What was the most important factor behind Saladin's series of successes - Essay Example

?Introduction Saladin was one of the important warriors in the history of Islamic world who has great influence on the West also. Due to his successes in crusades, Saladin has remained one of the important historical figures for West to study and explore specially the reasons and key factors behind his success. He was a Kurdish Muslim who became the first Ayyubid ruler of Egypt and Syria and also the major force behind the recapturing of the Jerusalem from the European crusaders. It was mostly because of this reason that he is a very well known figure in Islamic history and is considered as one of those individuals who could muster the courage and strength to recapture Jerusalem. (Hamblin)1 A closer analysis of his successes however, would reveal many important facets of his rise to the power and glory. His success against the crusaders in Jerusalem is mostly attributed to the internal conflict between the Crusader States. Further, his own ambitions to create an alternative Ayyubid dynasty in Arab world and use of Jihad as a tool to gain military power are other important reasons which could be considered as the key reasons behind his rise to the success. The lack of interest by the Franks as well as the failure of the agreements with the Byzantines can also be considered as the different factors which provided Saladin a perfect environment to establish his own authority and might. This paper will attempt to discuss the key success factors behind the success of Saladin and his rise to the power Saladin’s rise to Power It is important to discuss briefly as to how Saladin actually rose to the power in Arab world and became the force which actually defeated the Crusader States. Saladin’s father, Ayyub, was in military services for the Turkish Military Leader Zangi who was controlling Aleppo and Mosul. At the early age, Saladin joined his father and uncle in the army at Aleppo which was at that time controlled by Zangi’s son Nur al-Din who also emerged as one of the strongest personality within Muslim world to successfully challenge the threat posed by the Crusaders. (Davenport)2 Saladin’s real chance for success came when Nur al-Din sent army to Egypt when the Fatimid Empire in Egypt was weakening due to the internal conflicts as well as the constant invasions from the Frankish States. It was during this campaign that Saladin’s uncle, Shirkuh, leader of Army, died and Saladin started to take control. He was first appointed as the Vizier in Egypt and than subsequently overtook the Egyptian government in the name of Nur al-Din. (Lane-Poole). 3This episode is also considered as the starting point of the rising conflicts between Nur al-Din and Saladin and on the death of Nur al-Din, Saladin went on to capture the Syria from the heirs of Nur al-Din also. (Meri and Bacharach)4 This brief recapture of Saladin’s rise to the power indicates that he actually attempted to take advantage of the internal conflicts which were existing within Muslim dynasties at that time. Fatimid Empire weakened not only due to the internal strife within the empire but from the constant invasions and threats posed by the Frankish States. This not only weakened the State but also allowed alternative forces like Saladin to take make their move to the throne. It is also important to note that Saladin’s rise to become the Vizier of Egypt was also based upon the fact he was Sunni Muslim and due to his age and family background, he was preferred over others as it was considered that he was too weak to pose a significant challenge. His rise to this position is also considered as a political maneuvering by the existing regime to undermine other stronger forces within the Muslim Empire. It was during his tenure as a Vizier in Egypt that Saladin started to use religion as one of his weapons to start consolidating his power. (Azzam)5 It is also important to note that Nur al-Din also emerged as one of the strongest forces against the Crusader States and also help widening the conflict between the Crusader States . The availability and creation of such an environment therefore further allowed Saladin to actually cash on the weakening situation. However, before taking on the Crusaders, Saladin attempted to consolidate his power in the Arab world and it was because of this reason that he gradually attempted to take over Mosul, Aleppo as well as the Syria to consolidate his power. These actions therefore suggest that Saladin was keen on building his own Ayyubid Empire and used the internal conflicts within the Muslim States to further consolidate his power. Political and Military Structure Saladin’s rise to the power and his success should also be viewed from the perspective of the overall political and administrative system which he put in place. His control of the army is considered as one of the strongest administrative points which allowed Saladin to actually keep on to continue different campaigns for months without actually facing any kind of resistance or mutiny from within his own forces. He kept the authority to appoint Amirs and military leaders in his own hands and was masterful in administratively controlling armies while at the same time ensuring that the troops are actually been provided the monetary compensations on time by their emirs. It has also been argued that the Saladin’s success has also largely been rested on his ability to develop the personal relationships with different individuals in power. He developed a complex network of personal relationships in such a manner that the political fate of all those in the network was directly connected with the fate of Saladin therefore they had to comply and support him in order to continue to enjoy their own status and power. (Humphreys)6 Use of Religion and Jihad Secondly, it has also been argued that the State which Saladin helped to formulate was based upon strong ethical consideration and sense of purpose. As discussed above that Saladin started to use religion as his main weapon during his days as Vizier in Egypt, he continued to use the same policy to keep his power intact. He continued to justify his killings of fellow Muslims and continued to consolidate his power based on the argument that these Muslims were either reluctant to joint the Jihad against Franks or were obstructing the same. He openly stated that his actions to kill the fellow Muslims were not directed at seizing a kingdom for himself but rather to establish the standards for the holy war so that a just Islamic society can be built. (Richards).7 This set of arguments therefore allowed Saladin to not only continued to muster support from his troops and other Muslims but also allowed him to thrash any internal opposition to his rule. It is also important to note that Saladin used religion and Jihad in most strategic manner and intensified the moral and philosophical use of the same when he faced significant challenges. During the capture of Mosel and Aleppo, he went on to