Saladin, Salah ad-Din Yusuf Ibn Ayyub (in Arabic Salah ad-Din means "Honor of the Faith"), (1138 - 1193), the first sultan of Egypt from the Ayyubid dynasty. Born in Tekrit (modern Iraq). The success of his career became possible only thanks to the conditions prevailing in the East in the 12th century. The power that belonged to the orthodox caliph of Baghdad or the heretics of the Fatimid dynasty of Cairo was constantly "tested for strength" by the viziers. After 1104, the Seljuk state was again and again divided among the Turkish Atabeks.

The Christian kingdom of Jerusalem, which arose in 1098, existed only because it remained the focus of internal unity in the midst of general decay. On the other hand, the enthusiasm of the Christians gave rise to confrontation on the part of the Muslims. Zengi, atabeg of Mosul, declared a "holy war" and began his campaigns in Syria (1135 - 1146). Nur ad-Din, his son, continued his aggressive policy in Syria, strengthened state organization on its territory and "widely proclaimed jihad."

Saladin's life came precisely at the time when there was a conscious need for political unification and the defense of Islam. By origin, Saladin was an Armenian Kurd. His father Ayyub (Job) and uncle Shirku, sons of Shadi Ajdanakan, were commanders in the army of Zengi. In 1139, Ayyub received Baalbek from Zengi, and in 1146, after his death, he became one of the courtiers and began to live in Damascus. In 1154, thanks to his influence, Damascus remained in the power of Nur ad-Din, and Ayyub himself began to rule the city. Thus, Saladin was educated in one of the famous centers Islamic science and was able to perceive the best traditions of Muslim culture.

His career can be divided into three periods: the conquest of Egypt (1164 - 1174), the annexation of Syria and Mesopotamia (1174 - 1186), the conquest of the Kingdom of Jerusalem and other campaigns against the Christians (1187 - 1192).

Conquest of Egypt

The conquest of Egypt was necessary for Nur ad-Din. Egypt threatened his power from the south, being at times an ally of the crusaders, and also being a stronghold of heretic caliphs. The reason for the invasion was the request of the exiled vizier Shevar ibn Mujir in 1193. At this very time, the Crusaders were raiding the cities of the Nile Delta. And Shirku was sent to Egypt in 1164 along with Saladin, a junior officer of his army. Finding that Shirku was planning not so much to help him as to capture Egypt for Nur ad-Din, Shevar ibn Mujir turned to the Christian king of Jerusalem Amalric I for help. The crusaders helped Shevar defeat Shirku near Cairo on April 11, 1167 and force him to retreat ( in this battle, Shirku's nephew, young Saladin, distinguished himself). The crusaders firmly settled in Cairo, which was approached several times by Shirku, who had returned with reinforcements. They also tried, albeit unsuccessfully, to besiege Saladin in Alexandria. After negotiations, both sides agreed to withdraw from Egypt. True, in Cairo, under the terms of the peace treaty, a Christian garrison was to remain. The riots soon started by the Muslims in Cairo forced Amalric I to return to Egypt in 1168. He entered into an alliance with the Byzantine emperor Manuel I Komnenos, who at the beginning of 1169 sent a fleet and a small expeditionary force to Egypt by sea. Skillful maneuvering (both political and military) of Shirku and Saladin, bad luck chasing the enemy, as well as mutual distrust between the crusaders and the Byzantines - all this prevented successful coordination of actions. And so both armies, the Crusaders and the Byzantines, retreated from Egypt. Shirku became vizier under the Fatimid caliph, while remaining subordinate to Nur ad-Din, but died soon after in May 1169. He was succeeded by Saladin, who actually became the ruler of Egypt with the title of "al-Malik al-Nazir" (Incomparable Ruler).

Saladin is the ruler of Egypt. Conquest of Syria and Mesopotamia.

In dealing with the Fatimid caliph, Saladin showed unusual tact, and after the death of al-Adid, which followed in 1171, Saladin already had enough power to replace his name in all Egyptian mosques with the name of the orthodox caliph of Baghdad.

Saladin founded his Ayyubid dynasty. He restored the Sunni faith in Egypt in 1171. In 1172, the Egyptian Sultan conquered Tripolitania from the Almohads. Saladin constantly showed his obedience to Nur ad-Din, but his concern for the fortification of Cairo and the haste he showed in lifting the sieges from the fortresses of Montreal (1171) and Kerak (1173) indicate that he was afraid of envy from his master . Before the death of the Mosul ruler Nur ad-Din, a noticeable coldness arose between them. In 1174, Nur ad-Din died, and the period of the Syrian conquests of Saladin began. Nur ad-Din's vassals began to rebel against his young as-Salih, and Saladin moved north, ostensibly to support him. In 1174 he entered Damascus, took Hams and Hama, in 1175 he captured Baalbek and the cities surrounding Aleppo (Aleppo). Saladin owed his success, first of all, to his well-trained regular army from Turkish slaves (Mamluks), which included mainly horse archers, as well as shock troops of horse spearmen. The next step was to achieve political independence.

Saladin in battle

In 1175, he forbade mentioning the name of as-Salih in prayers and embossing it on coins, and received formal recognition from the Caliph of Baghdad. In 1176, he defeated the invading army of Sayf al-Din of Mosul and made an agreement with al-Salih as well as the Assassins. In 1177 he returned from Damascus to Cairo, where he built a new citadel, an aqueduct, and several madrasahs. From 1177 to 1180, Saladin waged war against Christians from Egypt, and in 1180 he concluded a peace treaty with the Sultan of Konya (Rum). In 1181-1183 he was mainly concerned with the state of affairs in Syria. In 1183, Saladin forced the atabek Imad ad-Din to exchange Aleppo for the insignificant Sinjar, and in 1186 he achieved the oath of vassalage from the atabek of Mosul. The last independent ruler was finally subdued, and the Kingdom of Jerusalem found itself face to face with a hostile empire.

