The Fall of Jerusalem in 1187

Introduction

Saladin (1138-1193) was a political and a Muslim military who as Sultan commanded the forces of Islam during the Crusades. The greatest victory of Saladin over the European crusaders originated at the Hattin battle in 1187 (Edbury, 1996). This victory facilitated the Islamic recapture of Jerusalem and other sacred land cities in the Near East. Saladin was praying his God to bless Muslims by empowering them to remove His enemies from Jerusalem. He said that Jerusalem had been commanded by the enemy for a period of ninety-one years during which their God had not received any exaltation from the Muslims. This statement shows that the liberation of Jerusalem had forever been the fundamental goal of Saladin (Folda, 1995). It does not only express the Saladin’s attitude towards Jerusalem but also exemplified how the surrounding Arabs and Muslims felt about Jerusalem. He was following the ways of his predecessor Nur al-Din Zangi who also had the same goal of liberating Jerusalem from Christianity. The essay will discuss the fall of Jerusalem in 1187: the demographic, the military and the ideological. The essay will also discuss the background of the fall of Jerusalem in 1187 and the capture of Jerusalem by Saladin.

Background of the Fall of Jerusalem in 1187

Saladin decisive victory at Hittin in 1187 opened the way for him to defeat the rest of the Palestine (Maalouf, 1984). Within a period of two months, he repossessed all the inland cities and fortifications except Jerusalem. Others exceptions encompassed al-Shawbak, al-Karak in Transjordan as well as some castles in the north like Safad (Maalouf, 1984). He also repossessed all the major ports between Jubayl and Asqalan except Tyre. Jerusalem which was the capital of the Latin Kingdom had lost most of its manpower due to Hittin. Among the people who were killed were king Gui of Lusignan and his counselors and a large number of knights of his army (Brundage, 1962). The only kings who were lucky to survive were Balian of Ibelin, Reynold of Sidon and Raymold of Tripoli. These kings had a good relationship with Saladin. Of these three the most significant for our discussion was Balian. While Saladin was finishing off crusader strongholds in Palestine after the battle of Hittin, Jerusalem was placed under a short-term government with Queen Sybil, the wife of Gui of Lusignan (Setton, 1958). The city was faced with very many challenges one of them being the lack of food as the battle of Hittin occurred during the period of harvest and crops were lost.

Food shortage became acute as refugees poured into Jerusalem from most of the parts surrounding it. Some of these refugees went to Jerusalem to look for food while others went to defend it (Setton, 1958). Faced with all these challenges, Jerusalem could not have battled an attack by Saladin for a very long. When authorities realized this, they attempted to create a contact with Saladin to discuss the future of the city (Brundage, 1962). There are two different accounts for their efforts. The first was by Abu Shamah, who indicated that Saladin had said in a letter to a relative the city of Jerusalem had contacted him during his attack on Tyre. The second was by Emoul, who indicated that delegation of citizens from Jerusalem had gone to see Saladin asking him for a peaceful solution for Jerusalem (Maalouf, 1984). Saladin told them that he could only agree to solve the problem of Jerusalem if it was given to him. The delegation rejected this demand, and Saladin vowed to take Jerusalem by force and he began his march against the city.

Saladin contacted Balian of Ibelin, who was in Tyre and asked him to protect the surrender of Jerusalem. Balian sought permission from Saladin to go to Jerusalem in order to rescue his wife and other family members and also their properties (Setton, 1958). Saladin granted him permission allowed him to go to Jerusalem on one condition that he would not accept weapons against him and that he would spend only one night. In so doing Saladin thought that he would utilize Balian as his main negotiator for the surrender of Jerusalem. Balian finally negotiated the surrender of Jerusalem but only after he had broken the promise with Saladin and played a dramatic function in its defense (Edbury, 1996). After arriving in Jerusalem, Balian was compelled to remain there and help in mobilizing the population for its defense by the patriarch. At first he had refused but after a lot of persuasions he agreed to break his agreement with Saladin and accepted the leadership of the city. He began to unite the Latin forces and plan the defense of Jerusalem (Brundage, 1962). This action by Balian angered Saladin, and he started planning how he would conquer Jerusalem and kill Balian for disobeying him.

