Battle of Marj al-Saffar (1126)

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This article is about the battle between the Kingdom of Jerusalem and the Seljuks. For other battles fought in Marj al-Saffar, see Battle of Marj al-Saffar.
Battle of Marj al-Saffar (1126)
Part of the
Seljuq Empire (Syria
)
Result

See aftermath

  • Formation of Nizari-Burid alliance
Belligerents Kingdom of Jerusalem
Burids of Damascus
Nizari Ismailis of Syria[1]
Commanders and leaders Baldwin II of Jerusalem
Toghtekin of Damascus
Strength Unknown UnknownCasualties and losses Heavy Unknown

The Battle of Marj al-Saffar was fought on January 25, 1126 between a

Seljuk Emirate of Damascus, which was ruled by Toghtekin
. The Crusaders defeated the Muslim army in the field but failed in their objective to capture Damascus.

Background

After winning the

Burid
dynasty, ruled Damascus at that time.

Battle

Only a few details are known about the battle. The sources are not in agreement about tactical details, but they concur that the Crusaders failed to seize Damascus. The Franks lost many men to Turkish archery in a very close-fought engagement. "But a strong attack made late in the day gave them a hard-won victory. Their tactical success left them unable to achieve their object in undertaking the campaign, which was the conquest of Damascus."[3]

Another historian writes, "Crusader forces had a clear win but were unable to press home their advantage."[2] A third writer notes that the Crusader victory occurred because Toghtekin "fell from his horse and, thinking that he had been killed, his companions fled."[4] Because of their heavy casualties, the Crusaders were forced to retreat.[5]

Aftermath

Some Nizari Ismailis from Homs and elsewhere were involved in the defense of Damascus. This contributed to the establishment of the alliance between the Nizari leader Bahram al-Da'i, who was the Chief Da'i of Syria, and the Burids.[6]

In 1129, the Franks attacked Damascus again, but their siege of the city was unsuccessful.

Notes

  1. ISBN 9781594778735
    .
  2. ^ a b Burns, p 150
  3. ^ Smail, p 182
  4. ^ Hillenbrand, p 515
  5. ^ France, John. Western Warfare in the Age of the Crusades, 1000-1300. p 220
  6. ^ Gibb, N. A. R., Editor (1932) The Damascus Chronicle of the Crusades. Extracted and translated from the Chronicle of ibn al-Qalānisi, Luzac & Company, London, pp. 174-177

References

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