the way... ...from which a surprise attack could be made on the enemy. After the victory of Arsuf, the Crusaders easily reached Jaffa and captured it. To the Muslim army in the city, the news about Ayyubid's defeat at Arsuf... ...and the end of Acre force, had been reached. They surrendered without a fight. King Richard made Jaffa his headquarters. Now he had occupied the entire coast of Palestine from Acre to Jaffa. From here, he could attack
Jerusalem in the east... ...and capture the city of Ashkelon in the south, with Egypt next to it. Now both Egypt and Jerusalem were important to the Sultan. Despite Arsuf's defeat, the Sultan still had a significant army. So he came into immediate action. He first tried to save Egypt. He marched from Arsuf, bypassed Jaffa and reached Ashkelon. He destroyed the city walls and the fort. so that the Crusaders could find no base on the way to enter Egypt. They would build a base in open ground to be easily attacked by the Sultan. The Sultan did it at a Ramallah fort on his way to Baital Maqdis. It was also pulled down. So that if the enemy advances to attack Baital Maqdis... ...he could not find a strong base to take up a position along the way. Making all these arrangements, he came to Baital Maqdis... ...because its safety was most important. After Arsuf's defeat, Saladin changed his strategy. Now he decided to take a defensive position instead of attacking. They began to strengthen the walls
of Baital Maqdis. They were preparing the city for the siege of the enemy. Its southern wall was weak. Sultan reached there with his sons and started repairing the wall. In that process, he would bring bricks and stones with his hands... ...to strengthen the wall and infuse spirit among others. On the other side, Richard the Lionheart also got the news... ...that the Sultan had demolished the walls of Ashkelon... ...and now travel to attack Egypt
was not possible. So he proceeded from Jaffa towards Baital Maqdis... ....and reached Ramallah, a few kilometres from the city. The walls of Baital Maqdis, (Jerusalem as per Crusaders), were visible from here. If this city was to be conquered... ...a base had to be built right in Ramallah. But obviously, the walls of the fort here had also been demolished by the Sultan. So King Richard had to make a base by pitching tents in the open field. It happened that two calamities fell upon the Crusaders simultaneously. One is that winter had set in. Then it heavily rained intermittently for a continuous three months. These rains greatly disturbed the Crusaders camped in the open field. Their advance became absolutely impossible. They could not proceed towards Jerusalem, Baital Maqdis. Then hails started falling along with
the rains. The ropes of the Crusaders' tents were torn apart. The cold was so severe that people began to get sick and die. This difficult situation was aggravated by the forces of Sultan Saladin. It so happened that these troops would roam around Ramallah... ...and raid the Crusaders and escape as they get an opportunity. In addition to the intense weather, in the army of Richard the Lionheart... ...differences also began to emerge. Some Crusader leaders wanted to attack Jerusalem while others return to Jaffa. The chiefs close to King Richard questioned him... ...that how will capture Jerusalem be sustained, even if it is conquered? The thousands of European Crusaders who accompanied you... ...would go back after conquering the city, and visiting the holy places. After that, Sultan Saladin will attack this city again... ...then how will you stop him? After the chiefs said this, King Richard ordered a map of Jerusalem... ...and examined it closely. He said as long as the Muslims were united under the command of the Sultan... ...the capture of the city was impossible. He dropped the plan to advance towards Baital Maqdis. After that, he started to prepare for returning to Jaffa. The Third Crusade was being fought for the purpose... ...of taking back Jerusalem from
the Muslims. But King Richard's decision not
to attack the city... ...failed the purpose of the entire Crusade. After which the confused crusaders started fighting among themselves. The French crusaders in the legion were the most angry. Among them were soldiers after the return of their king, Philip II to France... ...had stayed with King Richard. They stayed in the hope of taking back the holy city of Jerusalem from the Muslims. But when there was no hope of retaking Jerusalem... ....they angrily separated their camps from the rest of the army. These men loudly sang songs in their camps against King Richard... ...and taunted him with cowardice. A few days later, the French Crusaders came from Ramallah to Acre... ...and from there boarded ships and returned to Europe. This was not the only blow to