The Capture of Jerusalem by Saladin

The battle of Hattin destroyed the Knights and soldiers of the states of Latin. The remainders of the fighting forces of the kingdom searched for refuge in the protected coastal cities and mainly at Tyre (Maalouf, 1984). Throughout the months of July and August, Saladin continually conquered the remaining towns, cities and forts of the Sacred Land. His first attack upon Tyre was not successful, but the city was avoided. Late in September the armies of Saladin camped before the sacred city itself. The Divine City of Jerusalem was surrounded on 20th September (Setton, 1958). It was besieged on every side by the Muslims who shot arrows in all directions. They were conveyed by frightening armaments and with a huge shouting of the trumpets. The city was awakened by the tumult and noise of the barbarians and for some time they all screamed in unison: “True and Holy Cross! Sepulchre of Jesus Christ’s resurrection! Save the city of Jerusalem and its dwellers!” (Edbury, 1996). The battle was then merged, and both sides started to fight courageously. For a period of two weeks, the Christians were completely worn out. Arrows fell like drops of rain such that one would not raise his finger above the fortifications without being hit. The occupants of Jerusalem fought bravely for a week while the opponent retreated to the opposite of the tower of David.

Saladin observed that he was not making any significant progress and from the look of things he could not do any destruction to the city. Hence, he and his assistants started to surround the city examining its weak points (Brundage, 1962). He was searching for a place where he could establish his engines without dreading the Christians and where he could simply attack the town. At the dawn of a particular day (26th Sept) the Egypt King (Saladin) commanded the camp to be relocated without any commotion or tumult (Folda, 1995). He commanded the tents to be erected in the valley of Jehosephat on the Mt Olives and on Mt Joy and across the hills in that region. During the morning, the men of Jerusalem lifted up their eyes, and when the clouds’ darkness had vanished, they saw the Saracens removing their tents as if they wanted to leave. The occupants of Jerusalem celebrated considerably and said that the king of Syria had fled as he was unable to damage the city as he had planned (Maalouf, 1984). When the Saracens heard this, the celebrations were immediately turned into lamentation and grief.

The Tyrant (Saladin) immediately organized the engines to be formed, and ballistas erected. He also commanded branches of the olive and those of other trees to be gathered and piled between the engines and the city (Setton, 1958). That evening he organized the army to take up arms and the engineers to continue with their work of iron tools. He took that step so that before the Christians could think about it, they would all be ready at the foot of the ramparts. The merciless of the tyrants arranged up to ten thousand of the Knights who were armed with lances and bows on horseback. This strategy was to ensure that if the city men tried an attack they would be counteracted (Edbury, 1996). He stationed another ten thousand soldiers armed with bows for shooting arrows under the cover of targets and shields. He kept the remainder of the men with himself his lieutenants near the engines. When everything was organized in this style, at the break of the day they started breaking down the comer of the tower and to strike all around the ramparts (Folda, 1995). The archers started shooting arrows and the men at the engines commenced firing rocks in earnest.

The city men never anticipated this kind of attack and they had left the ramparts without any guard (Holt, 1986). Tired and completely worn out they decided to sleep until morning because they believed that unless the Lord watches over the city, the people who watch it labor in vain. When the sun rose, those who were still asleep in the towers were frightened by the noise of the barbarians (Brundage, 1962). When they observed these things, they were horrified and overwhelmed with fear. Just like crazy men, they screamed across the city saying hurry the men of Jerusalem, help, hasten, the ramparts have already been broken, and the foreigners are getting in. Provoked they hurried across the city as courageously as they could but they were helpless to resist the Damascenes from the ramparts. The Turks continuously threw rocks forcefully against the walls. Between the ramparts and the outer defenses, they hurled rocks and the so termed the Greek fire that burns stone, wood and whatever it touches (Folda, 1995). In all directions, the archers shot arrows without ration and without stopping while the others were bravely destroying the ramparts.