proclaim mercy for all those who left the battlefield while giving strict orders to his forces not to kill the wounded enemy soldiers. This action therefore further provided a moral and religious authority to his power allowing him to become more powerful and strong to successfully challenge the infidels at Jerusalem. (Lyons and Jackson)8 Gibs also went on to say that the overall motive of Saladin was not actually to consolidate his own power but the power of Islam as a single unifying force based on the laws and canons of Islam. This argument therefore indicates that the Islamic heritage and the restoration of Muslim empire based on Islamic principles was one of the major goals of Saladin to propagate his power. (Nicolle)9 It is also important to note that 12th Century generally was also a period during which there was a strong intellectual movement within Sunni Muslim scholars to revive the concept of Jihad as a holy war against the infidels and Shia Muslims also. Viewing within this perspective, it can therefore be argued that the overall influence on the Saladin’s efforts of this revival can be greater. Since Saladin was himself a Sunni Muslim therefore this influence could have played a larger role in using religion as one of the key strategic arguments to consolidate his power as well as use the force against the Muslim as well as Christian opposition. Crusades and Crusader States If the argument of propagation of religion as the main goal for the consolidation of Saladin’s power can be considered, it can become important that the loss of Jerusalem to the Christians provided a very valid reason for Saladin to set on to liberate the holy city from Christian control. Saladin therefore masterfully used the existing sentiments of Muslims at that time to gather sufficient military strength to actually build an army which could seriously challenge the Western powers in Jerusalem. The lack of support from the Byzantine Empire despite the fact that the crusaders have used Constantinople as a strategic city since earlier crusades also proved as one of the reasons as to why Jerusalem could not sustain the Saladin’s attack. (Harris)10 It is important to note that the Military capabilities of the Crusader States such as England and France were stronger however; the internal administrative structures made them weaker forces. It has been demonstrated that the appointments in the England’s army were based upon one’s rank and status rather than the skills and capabilities. The army of England during the period of Crusades therefore largely divided based upon the social classes of the society and therefore making it relatively weaker force to deal with. The crusades therefore also became one of the strongest reasons for maintaining one’s aristocratic life style as well as the status within the society. The elite class of England at that time viewed Crusades as an opportunity to serve the Church and a moral justification for their rise in the army of the country. (France)11 After the first crusades, the leadership in the Latin States also went into the hands of the people who were willing to cooperate with the surrounding Muslim States rather than confront with them. Further, the internal conflicts between the rulers of the Jerusalem as well as the local lords weakened the governing structure within Jerusalem and by the end of 12th century, Jerusalem was already on its way to become a weaker state. (Shatzmiller)12 It is also important to understand that the inherent conflict within the Crusader States and Franks also allowed Saladin to take advantage of this internal rift. Many Franks could not find any spiritual reason to join the forces in the places like Aleppo. This lack of willingness therefore further weakened the Frankish forces and allowed Saladin to actually complete a successful campaign at Hattin. (Nicolle) There were also factions within the Latin States and their supporters in England and other countries wherein it was largely believed that the overall strategies adapted by the Latin States in the surrounding areas of Syria were provocative in nature. The actions of the Guy and Reynolds to humiliate sister of Saladin are also considered as the key reasons which provoked Saladin to actually attack Jerusalem with much vengeance and force. (Constable)13 This environment therefore allowed Saladin to actually take advantage of the internal conflicts of the different Western powers as well as the Jerusalem rulers to successfully launch a campaign which resulted into his success. Conclusion Saladin’s rise to power is largely seen as a politically maneuvering attempt coupled with the overall nature of the circumstances and the enviornment. One aspect is however, clear that since the beginning, Saladin used religion and the concept of Jihad as his main weapons to not only gather the support to consolidate his power but also provide a religious and moral argument for his rule. He killed and destroyed fellow Muslim rulers in the name of Jihad by proclaiming that they were obstructing the way to the greater jihad against infidels in Jerusalem. His success in Jerusalem was also a result of the inherent weaknesses as well as the internal conflict between the Western powers. Failures in earlier crusades offered little motivation to the Franks and other Christians to basically muster enough spiritual reasons to join forces to defeat Saladin’s armies. The key factor behind his success was his ability to use religions as a moral source of encouragement for his supporters to wage a holy war and revive Islam and its true values. Bibliography 1. Azzam, Abdul Rahman. Saladin. New York: Longman, 2009. 2. Constable, Giles. Crusaders and crusading in the twelfth century. London: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd, 2008. 3. Davenport, John. Saladin. London: Infobase Publishing, 2003. 4. France, John. The Crusades and the expansion of Catholic Christendom, 1000-1714. London: Routledge, 2005. 5. Hamblin, William J. Saladin and Muslim Military History. 1986. 05 March 2011 . 6. Harris, Jonathan. Byzantium and the Crusades. London: Continuum International Publishing Group, 2006. 7. Humphreys, R. Stephen. From Saladin to the Mongols : the Ayyubids of Damascus, 1193-1260. London: SUNY Press, 1977. 8. Lane-Poole, Stanley. Saladin and the fall of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. London: The Other Press, 1964. 9. Lyons, Malcolm Cameron and David Edward Pritchett Jackson. Saladin:The Politics of the Holy War. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1985. 10. Meri, Josef W. and Jere L. Bacharach. Medieval Islamic civilization. London: Routledge, 2000. 11. Nicolle, David. Hattin 1187:Saladin's Greatest Victory. New York: Osprey Publishing, 1993. 12. Richards, D.S. The Rare and Excellent History of Saladin: Or al-Nawadir al-Sultaniyya wa'l-Mahasin al-Yusufiyya by Baha' Al-Din Lbn Shaddad. London: Ashgate Publishing Limited, 2002. 13. Shatzmiller, Maya. Crusaders and Muslims in twelfth-century Syria. London: BRILL, 1993. Read More