Saladin's conquest of the kingdom of Jerusalem.

The disease of the childless King Baldwin IV of Jerusalem with leprosy led to a struggle for succession. Saladin benefited from this: he completed the conquest of Syria, while not stopping raids on Christian territories, although he was defeated at the Battle of Ram-Allah in 1177.

The most capable ruler among the crusaders was Raymond, Count of Tripoli, but his enemy Guido Lusignan became king by marrying the sister of Baldwin IV. In 1187, the famous brigand Raynald de Châtillon of Krak des Chevaliers broke the four-year truce, provoking the announcement holy war and then the third period began aggressive campaigns Saladin. With an army of approximately twenty thousand, Saladin laid siege to Tiberias on the western shore of the Lake of Gennesaret. Guido Lusignan gathered under his banner everyone he could (about 20,000 people) and moved on Saladin. The king of Jerusalem disregarded the advice of Raymond of Tripoli and led his army into a waterless desert, where they were attacked and surrounded by the Muslims. Many of the crusaders near Tiberias were destroyed.

Battle of Hattin

On July 4, at the battle of Hattin, Saladin inflicted a crushing defeat on the united Christian army. The Egyptian sultan managed to separate the crusader cavalry from the infantry and defeated it. Only Raymond of Tripoli and Baron Ibelin, who commanded the rearguard, with a small detachment of cavalry, were able to break through the encirclement (according to one version, with the tacit approval of Saladin, who sincerely respected the old warrior). The rest of the crusaders were killed or captured, including the king of Jerusalem himself, the Grand Master of the Knights Templar, Raynald of Chatillon and others. Raynald of Châtillon was executed by Saladin himself.

Guido Lusignan subsequently released, taking from him a promise that he would no longer fight. Raymond, meanwhile, had returned to Tripoli and died of his wounds.

Saladin captured Tiberias, Acre (now Acre in Israel), Askelon (Ashkelon) and other cities (the soldiers of their garrisons, almost without exception, were captured or died at Hattin). Saladin was already on his way to Tire when Margrave Conrad of Montferrat arrived by sea just in time with a detachment of crusaders, thus providing the city with a reliable garrison. Saladin's attack was repulsed. On September 20, Saladin laid siege to Jerusalem. In the absence of the king who had taken refuge in Acre, the defense of the city was led by Baron Ibelin. However, there were not enough defenders. Food too. At first rejecting Saladin's relatively generous offers. In the end, the garrison was forced to surrender. On Friday, October 2, Saladin entered the Holy City, which had been in the hands of Christians for almost a hundred years, and performed a ritual of purification, showing generosity to the Christians of Jerusalem. Saladin released the townspeople to all four sides on the condition that they pay the appropriate ransom for themselves. Many failed to redeem themselves and were enslaved. All Palestine was captured by Saladin. In the kingdom, only Tyre remained in the hands of the Christians. Perhaps the fact that Saladin neglected to take this fortress before the onset of winter was his most gross strategic miscalculation. The Christians retained a powerful stronghold when, in June 1189, the remaining army of the crusaders, led by Guido Lusignan and Conrad of Montferrat, attacked Acre. They succeeded in driving off Saladin's army, which was coming to the rescue of the besieged. Saladin did not have a fleet, which allowed the Christians to wait for reinforcements and recover from the defeats they had suffered on land. From the land side, Saladin's army surrounded the crusaders in a dense ring. During the siege, 9 major battles and an innumerable number of minor clashes took place.

Saladin and Richard the Lionheart.

Richard I of England (Lionheart)

On June 8, 1191, Richard I of England (later the Lionheart) arrived near Acre. Basically, all the crusaders tacitly acknowledged his leadership. Richard drove off Saladin's army, which was marching to the rescue of the besieged, after which he led the siege with such vigor that the Muslim garrison of Acre capitulated on July 12 without Saladin's permission.

Richard consolidated his success with a well-organized march to Askelon (modern Ashkelon in Israel), which was carried along the coast to Jaffa, and a great victory at Arsuf, in which Saladin's troops lost 7,000 men and the rest fled. The loss of the crusaders in this battle amounted to about 700 people. After this battle, Saladin never once dared to engage Richard in open battle.

During the years 1191-1192 there were four small campaigns in the south of Palestine, in which Richard proved himself a valiant knight and a talented tactician, although Saladin surpassed him as a strategist. The English king constantly moved between Beitnub and Askelon, with the ultimate goal of capturing Jerusalem. Richard I constantly pursued Saladin, who, retreating, used the scorched earth tactics - destroying crops, pastures and poisoning wells. The lack of water, the lack of fodder for the horses, and the growing discontent in the ranks of his multinational army forced Richard to conclude that he was not in a position to besiege Jerusalem if he did not want to risk the almost inevitable death of the entire army. In January 1192, Richard's impotence was manifested in the fact that he abandoned Jerusalem and began to strengthen Askelon. The peace negotiations taking place at the same time showed that Saladin was the master of the situation. Although Richard won two magnificent victories at Jaffa in July 1192, the peace treaty was concluded on September 2, and it was a triumph for Saladin. From the Kingdom of Jerusalem, only the coastline and the free path to Jerusalem remained, along which Christian pilgrims could easily reach the Holy Places. Askelon was destroyed. Undoubtedly, the unity of the Islamic East became the reason for the death of the kingdom. Richard returned to Europe, and Saladin to Damascus, where he died after a short illness on March 4, 1193. He was buried in Damascus and was mourned throughout the East.