Richard the Lionheart... ....but some bad reports were also reaching him from England. There his brother Prince John took advantage of King Richard's absence... ....attempted to occupy England. When the English King got this news... ...he became anxious to return to England. But without reaching any peace agreement with Saladin Ayubi, return... ...meant leaving the field open for the conquered territories of ...Jaffa and Acre being easily occupied by Sultan Saladin. And the agreement was not possible without a decisive defeat to the Sultan. King Richard did not have much of an army for a decisive defeat. Thus the battle reached a stalemate. King Richard moved from Ramallah
to Jaffa... ...and got permanently settled there. On the other hand, Sultan Ayubi was sitting positioned in Baital Maqdis. For several months, no major action took place from either side. However, in June 1192, Richard had a major victory. That was, a large convoy from Egypt... ...was coming to Baital Maqdis with equipment and weapons for Saladin. Richard attacked the caravan
and looted it. In the plunder, 3000 camels loaded with gold, silver and spices were possessed. Apart from this, many horses and weapons also fell into their hands. This incident was also a big blow for Saladin Ayubi and his army... ...but they did not move from their defensive position in Baital Maqdis. Then weeks passed. Finally, after a long stalemate, Richard the Lionheart planned to attack Jerusalem. He proceeded from Jaffa
towards Ramallah. When Saladin Ayyubi got the news... ...he poisoned all the water
wells around the city. He held a meeting of his commanders a war council meeting was called, and consulted. The meeting was opened by
historian Ibn Shaddad. He delivered a sermon on the importance of Jihad and asked the audience... ...to put their hands on the sacred rock under the Qubbat al-Sakhrah and swear... ...that they will fight the enemy till
their last breath. On these words of Ibn Shaddad, all the commanders became silent. No one spoke. Finally Sultan broke the silence and said... ...today you are the army of Islam and
its defence wall. No one can face the enemy except you. If you turn your horse's reins
and move to another place... ...the enemy will wrap that place... ...like a piece of paper. Muslims all over the world are
trusting you. My prayers are with you. On it, a couple of Kurdish chieftains announced to continue the war till last. But the rest of the present
ones remained silent. The meeting was dismissed. At night, a chief sent a message
to Sultan Ayubi... ...that we will not fight until
you stay in Baital Maqdis. Ayubi replied he would stay with you
in Baital Maqdis. After that, Sultan went to Al-Aqsa Mosque and prayed for success. However, this worry of the Sultan proved temporary. Because King Richard did not attack Jerusalem. This was again due to the weather. But this time, the reason was not the cold or rain, but intense heat for not attacking. It was the month of July... ...when King Richard learned about poison mixed in water wells around the city... ...he abandoned his plan. Obviously, his army could not besiege the city
without water in the intense heat. Thus, this difficult time also passed. By this time Richard had probably
reached Ramallah... ...but he turned around and
went back to Jaffa. Thus, it became a stalemate once again. King Richard also left Jaffa at
the end of July 1192... ...and came to Acre for a stay. Meanwhile, rumorus spread about the English King's going back to England. The dream of conquering
Baital Maqdis failed. Against these rumours, Saladin Ayubi got some other intelligence reports. That King Richard did not go to Acre
to return to England... ...but he was there to attack the coastal city of Beirut, north of Acre. So he immediately sent his son Al-Afzal with an army to protect Beirut. Saladin Ayubi was at that time in the city of Ramallah or near Bait al-Maqdis. He himself marched with his army
to Jaffa... ...the same city from which King Richard now had marched to Acre. First time in the Third Crusade the Sultan had received substantial reinforcements. He had gathered a large army. That is, now he was capable of breaking the stalemate. And also... ...regain Jaffa, the previously snatched
city from him. On July 27, he arrived at Jaffa with
his force... ...and captured the city. A few hundred Crusaders in the city retreated and were confined to Jaffa Fort. In the meantime, the Muslims collected the booty in Jaffa to their satisfaction. The Crusaders inside the fort sent their representatives to the Sultan and said... ...they were ready for peace so he should control his soldiers. That is, stop them from looting. The Sultan replied, "I cannot stop them... ...for their lust for plunder has
become uncontrollable." Now the details of this attack reached King Richard. He then was on the way to Beirut
by land along the coast. But his fleet was sailing in the sea alongside him. They immediately boarded a ship and with the whole fleet sped to Jaffa. As his ships neared the coast... ...a few hundred Crusaders confined in the Jaffa fort, sighted the King. They became bold by it and refused
to surrender. It goes that as soon as King Richard's fleet approached the shore... ...the 32-year-old English King Richard jumped into the sea. Holding an axe, he fought
the Muslims on shore... ...and advanced towards the city. Finding Richard advancing,
