Battle of Marj Ayyun
| Battle of Marj Ayyun | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Crusades | |||||||
 Saladin the Victorious. Gustave Doré, XIX century | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Kingdom of Jerusalem  Knights Templar |
Ayyubid Dynasty | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Baldwin IV of Jerusalem Raymond III of Tripoli Eudes de Saint-Amand (POW) |
 Saladin  Sabek ad-Din[1] Ibn Jender Izz ad-din | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 1,000 Crusader lancers and cavalry[2] | Unknown | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
|
Heavy
| Light | ||||||
The Battle of Marj Ayyun was a military confrontation fought at
Background
In 1177, Saladin's Ayyubid army invaded the Christian Kingdom of Jerusalem from Egypt. In that year King Baldwin IV surprised and defeated the Saracen host at the Battle of Montgisard.
In 1179, Saladin again invaded the Crusader states, from the direction of Damascus. He based his army at Banias and sent raiding forces to despoil villages and crops near Sidon and the coastal areas. Farmers and townspeople impoverished by Saracen raiders would be unable to pay rent to their Frankish overlords. Unless stopped, Saladin's destructive policy would weaken the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem.
In response,
Battle
The
From the eastern side of the coastal range, the Crusaders saw Saladin's tents in the distance. Baldwin IV and his nobles decided to descend to the plain and attack at once. As the Frankish army moved downhill, the mounted troops soon outstripped the foot soldiers. After a few hours' delay, the Crusader army reassembled, then encountered and easily defeated the Saracen raiding forces, who were returning from their forays.
Believing the battle won, the Franks let their guard down. Raymond's Knights and Odo of St Amand's Templars moved onto some high ground between the Marj Ayyun and the Litani River. The Crusader infantry rested from their hurried march earlier in the day.[4]
Suddenly, Saladin's main army attacked the Crusaders, defeating them badly. Observers of the time blamed the defeat on Odo of St Amand,[5][6] who was captured in the battle. King Baldwin IV barely was saved by his bodyguard and escaped capture; unable to mount a horse because of his crippling disease, he was carried to safety by a knight as his bodyguard cut a path through the Saracens. Many Frankish survivors of the struggle fled to shelter at Beaufort Castle (Qala'at ash-Shaqif Arnoun)[7] about 5 miles (8.0 km) southwest of the battlefield.
Aftermath
One account suggests, the Templars attacked Saladin's larger force on their own, rather than falling back, warning the King, and fighting with him. William, Archbishop of Tyre, blamed the reckless actions of the Templars for the defeat, as he stated. However, the Templars were not subjects of the King Baldwin IV and followed their own policies and strategies.[3]
For the
Soleim Al-Razi was a Muslim physician who compassionately treated wounded Crusaders captured by the Muslim forces.[citation needed]
- 1177: Battle of Montgisard
- 1179: Battle of Banias
- 1179: Battle of Jacob's Ford
- 1182: Battle of Belvoir Castle
- 1183: Battle of Al-Fule
- 1183: Siege of Kerak
- 1187: Battle of Cresson
- 1187: Battle of Hattin
- 1187: Siege of Jerusalem
- 1187: Siege of Tyre
Citations
- ^ "The Life of Saladin Behaudin Tekstualno | Saladin | Muhammad". Scribd.
- ^ a b Stevenson 1907, p. 221.
- ^ a b c "Battle of Marj Ayyun, 1179 CE". World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2020-06-13.
- ^ a b Smail, p 186
- ^ William of Tyre, XXI.29
- ^ Smail, p 96
- ^ Smail, p 126
Bibliography
- Smail, R. C. Crusading Warfare 1097–1193. New York: Barnes & Noble Books, (1956) 1995. ISBN 1-56619-769-4
- Stevenson, W (1907). The Crusaders in the East: a brief history of the wars of Islam with the Latins in Syria during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Cambridge University Press.