Characteristics of Saladin.

Saladin (Salah ad-Din) - Sultan of Egypt and Syria

Saladin had a bright character. Being a typical Muslim, severe in relation to the infidels who captured Syria, he, however, showed mercy to the Christians with whom he directly dealt. Saladin became famous among Christians and Muslims as a true knight. Saladin was very diligent in prayer and fasting. He was proud of his family, declaring that "the Ayyubids were the first to whom the Almighty granted victory." His generosity was shown in the concessions made to Richard and his attitude towards the captives. Saladin was unusually kind, crystal honest, loved children, never lost heart and was truly noble towards women and all the weak. Moreover, he showed true Muslim devotion to a sacred goal. The source of his success lay in his personality. He was able to unite Islamic countries to fight the conquering crusaders, although he did not leave his country a code of laws. After his death, the empire was divided among his relatives. A capable strategist, Saladin, however, was no match for Richard in tactics and, in addition, had an army of slaves. "My army is not capable of anything," he confessed, "if I do not lead him and keep an eye on him every moment." In the history of the East, Saladin remained a conqueror who stopped the invasion of the West and turned the forces of Islam to the West, a hero who united these unbridled forces overnight, and, finally, a saint who embodied in his personality the highest ideals and virtues of Islam.

Saladin (Salah ad-Din). Chronology of life and deeds

1137 (1138) - In the family of Naim ad-Din Ayyub, the military commander of the Tekrit fortress, the third son, Yusuf, was born.

1152 - Yusuf enters the service of his uncle Asad ad-Din Shirk and receives ownership of a small territory.

1152 - Yusuf is part of the military command of Damascus.

1164 - 1169 years - Yusuf's participation in the Egyptian campaigns of Emir Asad ad-Din Shirku.

1169 - After the death of Emir Shirku, Yusuf becomes the vizier of the Egyptian caliph and receives from him the title "Incomparable Ruler" ("al-Malik al-Nazir").

1173 - 1174 - The first short-term campaigns of Saladin against the crusaders.

1174 - Saladin captures Damascus after the death of Nur ad-Din.

1176 - Recognition of Saladin's power over Syria by the Zengids (except for the ruler of Mosul), as well as by the Caliph of Baghdad. A campaign on the lands of the Assassins and the conclusion of an agreement with Rashid ad-Din Sinan.

1177 - The defeat of Saladin from the army of the Jerusalem king Baldwin IV at Ram-Allah.

1186 - Acceptance of a vassal oath from the ruler of Mosul.

1189 - 1191 - Military operations at Acre.

References.

1. Smirnov S.A. Sultan Yusuf and his crusaders. - Moscow: AST, 2000. 2. The World History wars / resp. ed. R. Ernest and Trevor N. Dupuy. - Book One - Moscow: Polygon, 1997. 3. World History. Crusaders and Mongols. - Volume 8 - Minsk, 2000.

When it comes to the Crusades, the names Richard the Lionheart and Saladin immediately come to mind. Legends were told about these leaders. And to this day, Richard I Plantagenet remains one of the most famous English monarchs. In books and movies, he is mentioned no less than the mythical King Arthur. But Richard I is real historical figure and his life is really like a chivalric romance. Another name is inextricably linked with the name of Richard - Sultan Saladin. The friendship of these two extraordinary people during their lifetime was overgrown with legends. Richard had immense respect for his enemy and spoke of him as a valiant and fearless knight. Saladin sent fresh fruit and ice to his opponent's table, and once, when Richard's horse was killed, the Sultan sent him two magnificent stallions as a gift. Richard also responded with gifts. Some historical sources they even mention that Richard and Saladin wanted to intermarry with the help of the marriage of the sister of the English king Joanna and Saladin's brother Al-Adil.

What exactly was King Richard of England? Was he so brave and noble, as numerous legends claim?

Richard I was born on September 8, 1157 in Oxford, at Beaumont Castle, to the English King Henry II Plantagenet and his wife, Duchess Eleanor of Aquitaine. He received the nickname Lionheart for the strength and courage that he showed even in his youth, but he also had another nickname, much less well-known, but more in line with Richard's character, Richard Yes-and-No. This name meant that the future king was easy to convince and incline in the right direction to the interlocutor.

