The defeat of the Crusaders

The defeat of the Crusaders Salah Ad-Din, liberator of Jerusalem and the hero of the battle of Hattin, mobilized his troops and prepared for the confrontation with the Crusaders, to whom he was going to deliver one of the biggest battles in the history of Islam. This was ten years ago that Sultan was waiting for this opportunity, and the insane policy of Renaud de Châtillon was only a pretext for the breakup of the ardour of Salah AdDîn and the declaration of this war so long hoped.

Salah AdDîn, number of 12000 troops fighters gathered to Egypt, Aleppo, Arabian peninsula and Diyar Bakr, left Damascus in March 1187 and took the road of the Citadel of Kerak. It was besieged and its fields destroyed. Salah AdDîn ala then went to the Citadel of Shaubak to suffer the same fate as that of Kerak. He went finally to Banias, near Tiberias, to observe the situation.

Meanwhile, the cross-troops, under the command of Guy of Lusignan, King of Jerusalem, gathered in the town of Sephorie. Joined to the troops of Raymond III, count of Tripoli, who denounced as well to turn the truce he had signed with Salah AdDîn, preferring instead to support his family, despite deep disagreements he had with Guy of Lusignan. The Crusaders were in the end with the number 63000 soldiers.

Salah AdDîn wanted to push the Crusaders to come up to him, so that he could meet them while they were exhausted by the distance they had traveled while he and his army were still fresh. To achieve this strategic objective, he attacked Tiberias, in the castle of which the wife of Raymond III had taken refuge. The Crusaders shouted revenge and called a Council of war.Two opinions arose: one felt it was necessary to walk on Tiberias as soon as possible in order to hit Salah Ad-Dîn, while the other, at the head of which Raymond III, considered as dangerous such an undertaking, where the road was difficult and scarce water. But Renaud de Châtillon accused Raymond of cowardice: "I do not doubt for one instant, he said it, you love Muslims and you are looking to scare us by their number. '' Renaud thus managed to convince the King of Jerusalem from the need to walk on Tiberias.

The battle of Hattin

Cross troops took the road in extremely difficult conditions, July 1, 1187. Their faces were burned by the heat of the Sun, and they suffered from the lack of water and the difficulty of the course which stretched over 27 kilometres. At the same time, Salah AdDîn ala and his soldiers took advantage of the abundance of water and the coolness of the shade: they thus preserved their forces for the decisive meeting. When the Sultan learned that the Crusaders had taken the road, he went forth with his troops over a distance of some 9 kilometers and camped at the West of Tiberias, near the village of Hattin.

The Crusaders reached the Summit of Mount Tiberias, overlooking the plain of Hittin, July 3, 1187. This region had the form of a mound which exceeded the 300 meters above the sea level, and consisted of two peaks whose shape strangely resembled that of two horns. It is for this reason that the Arabs referred to this region by "the horns of Hattin".

Salah AdDîn did its utmost to prevent the Crusaders to reach water from Lake Tiberias, at a time when the thirst of these reached its climax. The Muslims lit over a bonfire in brush that covered the Hill, so that the wind took fire, heat and smoke, in the direction of the Crusaders. A terrible night waiting for them: thirsty and exhausted, they could not even close the eye of the night, because Muslims were to glorify and make praises to God, which had the effect of terrorize the Crusaders.

On the morning of the battle

The morning of Saturday, July 4, 1187, the Crusaders discovered with amazement thatSalah AdDin took advantage of the darkness of the night to identify them from all sides. It was then that the General attack was launched. The Muslim sabres were active to defeat the Crusaders, so they eventually loosen their ranks, while others tried to gather on the mound of Hattin. They were again surrounded by Muslims.Whenever they tried to back to the top of the mount, Muslims increased their pressure. In the end, it only remained that Guy of Lusignan, King of Jerusalem, and 150 of his knights. All were made prisoners and taken to the tent of Salah AdDîn. 

Among the captives were precisely Renaud de Châtillon, Lord of Kerak, as well as other large cross princes. Salah AdDîn received with the greatest hospitality and ordered on serve them ice water. However, he refused to give this honor to Renaud. When Guy of Lusignan étancha thirst and he gave the water that remained to Renaud,  Salah AdDîn became angry: "this cursed doesn't have my permission to drink water. Because if he does, I'll have him protection. "It was customary among the Arabs that if it served water and food to a prisoner, the latter would have saved life. Salah Ad - Dîn returned later in his tent and summoned Renaud de Châtillon to offer him to convert to Islam. The latter refused. The Sultan him then recalled his crimes and prosecuted on his misdeeds, whereupon he arose and it cut off head. "I had sworn by two times, he, commented to kill him if I take him. The first was when he began to walk on Mecca and Medina, and the second was when he had attacked the Caravan and it was in was treacherously seized. » SalahAdDîn had then killed the prisoners belonging to the order of the Temple as well as those belonging to the order of the hospital, because they had been the most formidable enemies of Muslims.

The consequences of Hattin

The cross-defeat of Hattin was not a simple anecdotal defeat. It was a disaster that was shot dead on the Christian kingdoms of the Orient.They had lost the flower of their chivalry, 30000 soldiers had left life and an equal number was captured. Will said: "who sees the slain think that there is no prisoner. And who sees prisoners think that there is no kills. "Moreover, the Muslims succeeded in this battle to impose a hard psychological defeat for the Crusaders, because they could get their hands on the relic of the Holy Cross, the emblem of Christianity.

After Hattin, Palestine had become under the influence of Salah AdDîn. He then proceeded to shoot down cities and citadels crossed one after the other, to be able to Crown his successes and efforts by the liberation of Jerusalem 12 October 1187 and the month

Category: Islamic stories