the Muslim soldiers... ...guarding the gates of the city towards the seaside... ...got dispersed in fear. Richard and his troops quickly
entered the city... ...and the Muslims got confused perceiving a large army of the enemy. So, in this confusion, the Islamic army
left the city. Thus the city of Jaffa was once again captured by the Crusader King. Historian Abd al-Rahman Azzam writes... ...that Saladin Ayubi conquered Jaffa
with an army of 60,000. However, the English king recaptured it with less than 3000 troops. King Richard also made some Muslims prisoners of war. He sarcastically said before
these prisoners... ...that why did your mighty sultan run away as soon as he saw me? By God, I hadn't even put on my
armour yet... ...I wasn't even ready for the fight. I was only wearing my sailor shoes. Then why did you run away? Meanwhile, the retreated Muslim army reached Ramallah. Saladin Ayubi was furious at
Jaffa's defeat. He was eager to defeat the enemy decisively as soon as possible. A few days later, on August 4, he received an important message. A last vital information that could have turned the tide of this whole war. That was, King Richard had come out of the city of Jaffa for some reason. He had less than 1,000 soldiers with him. And he was encamped some distance from the city. Saladin Ayubi became excited on
this information. He immediately ordered a march. The entire army marched at night
and by morning... ...reached over the enemy and launched a surprise attack. But the Crusader army was
not weak either. King Richard and his forces took up positions with amazing speed... ...and got ready to fight do or die. Their immense courage stunned
the Muslims. They made a few impetuous attacks... ...but they were repulsed by King Richard and his allies. During this attack, the favourite horse of King Richard was killed. When Saladin came to know about this... ...he sent two horses for Richard... ...with a message that it was not proper for the king to fight on foot. So Richard got on the horse gifted
to him by Saladin... ...and fought with such vigour that he pushed the Muslims back. Muslims retreated but got repositioned and encircled the enemy's camp. On this, King Richard advanced. He had a spear in one hand and
horse reins in the other. He was walking along the ranks
of the Muslims... and challenging anyone to come
to face him... ...and fight one-on-one. But none of the Muslim army
came forward... ...to fight Richard one-on-one. Saladin Ayubi was ill at ease seeing
all this. He repeatedly ordered the commanders of the army to advance and attack. But no one was obeying his commands. All were quietly standing in their ranks taking a defensive position. Only his son, Al Zahir, along with some soldiers, attacked the enemy... ...but the Crusaders pushed
them back too. At last, helpless Saladin Ayubi
withdrew his army. His army was not ready for battle... ...while King Richard also did not have enough army to attack the Muslims. That is, both armies were in
a defensive position. Sultan Saladin Ayubi and
Richard the Lionheart... ...had failed to defeat each other decisively. Both understood that nothing would be gained by prolonging this fight. So both of them started
serious negotiations. Let me tell you that since King Richard entered Palestine... ...he had been in constant contact with Saladin Ayubi. Several rounds of negotiations
had already taken place. Al-Adil, his brother, had met King Richard on behalf of the Sultan. These two had even developed friendly ties to some extent. They would hunt together and
enjoyed feasts. In case of peace, King Richard had even thought of marrying... ...his sister Joan or niece Eleanor
to Al-Adil. But it did not happen. Because negotiations failed all the time. Neither side was ready to strike a peace deal on the other's terms. Sometimes these negotiations were conducted just to gain time... ...and thus remained fruitless. The last negotiations in 1192 also proved to be very difficult. Therein, the status of Ashkelon was long debated between the two sides. Richard the Lionheart wanted to rebuild the city's defensive walls and... ...make it a Crusader stronghold. He threatened that if
he did not get Ashkelon... ...he would spend the winter of 1192 on the Arabian coast. That is, he will not go from the Muslim areas
and continue to wreak havoc here. In response, Saladin Ayubi wrote to him... ...that you will never get Ashkelon. You are welcome to spend the winter here. However, on September 2, 1192, a peace treaty was signed in Jaffa. As per the accord, from the present Lebanon city of Tyre to Jaffa... ...the entire coastal strip, which also included Acre... ...were recognised by Saladin Ayubi in possession of the Crusaders. On the other side, King Richard withdrew from Jerusalem. However, Christians were allowed to visit Jerusalem and their holy sites. Ashkelon was not put under anyone's control but was completely destroyed. This was a temporary pact only for three years and eight months. After this period, the parties were free to take military action against each other. Richard was very ill at the time of