Richard was the third legitimate son of the monarch, so his chances of getting the crown were very slim. As a child, his mother sent him to France, where there were his hereditary lands - the Duchy of Aquitaine and Poitiers. Before accession to the throne, the future king visited England only twice. His reign in France cannot be called peaceful - Richard had to constantly pacify the local barons, accustomed to independence. He met many famous troubadours of that time. Since courtly poetry flourished at the court of Duchess Eleanor, the young man himself tried to compose poetry and even composed several sirvents. Richard was already beginning to get used to such a relatively carefree life, when internal wars clashes with the father were added. At the very beginning of 1183, Henry ordered Richard to take a fealty oath to his elder brother, who was to take the throne of his father. Richard flatly refused, citing the fact that this was an unheard-of innovation in the king's court. Then Henry the Younger invaded Aquitaine at the head of a large army of mercenaries and began to ravage the country. But he did not act outrageously for long - in the summer he caught a fever, which was then considered an incurable disease, and soon died. But the death of the heir did not put an end to the quarrels between his father and Richard. In September, the king demanded the release of Aquitaine for Richard's younger brother, John. Richard, as expected, refused. The younger brothers Gottfried and John attacked Poitou, but even then the future king was distinguished by truly lion-like courage and grip - he invaded Brittany with troops. Thus, the war threatened to drag on. The king, in order to resolve the dispute, ordered Richard to hand over Aquitaine to his mother. Finally, the desires of father and son coincided, but, despite the truce, both were secretly at enmity. This was facilitated by the suspicious closeness between the king and his youngest son John, which seemed to Richard. It was rumored that it was to him that Henry, contrary to custom, wanted to leave the crown. The French king hastened to take advantage of the situation in England and offered to marry his sister Alice to John, despite the fact that she was already betrothed to Richard. Moreover, Alice, who was brought up at the English court, had been the mistress of Henry II himself for 17 years. The situation escalated to the limit. Richard openly spoke out against his father in the autumn of 1188, reconciled and enlisted the support of the French king. To do this, Richard had to take a fiery oath to Philip II. The following year they both captured Maine and Touraine. Henry waged war against them and lost all possessions on the continent except Normandy. Under Lehman, Henry almost fell into captivity to his son and in July of the following year he was forced to conclude a humiliating peace. Shortly thereafter, Henry II died. In August, Richard arrived in England, on September 3 he was crowned in Westminster Abbey and became King of England. This honorary title, however, remained for Richard only a sound - for 10 years of his reign, he spent only six months in England: four months immediately after accession to the throne and two in 1194. Nevertheless, the people idolized him - he was truly the embodiment of all knightly prowess and virtues : smart, endowed with the talent of a politician and commander, possessed remarkable strength, was educated and stunningly handsome. Chronicles write that King Richard was about 1 m 90 cm tall, had blue eyes and blond curly hair.

The same chronicles mention that Richard's coronation was accompanied by a series of strange events that did not bode well for either the king or the people. Some chroniclers claim that a bat flew into the church and darted around under the arches of the cathedral during the entire ceremony.

There were also rumors that when Richard first came to his father's grave in Fontevroy Abbey, blood boiled on the grave. These unusual events were seen as signs of a special fate for the new reign.

Everyone remembered how in 1185 the Jerusalem Patriarch Heraclius came to Richard's father with the keys to the Holy Sepulcher and begged the monarch to defend the Christian kingdom in the East. But Henry II ignored this request. His heir acted differently: he ardently supported the call of Clement III - to win back holy places from Muslims and return the Life-giving Cross of the Lord to the Christian world. Richard, the German emperor Frederick I Barbarossa and the French king Philip II Augustus led their troops on the Third Crusade. To raise funds for the army, Richard began to trade in state lands and posts, levy huge taxes to finance the army and navy. He even freed King William I of Scotland from the oath of vassalage, on the condition that he pay him 10,000 marks. Having plundered the country, Richard with a mighty army moved south.

Given the problems faced by the participants in the first campaigns, Richard the Lionheart insisted that the army travel to the Holy Land by sea. The campaign began in the spring of 1190. In Marseilles, the English knights boarded ships and in September were already in Sicily. However, the locals were not delighted with the invasion of Christ's army. The crusaders had friction with the locals. The citizens of Messina took up arms, but the clash ended with the victory of the knights and the sack of the city. It was there that Richard became engaged to Berengaria of Navarre. Since the engagement with the sister of Philip II Augustus Alice had long been terminated, Eleanor of Aquitaine found another bride for her son and even brought her to Messina. King Philip did not expect this turn of events and was very annoyed. After the engagement, Richard sent the bride, accompanied by his sister Joanna, widow of King William I of Sicily, to the Holy Land. They were allocated the best ships, a large retinue, and on April 10, 1191, the ladies set sail from the harbor of Messina. However, two weeks later the ships were caught in a severe storm that separated the fleet. Three ships, among which was the one where John and Berengaria were, drove off to the island of Cyprus. The ship with women miraculously survived in coastal waves, while the other two ships crashed, and the surviving knights and sailors were taken prisoner ...

The ruler of Cyprus at that time was Isaac Komnenos, who considered himself emperor independent state. At one time, he had to make a lot of efforts to achieve independence from Byzantium. According to the chronicles, Isaac was very unfriendly to the Catholic Church and even had an unspoken alliance with Saladin. Therefore, the emperor of Cyprus tried to slow down the movement of the crusader troops in Syria. At first, he imposed very high taxes on the transit of food and equipment, and later issued a decree forbidding the acceptance of crusader ships. Upon learning that there were two queens on a ship off the coast of Cyprus, he decided to take them prisoner. By his order, coastal defenses were strengthened and a fleet was being prepared that could attack the ship of the queens. Several times he invited the women to go for a walk along the shore. But Isaac's preparations were noticed, and the ship with the queens set sail for the sea. Just at this time, Richard's remaining fleet appeared near Cyprus. The ships anchored in the port of Limassol, but the army did not go ashore. When Richard found out about the rough treatment of the shipwrecked, then. sent two knights to the emperor of Cyprus with a request to compensate for the damage caused by the insult. Isaac uttered harsh words to the ambassadors and refused to settle the conflict amicably. In response, Richard announced a landing. Isaac Komnenos fled with an army to Kilani. Richard gave the order to take Limassol under protection without harming the local population. At the same time, barons who arrived from Syria landed in Cyprus, among whom was the King of Jerusalem, Guy de Lusignan. A new attempt to negotiate with the obstinate emperor also ended in nothing. Then Richard attacked Isaac's camp, but Komnenos again fled. On May 12, 1191, in the conquered Limassol, in the chapel of St. George, the wedding ceremony of the King of England Richard I Plantagenet and Princess Berengaria of Navarre took place. At the time of the ceremony, Richard was 33 years old, and his wife was 26 years old. Luxurious celebrations took place in the castle of Limassol. Less than a month later, Richard left the island and sailed for Syria.

