Arab Historians of the Crusades (Routledge Revivals)

254 Pages·2009·2.4 MB·English

by  Francesco Gabrieli

Arab Historians of the
Crusades
Selected and Translated from the Arabic
Sources
by
Francesco Gabrieli
Translated from the Italian
by E.J.Costello
Translated from the Italian
Storici Arabi delle Crociate
First published in English in 1969
By Routledge & Kegan Paul plc
This edition first published in 2010 by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN
Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada
by Routledge
270 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2009.
To purchase your own copy of this or any of
Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s collection of thousands of eBooks
please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk.
© 1957 Giulio Einaudi Editore S. p. A., Turin
This Translation © Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited 1969
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any
information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the
publishers.
Publisher’s Note
The publisher has gone to great lengths to ensure the quality of this reprint but
points out that some imperfections in the original copies may be apparent.
Disclaimer
The publisher has made every effort to trace copyright holders and welcomes
correspondence from those they have been unable to contact.
ISBN 0-203-09250-3 Master e-book ISBN
ISBN 13:978-0-415-56332-1 (hbk)
ISBN 13:978-0-203-09250-7 (ebk)
ISBN 10:0-415-56332-1 (hbk)
ISBN 10:0-203-09250-3 (ebk)
ARAB HISTORIANS OF
THE CRUSADES
A VOLUME IN
THE ISLAMIC WORLD
SERIES
G.E.VON GRUNEBAUM, GENERAL EDITOR
Published under the auspices of the
NEAR EASTERN CENTER
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
LOS ANGELES
Arab Historians
of the Crusades
Selected and translated
from the Arabic sources
by
FRANCESCO GABRIELI
Translated from the Italian
by E. J. Costello
ROUTLEDGE & KEGAN PAUL
LONDON, MELBOURNE AND HENLEY
Translated from the Italian
Storici Arabi delle Crociate
First published in English 1969
by Routledge & Kegan Paul plc
39 Store Street
London, WCIE 7DD
464 St. Kilda Road, Melbourne,
Victoria 3004, Australia and
Broadway House, Newtown Road
Henley-on-Thames
Oxon, RG9 1EN
First published as a paperback in 1984
This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2009.
To purchase your own copy of this or any of
Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s collection of thousands of eBooks
please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk.
Copyright © 1957 by Giulio Einaudi Editore S.p.A., Turin
This translation © Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited 1969
No part of this book may be reproduced
in any form without permission from
the publisher, except for the quotation
of brief passages in criticism
ISBN 0-203-09250-3 Master e-book ISBN
ISBN 0-7102-0235-0 (Print Edition)
CONTENTS

Introduction by Francesco Gabrieli xiii
Translator’s note xx
Bibliographic note xxi
The authors and works xxii

PART ONE FROM GODFREY TO SALADIN

1
The Franks seize Antioch 2
The Muslim attack on the Franks, and its results 4
The Franks take Ma‘arrat an-Nu‘mān 5
The Franks conquer Jerusalem 6
The capture of Bohemond of Antioch 8
The death of Godfrey and the Frankish conquests that followed it 8
Saint-Gilles the Frank besieges Tripoli 9
Bohemond is liberated, and Baldwin defeated at Ramla 9
The Franks take Jubáil and Acre 10
2
Suqmān and Chekermīsh lead an expedition against the Franks 11
Baldwin of Edessa and Tancred of Antioch 12
3
The fall of Tripoli 15
The fall of Beirūt 16
The fall of Sidon 17
The effects in Baghdād of the events in Syria 17
The siege of Tyre 18
4
The defeat and death of Roger of Antioch at Balāt 22
Baldwin, his death and his character 24
viii Contents
5
Zangi, man of destiny for Islām 25
Zangi takes the fortress of Ba‘rīn. The defeat of the Franks 25
Damascus and the Franks in alliance against Zangi 26
6
Zangi takes Edessa 30
Zangi’s death, and a eulogy of him 32
7
The Second Crusade. The siege of Damascus 34
8
Nur ad-Din’s victories and his triumph at Damascus 39
The death of Nur ad-Din 41
9
The Frankish cavalry 44
Frankish piracy 45
Frankish medicine 46
The Franks and marital jealousy 46
Orientalized Franks 47
The Templars at Jerusalem 48
The ransoming of prisoners 49
A proposal to send my son to Europe 50
The falcon of Acre 50
Christian piety and Muslim piety 50

PART TWO SALADIN AND THE THIRD CRUSADE

1
Saladin’s character 53
His justice 56
Examples of his generosity 58
His courage and steadfastness 59
His zeal in the Holy War 60
His endurance and determination to win merit in God’s eyes 62
Contents ix
Examples of his humanity and forgiveness 64
His unfailing goodness 65
2
Events preceding Hittīn 69
Discord between the Franks in Syria; the Count of Tripoli joins Saladin 69
Prince Arnāt’s treachery 70
Saladin attacks al-Karak 70
An incursion into the region of Acre 71
Saladin returns to his army and invades Frankish territory 71
The battle of Hittīn 72
The Sultan Saladin and his army enter Frankish territory 75
The fall of Tiberias 78
The capture of the Great Cross on the day of battle 81
The conquest of the citadel of Tiberias 82
Saladin’s treatment of the Templars and Hospitallers, beheading them

and causing general rejoicing at their extermination 82
Jerusalem reconquered 83
The Church of the Resurrection 88
Description of Jerusalem 90
The day of conquest, 17 rajab 95
The condition of the Franks on their departure from Jerusalem 96
Saladin’s good works in Jerusalem, and the evil works that he effaced 97
A description of the sacred Rock—God preserve it! 100
Concerning the Oratory of David and other noble sanctuaries. The 103

churches are suppressed and ‘madrasas’ instituted
3
Conrad of Montferrat at Tyre; Saladin’s fruitless siege 104
4
The Franks march on Acre and besiege it 108
Another battle, and an attack by the Arabs 110
The pitched battle before Acre 110
x Contents
Saladin withdraws from the Franks, who are able to renew the siege of

Acre 112
The arrival of the Egyptian army and of the fleet by sea 113
The siege-towers are burnt down 116
Various incidents during the siege 118
A ship from Beirūt reaches Acre by means of a ruse 118
The story of the swimmer Isa 118
An ambush 119
Saladin’s humanity 119
Frankish women of peace and war 120
5
Conrad of Montferrat and the Third Crusade 123
Frederick Barbarossa’s Crusade and his death 123
The arrival of the Kings of France and England 125
Saladin’s summons to the Holy War 126
The last attack on Acre and the surrender of the city 127
Acre, incapable of further resistance, negotiates with the Franks 128
Letters arrive from the city 130
The garrison agree to surrender in return for their lives 131
The enemy takes possession of Acre 131
Massacre of the Muslim prisoners 131
6
Peace negotiations and the treaty 133
7
The assassination of Conrad of Montferrat 141
8
Saladin’s illness and death 146

PART THREE THE AYYUBIDS AND THE INVASION OF EGYPT

1
The Fifth Crusade 151
The Franks gather in Syria, march on Egypt and take Damietta, which 151

is recovered by the Muslims