the agreement. On an occasion, he asked the Sultan to send some fruits for his recovery. And the Sultan sent fruits for him. Despite this friendly gestures, King Richard before leaving for England... ...threatened the Sultan saying... ..., Don't think that I will not come back." And when I will come this time, I will certainly get Jerusalem. To this, Saladin replied... that if Baital Maqdis has to got out of my hands ..."It is better for it, to go into your hands than into someone else's." So, after the agreement, Richard moved from Jaffa to Acre. From there he boarded a ship
and left for Europe... ...and never returned to Palestine
despite his promise. On the other hand, Saladin Ayubi also returned to Damascus. Since the conquest of Baital Maqdis
in 1187... ...he had been in a constant state of war. This campaign badly affected
his health. He fell very ill. Perhaps a thorough rest would cure
his condition... ...but death did not give him a chance. He died on March 4, 1193, a few months after his return to Damascus. In the Third Crusade, neither side achieved a decisive victory. Saladin Ayubi successfully defended
Baital Maqdis. His brilliant strategy failed the enemy even to besiege Baital Maqdis. That, without a fight he stopped the enemy
from getting its most important target. The great Chinese military expert
San Zhou has... ...declared that the most successful general is the one... ...who makes the enemy convinced of it defeat without a fight. So King Richard's advent to attack Jerusalem... ...and then leaving without attack after seeing the opponent's defence... ...proved the best war strategy of
the Sultan. Especially at a time when he
himself was sick... ...and a large part of the army was disobeying his orders... ...and the soldiers were tired from
long battles. So, apart from the successful defence of Baital Maqdis... ...the European army suffered huge losses
by attacks from the Ayyubid army. Apart from this, by destroying Ashkelon, the Sultan... ...had also checked the Crusader's
way towards Egypt. King Richard, however, has somewhat restored the Kingdom of Jerusalem. This was his success. Because the Palestinian strip from Acre to Jaffa... ...was again occupied by the Crusaders. Now this strip was part of
the Kingdom of Jerusalem... ...but without Baital Maqdis as its part. Henry, the son-in-law of Amalric, ex-Crusader ruler of Jerusalem... ...was made king of this new kingdom... ...and Acre was declared its capital. However, King Guy of Lusingan, the last Crusader ruler of Jerusalem... ...and who besieged Acre after his release from Saladin Ayubi... ...was also rewarded. King Richard made him King of Cyprus. He had conquered this island on his way to Acre for the Crusade. Besides that, the Crusader states of Tripoli and Antioch were still there. These states existed for the next century. Another five crusades were launched by Europe during this time. The most successful was by Frederick II, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. It may surprise the viewers that he took away
Baital Maqdis from the Muslims. Yes, in 1229, he, with the nephew of Saladin Ayubi, Al-Kamil... ...reached an agreement and regained Jerusalem. However, this time there was no bloodshed in the city... ...and Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock remained with the Muslims. This arrangement lasted for about 15 years until 1244. Then another Ayubid ruler of Egypt,
As-Salih Ayyub... attacked Jerusalem and expelled the crusaders from there. He again captured the city. After that, no other crusade in the 13th century achieved such success. But, the wars between the Muslims and the Crusaders did not end. In 1250, the Mamluks overthrew the Ayyubids and became Egyptian emperors. They wiped out the Crusaders from the coastal areas of Palestine and Syria. In 1268, the Mamluk Sultan Baybars... ...captured the Crusader state, the Principality of Antioch. 21 years later, in 1289, the Mamluk Sultan Qalawun As-Salihi... ...took control of the County of Tripoli
and ended it forever. Finally, the Kingdom of Jerusalem, which was built by King Richard, ended. In 1291, the Mamluk Sultan-ul-Mulk
al-Ashraf... ...besieged Acre, the capital of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Acre surrendered on May 18, 1291. Thus the Crusades ended with a decisive victory for the Muslims. The battlefield that spanned
three centuries... ...got frozen for the next several centuries. Our series on the Crusades, The Crusades and Ayyubi, is complete here. Till now we have shown you many complete serials on 'Dekho Suno Jano.' While four series are going on. Tell us in the comments what you want to see after this series. This story of the Crusades and the Ayyubids began when... ...Pope Urban II from Europe launched a holy war to take away Jerusalem... ...from the Muslims. After that, many kings and kingdoms fell victim to these so-called holy wars. You can click here to watch the whole story from the beginning. Here's see what the connection is between the Freemasons and Jerusalem. And here's the full story of World War II.