In June 1191, the English king set foot on the coast of Syria and three days later joined the participants in the siege of Acre, which at that time lasted more than two years. The crusaders almost captured the city, but were themselves surrounded by Saladin's troops. Richard disrupted the negotiations between Conrad of Montferrat and Saladin and began to storm the fortress with such vigor that on July 12 Acre fell. Under the terms of the surrender, Sultan Saladin was obliged to pay the crusaders a large ransom - 200 thousand gold coins, and also return the Life-Giving Cross, captured in the Battle of Hattin. When the Sultan failed to meet the deadline, Richard the Lionheart flew into a rage and ordered the execution of 2,600 captives. Despite this, Richard and Saladin developed respect and friendship for each other.

The joy of victory was overshadowed by the strife that broke out between the leaders of the crusaders. The dispute arose over the candidacy of the king of Jerusalem. Richard believed that Guy de Lusignan should remain, but many could not forgive him for the fall of Jerusalem and preferred Conrad of Montferrat. The French king also supported this candidacy. Added fuel to the fire and the case of the Austrian flag. Confusing references in the annals give only general idea about the problem. Allegedly, after the fall of Acre, Duke Leopold of Austria ordered the Austrian standard to be raised over his house. Seeing it, Richard ordered to pick it up and throw it into the mud. The king was angry because Leopold took a house in the English part of the city, although he was an ally of the French king. This incident caused a wave of indignation among the crusaders and did not contribute to strengthening the authority of Richard. This was also the reason that at the end of July, Philip with the army, as well as many French pilgrims, left the Holy Land and went to their homeland.

This significantly weakened the forces of the crusaders, and meanwhile the most difficult part of the war - the capture of Jerusalem - was ahead. Now Richard was the sole head of the army. Having heard about the powerful fortifications around the Holy City, Richard did not go to Jerusalem, but turned towards Ascalon. Approaching the city, the army was surprised to see the ruins. As it turned out, Saladin ordered the destruction of Ascalon, as he did not hope to keep it. The crusaders were forced to delay in order to restore the fortifications. Richard, along with the warriors, carried stones on his shoulders, setting an example. In a few weeks, walls, towers and houses rose from the disordered piles of stones and debris. In May, Richard wavd-lristupom Darumu - a well-fortified fortress south of Ascalon. After that, the crusaders again moved to Jerusalem and again did not reach the city. On the way, news was received of the Sultan's attack on Jaffa, and Richard rushed to help. The city was saved. Part of the Christian army restored the ruins of Jaffa, the other occupied the ruins of Ramla and Lydda. Richard himself participated in most of the battles with the Muslims and at the same time negotiated with Saladin, which, however, did not bring tangible results, although the Muslims suffered significant losses in these battles.

It was at this time that bad news began to come from England about the betrayal of the king's younger brother, John Landless. Richard understood that he needed to return home, so he went to negotiate with Saladin and was ready to give in, if only to quickly go to his possessions. Thus, according to the agreement concluded in September, Jerusalem remained under the rule of the Muslims, the Holy Cross also remained with the infidels. Christian captives became the legitimate prey of Saladin, and Ascalon was decided to be destroyed jointly by Christians and Muslims. Christians did not expect such a truce from the campaign, but they could not change anything.

Richard went home, but unexpected problems arose along the way. Sailing around Europe by sea was long and risky, and by land the path to Britain lay through the lands of Leopold of Austria, with whom Richard quarreled, and Emperor Henry VI, a longtime enemy of the Normans. Richard decided to climb north along the Adriatic Sea in order to get through southern Germany to France. Near Venice, his ship ran aground, and Richard with a small detachment began to make his way through the possessions of Leopold, trying to remain incognito. But Leopold learned about his movements very soon. The graceful appearance of Richard's servants and the foreign money they paid with attracted the attention of the locals. On December 21, Plantagenet was captured and imprisoned in Dürenstein Castle. True, the captivity of the monarch was not severe - he was not imprisoned, he simply lived under heavy guard and even hunted in the nearby forest from time to time. Leopold gave the prisoner to Emperor Henry for 50 thousand marks of silver. And the emperor demanded 150 thousand marks for the release of the English king, which was two annual incomes of England. And most of this money had to be paid up front. Eleanor of Aquitaine collected the required amount by levying exorbitant taxes, and on February 4, 1194, Richard was released. Then Philip II sent a letter to John Landless with the words “Be careful. Devil on the loose."

In the spring of 1194 Richard landed in England. Frightened by the wrath of his quick-tempered brother, John did not dare to take up arms and submitted to the king. Richard generously forgave his brother, and two months later he left England, never to return. He started a war with the French king Philip II, who, during the absence of Richard, captured many English lands on the continent. Richard hurried to regain his possessions: he took Loches, captured Angouleme, and the next year moved to Berry and acted here so successfully that Philip hastened to sign a peace treaty. According to him, the French had to abandon Eastern Normandy, but left behind several important castles on the Seine. This situation did not suit Richard. In 1198, he returned the Norman border possessions and laid siege to the castle of Chalus - Chabrol in Limousin.