The Jerusalem’s men at the moment were being guided. They agreed that any man with such arms and horses, as could be gathered, should leave the city and advance fearlessly across the gate leading to Jehosephat (Maalouf, 1984). Hence, if their God allowed it, they were in a position of pushing the enemy back a bit from the ramparts. They were stopped by the horsemen of the Turkish, and they were miserably defeated. The Chaldeans (Saladin and his army) attacked Jerusalem fiercely, and they won (Edbury, 1996). The Christians were weakening so by this time that barely twenty and thirty men seemed to defend the city ramparts. No man could be discovered in the city who was courageous enough to dare keep watch at the walls for a night even when promised a fee of a hundred besants (Holt, 1986).

Meanwhile, they sent the representatives to the king of Syria pleading with him to lower his temper towards them and accept them as partners as he had done for others (Smail, 1956). He replied saying that he had frequently heard from their wise men that Jerusalem cannot be cleansed or saved by the blood of the Christians, and he wanted to take guidance from them in this issue. Hence, unsatisfied they returned. They sent others Ranier and Balian of Naples and Thomas Patrick promising a hundred thousand Besants. Saladin refused to accept the money, and their hopes were shattered and they returned (Runciman, 1952). They sent others requiring Saladin himself say what type of agreement that he needed. If possible they would obey, if not they would persevere death. Saladin had taken guidance and laid down these ransom terms for the occupants of the Jerusalem. He stated that each male ten years and above was supposed to pay ten Besants for his rescue and females five Besants. Boys who were seven years and below were supposed to pay one (Runciman, 1952). Those who wanted would be set free on these terms and could leave safely with all their possessions.

On second October, this agreement was announced in the streets of Jerusalem so that every person might within 40 days supposed to pay to Saladin the payment as aforementioned for his freedom (Holt, 1986). When they heard these arrangements, the crowds across the city screamed in sorrowful tones asking who would help them to raise the required the amount to set them free (Smail, 1956). The Muslims began going to pray to the temples as a sign of cleansing Jerusalem. But instead of cleansing the temples they polluted them by shouting the Muslims’ precept Allahu Akbar, which means God is great. Within a short time, Saladin had succeeded in conquering almost the entire Kingdom Jerusalem (Runciman, 1952). He exalted the greatness of the law of Mohammed and showed that in the event, it might surpass that of the Christian religion.

Conclusion

Saladin proved to be a strong and influential Sultan during the crusades. Saladin victory at Hittin in 1187 opened the way for him to conquer the rest of the Palestine. The battle of Hittin that happened during the harvest time led to the widespread lack of food in Jerusalem. Lack of food and the refugees’ problem made Jerusalem too weak to resist an attack by Saladin. Failure of Balian to honor the contract they had made with Saladin angered him, and he decided to plan attacks in a bid to conquer Jerusalem and kill Balian. Saladin’s attack on Jerusalem met the occupants of the city unaware. They had not anticipated an attack at that time. Lack of awareness made Saladin conquer the city of Jerusalem easily. The men of Jerusalem were weak and afraid, and none wanted to volunteer to guard the walls of the city even after being promised a hundred Besants. Some occupants of the city were allowed to survive after paying some set amount of money to Saladin. Saladin began strengthening Islam in Jerusalem after its conquest. This conquest of Jerusalem by Saladin led to the fall of Jerusalem in 1187.

References

Brundage, J. A. (1962). The Crusades: A Documentary Survey. Marquette University Press.

Edbury, P. W. (1996). The Conquest of Jerusalem and the Third Crusade: Sources in Translation. Ashgate.

Folda, J. (1995). The Art of the Crusaders in the Holy Land 1098-1187. Cambridge University Press.

Holt, p. M. (1986). The Age of the Crusades: The Near East from the Eleventh Century to 1517. Longman.

Maalouf, A. (1984). The Crusades Through Arab Eyes. London.

Runciman, S. (1952). A History of the Crusades, vol. II: The Kingdom of Jerusalem and the Frankish East, 1100–1187. Cambridge University Press.

Setton, K. ed. (1958). A History of the Crusades, vol. I. University of Pennsylvania Press.

Smail, R. C. (1956). Crusading Warfare, 1097–1193. Cambridge University Press.

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