On March 26, 1199, during the battle, a crossbow arrow hit the king in the shoulder near the neck. The wound was not fatal, but when the arrow was taken out, an infection was introduced into the blood. Eleven days later, the king died of infection in the arms of his 77-year-old mother Eleanor and wife Berengaria. He was buried at Fontevraud Abbey in France, next to his father. Before his death, the noble king forgave the shooter who wounded him and ordered him to be released. But the order was not executed - after the death of the monarch, the warrior was skinned alive, and the corpse was hung on the castle wall.

Thus ended the life of King Richard the Lionheart. Military exploits made him the idol of knights and the hero of numerous legends, especially those of Robin Hood, although they lived in different time. Yes, Richard's life really is more like a medieval chivalric romance, so it's no surprise that he himself became one of the most prominent figures in medieval history and literature. In the East, Sultan Saladin is no less popular in our time. That's what the Europeans call it. But it's not even a name. Salah ad-Din is an honorific nickname (lakab), which translates as "defender of the faith." The real name of this outstanding ruler and commander is Yusuf, the son of Ayyub.

Salah ad-Din was the role model of Saddam Hussein, who, like the Sultan, was born in Tikrit on the Tigris River. During the reign of Hussein, the cult of Salah ad-Din was created in Iraq.

Writers and screenwriters do not forget this hero of the Middle Ages, who invariably portray him as a wise and noble leader and fearless warrior. This is how we imagine him, and few people know that Saladin was a scientist, a researcher of unusual phenomena. All his warriors were ordered to immediately report on all the wonderful and incredible things that they managed to notice. He also owns a statement that was subsequently quoted by both great scientists and philosophers, and vagabonds of all stripes: “A person from birth is entangled in thousands of threads of conventions and laws; becomes God.

Unfortunately, there is not so much information about Saladin. Let's try to draw his historical portrait based on reliable facts that have come down to us. Yusuf ibn Ayyub, later nicknamed Salah ad-Din, was born in 1138 in Kurdish family. He spent his youth in Damascus and received an excellent education, studied theology. Thanks to his own talents and extensive family ties, Hyp-ad-Din (Nureddin) Zengi was introduced to the court of the Emir of Aleppo and Damascus. Under the guidance of his uncle Shirkuh, Salah ad-Din learned the skills of a warrior in endless clashes with Fatimid forces.

Most Nur-ad-Din attracted Egypt. This state was a stronghold of heretic caliphs, and also from time to time entered into alliances with the crusaders and was a serious threat. In 1193, the crusaders made several attacks on the cities of the Nile Delta, and the vizier Shevar ibn Mujir, who was expelled from Egypt by order of Caliph al-Adid, asked for help. This served as an excellent pretext for the invasion of Nur-ad-Din's troops into Egypt. Shirkuh marched with an army against Egypt in 1164. Saladin was appointed commander of a hundred horsemen. The trip turned out to be unsuccessful. Shewar ibn Mujir soon realized that Shirkuh agreed to provide assistance only in order to capture Egypt for Nur ad-Din. Then the vizier, at a decisive moment, went over to the side of the enemy-caliph and called for the help of the king of Jerusalem, Amory I. The crusaders helped to defeat Shirkuh near Cairo in April 1167. After that, the crusaders settled in Cairo. Here Saladin first showed himself as a warrior and strategist; when Shirkuh's troops were ready to leave the country, he captured Alexandria with his detachment and thus prevented the crusaders from receiving reinforcements from the sea. Long negotiations followed, during which it was decided to liberate Cairo, but the Christian garrison was to remain in the city, Shirkuh was appointed vizier of the caliph. In May 1169, Shirkuh died, as some historians suggest, from poison, and the position was inherited by Salah ad-Din. Oddly enough, the warrior turned out to be a wise politician and managed to attract many courtiers and people to his side. When Caliph al-Adid died in 1171, Salah ad-Din took his place. As a reasonable politician, he managed to get along with the Fatimid Caliph until he gained sufficient influence. His former master Nur ad-Din also expected Salah ad-Din to submit to his authority. But the young Sultan made it clear that he did not need guidance. So Salah ad-Din became the ruler of Egypt and the founder of the Ayyubid dynasty. He restored the Sunni faith in Egypt and already in 1174 began to expand his possessions. He entered Damascus, took Hama and Hama, and in 1175 captured Baalbek. This success was not accidental. Salah ad-Din managed to perfectly train and perfectly organize his army of Turkish slaves, which consisted mainly of horse archers and spearmen. This step brought independence to the state of Salah ad-Din. In 1175, he received formal recognition of his authority over Egypt from the Caliph of Baghdad. In 1176, he defeated the invading army of Sayf ad-Din of Mosul, subjugated Syria and made a pact with the Assassins. Now he was the sovereign master of Egypt. In Cairo, he built a new fortress, an aqueduct and several madrasahs. In 1186, Salah ad-Din became the ruler of a vast empire surrounding the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Now he could carry out his plan - to expel the Christians.

Salah ad-Din chose the moment to attack the Kingdom of Jerusalem very well. On the throne sat the young king Baldwin IV, sick with leprosy. Even during his lifetime, the heirs began to fight for the throne, weakening the strength of Christians. After the death of Baldwin, power eventually went to the king's sister Sibylla and her husband Guy de Lusignan, who did not enjoy authority among the barons and could not restore order in the country. It was here that Saladin had a reason to attack. Baron Renaud de Chatillon captured the castle of Krak des Chevaliers and attacked the caravan carrying Saladin's sister to her fiancé, asking for a truce concluded with the Muslims. She was sent home safe and sound, but all her jewels were taken from her. At the same time, Renault touched the girl, which was considered the most severe insult among Muslims. Saladin swore revenge, and in June 1187 his army set out on a campaign. Saladin laid siege to Tiberias on the western shore of the Lake of Gennesaret. Guy de Lusignan gathered an army and moved towards Salah ad-Din. He led the army into the waterless desert, where, thanks to a well-thought-out strategy and tactics, Salah ad-Din was able to destroy the crusader army with minimal losses for his army and take away the sacred relic of the Life-Giving Cross. Renaud de Chatillon also became his prisoner, and Salah ad-Din cut off his head with his own hand, and then, according to the custom of the Kurds, moistened his finger in blood and ran it over his face as a sign that his revenge had come true. The victory aroused mercy in the Sultan, and he released Guy de Lusignan, taking his word that he would no longer fight. After the victory, Saladin captured Acre, Ascalon and other cities. He failed to conquer only Tire, in which, shortly before the siege, Conrad of Montferrat arrived with a detachment of crusaders. Soon after a short siege, Jerusalem was taken. All the churches of the city, except for the Church of the Resurrection, were cleansed with rose water and incense and turned into mosques. The inhabitants of the city were given life, but not freedom. Salah ad-Din agreed to release, though without property, those who could pay a ransom for themselves: a man - 10 gold coins, a woman - 5, and all the poor could gain freedom in a crowd for 30 thousand gold coins.

In the future, despite all the efforts of Christians to free the Holy Sepulcher, the power of Salah ad-Din in the former Kingdom of Jerusalem grew stronger day by day. His praises were sung by historians, theologians, the rulers of neighboring states and the people. He was praised and even justified for his weaknesses, which would not be forgiven to anyone else. It is known that Salah ad-Din could never observe Ramadan with due rigor and did not make the pilgrimage to Mecca due to every Muslim.

After defeating the crusader knights led by Richard the Lionheart and concluding a very favorable peace, Salah ad-Din returned to Damascus. There he fell ill with yellow fever and died on March 4, 1193. He was buried in Damascus and mourned throughout the East.

Saladin and Richard the Lionheart… Knight of the East and Knight of the West. They were bright personalities who embodied the main knightly virtues of that time. The source of their success and popularity was in themselves. And for many centuries the legends about these extraordinary people will live in the memory of people.

100 Great Generals of the Middle Ages Alexey Shishov

Saladin (Salah - ad - Din)

Saladin (Salah - ad - Din)

Egyptian sultan - commander who crushed the Third Crusade and won the Holy Land for himself

Saladin and Guido de Lusignan after the Battle of Hattin in 1187

Saladin (in Arabic, his name means "honor of faith") was born on the land of modern Iraq. His father, a Kurd by nationality, was a senior commander in the army of the famous Syrian commander Nur-ed-din, who successfully fought the crusaders.

In 1164, Saladin, already being the right hand of the commander Nur - Eddin in the war, participated in the liberation of Egypt (or rather, part of it) from the crusaders. After the death of Nur - ed - din, his disciple Salah - ad - din Yusuf ibn Ayub led the Arab army and began to fight with the crusaders and their states in the Holy Land - the county of Edessa, the principality of Antioch, the kingdom of Jerusalem, the county of Tripoli. He fought successfully.

Together with the title of commander-in-chief of the Muslim army, Salah - ad - din received power over Egypt conquered by the Arabs. In 1174, he staged a coup d'état and established the Ayyubid dynasty, becoming sultan.

Having become the ruler of Egypt, Sultan Salah - ad - din appointed his relatives and close, reliable friends to key positions in the state. He strengthened the Egyptian army, making it predominantly Arab, and created a modern navy for that time. After that, Saladin went to war against the Middle Eastern states of the crusaders.

For twelve years of continuous military campaigns, Sultan Salah - Addin conquered Syria and Iraq and became the recognized military leader of the Muslim world. Now the states of the crusaders in the Middle East were surrounded on all sides by the possessions of the Egyptian sultan. Saladin vowed to expel the "infidels" and declared holy war on them.

In 1187, the 20,000-strong army of the Sultan of Egypt invaded Palestine. Half of it was horse archers, armed with long-range bows, the arrows of which were capable of penetrating steel knightly armor. It was the horse archers who were the first to attack the Europeans and with a cloud of red-hot arrows upset their ranks. This allowed the Egyptian sultan to look for the weakest points in the enemy's battle formation. Then mounted warriors armed with sabers went on the attack and began hand-to-hand combat. And only after that, detachments of foot soldiers were sent into battle, who were to complete the rout of the enemy troops.

Saladin brilliantly mastered the tactics of warfare in the Arab East. The main blow of his horse archers was inflicted on the enemy flanks. He skillfully used such a tactic as luring the crusaders with the help of a feigned retreat into waterless, desert lands in order to deplete their strength by depriving them of water sources.

On July 4, 1187, Salah ad din unexpectedly attacked the crusader army near Hattin (near Lake Tiberias). During a short battle, the Muslims (the Europeans called them Saracens) killed or captured most of the army of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, which numbered about 20 thousand people. This battle went down in the history of the Crusades under the name of the Battle of Hattin, so great were the losses of the knights from Jerusalem.

Among those captured was the crusader commander Guido (Guy) de Lusignan, King of Jerusalem, and the remnants of the "Faithful Cross" detachment, which was intended to inspire Christians in the Middle East to fight against Muslims. The Grand Master of the Knights Templar and the Margrave of Montferrat were captured. The commander Salah-ad-din either released the captive knights for a rich ransom, or exchanged them for his captive soldiers.

After this great victory, Saladin took several large fortified Palestinian cities, such as Accra and Jaffa, and Crusader fortresses from battle. He left Egyptian garrisons and his governors in them.

After the defeat at Hattin, the crusaders for some time did not dare to fight the army of Salah-ad-din in the open, preferring to keep the defense in the fortresses. The knights turned to the Pope and the monarchs of Europe for help and now awaited the start of the Third Crusade.

In September 1187 Sultan Salah ad din laid siege to Jerusalem. The history of the capture of the holy city by the Europeans is as follows. During the First Crusade on June 7, 1099, it was besieged by the knights led by Gottfried of Bouillon. On July 15, the walls of the city were taken by storm, and over the next three days, the massacre continued in Jerusalem, in which, according to some reports, 70,000 Muslims died.

The siege of Jerusalem by the Egyptian army lasted 14 days, during which the crusaders made several bold attacks on the positions of the Saracens. After a tense siege, the Muslim army broke into the city, the inhabitants and the garrison of which began to experience great difficulties with water and food. The last King of Jerusalem, Guido de Lusignan, was forced to capitulate to the Sultan of Egypt.

Saladin restored Muslim power in Jerusalem, which they had lost in 1099. Unlike the Crusaders, the Sultan treated his captives nobly. He freed the defeated King of Jerusalem Guido de Lusignan, having previously taken a knightly word from him that he would never again raise arms against the Muslim world. Christians were given 40 days to leave the holy city.

With his successful actions, Salah - ad - din minimized the gains of European chivalry during the Second Crusade of 1147-1149. At the court of the Pope, the alarm was sounded and they began to hastily prepare for the Third Crusade to the Holy Land.

It began in 1189. It was headed by the English king Richard I the Lionheart, the German emperor Frederick I Barbarossa and the French king Philip II Augustus. There was no agreement between them from the very beginning of hostilities against the Saracens, and they were constantly at enmity with each other. However, this time the crusading European chivalry was determined to liberate the Holy Land from Muslims.

A distinctive feature of this crusade was that the knightly army was supported by a large navy from the Mediterranean Sea. At first, the crusaders were lucky. In 1190, the knights took the important city of Konya (Iconium), but during the struggle for it, the German emperor Frederick I Barbarossa died (drowned), and his army disintegrated.

In 1191, the British and French, after a two-year siege, took the ancient port city of Accra (Akkon). Detachments of Guido de Lusignan participated in its siege and assault - he violated the oath given to the Egyptian sultan, who generously granted the Jerusalem king life and freedom. After the capture of Accra, the French king Philip II Augustus, having gained fame as the winner of the Saracens, departed for his homeland.

Alarmed by the new invasion of the crusaders led by three monarchs in the Middle East, Sultan Salah ad - din again gathered a large Egyptian army. He called under his banner all those who wanted to fight the Christian army for the sake of glory and military booty.

Meanwhile, the English king Richard the Lionheart, with the assistance of the fleet in 1191, conquered the Byzantine Empire the island of Cyprus and went to Palestine. But Saladin blocked the way for Richard's troops to Jerusalem, destroying in its near and far neighborhoods all the food supplies that the crusaders could use.

The decisive battle between the armies of the King of England and the Sultan of Egypt took place on September 7, 1191 at Arsuf. The crusader army noticeably thinned out after the return of most of the French feudal lords with their detachments and German knights to their homeland. According to European sources, Saladin's army numbered 300 thousand people, but these figures are most likely greatly inflated. But, in any case, the forces of the Egyptian ruler in the battle of Arsuf significantly outnumbered the forces of the Europeans.

Salah-ad-din was the first to start the battle. He ordered his horse archers to attack the enemy lined up for battle. The main blow, as usual, was inflicted immediately on the flanks. The attack initially went well - the crusaders, under the fierce onslaught of the Saracens, leaned back. However, the core of the Crusaders, led by Richard the Lionheart, stood firm.

The battle of Arsuf began to drag on. The Sultan's army suffered heavy losses in incessant attacks. It was difficult for lightly armed Arab horsemen to break the close formation of knights clad in steel armor. Gradually, the initiative passed to Richard, and as a result, the battle ended in a disorderly retreat of the Egyptian army, which lost 40 thousand people that day. But even these figures are considered very high.

The war for the possession of the Holy Land, and with it the Third Crusade, ended with the fact that the Egyptian sultan Salah - ad - din and the English king Richard the Lionheart during their meeting in September 1192 concluded a truce for three years. In fact, this agreement turned out to be a peace treaty that was in force for many years.

The crusaders kept the coastal strip from Tyre to Jaffa. The city of Jerusalem, sacred to the Christian world, remained with the Muslims. Pilgrims and Christian merchants were allowed to freely visit it, as well as other places in Palestine, which became part of the Egyptian Sultanate after the conquests of Saladin. The Kingdom of Jerusalem remained on the world map, but now its capital was the Mediterranean city - the fortress of Accra.

The peace agreement on the Holy Land and the Holy City concluded by the Egyptian sultan and the English king was surprisingly fair and equal for the parties. After that, Richard I returned to England, not giving up his claims to Palestine. However, his wishes were not destined to come true, since the Fourth Crusade, organized by Pope Innocent III, did not begin until 1202.

And Salah - ad - din, after signing a peace agreement with the English monarch, returned to the Syrian capital of Damascus, which he loved very much, since his childhood and youth were connected with this city. There he contracted yellow fever and died on March 4, 1193.