Muslims 1095-1144

Muslim divisions

Sunni Seljuk Turks, Shia Egyptian Fatmids.
They had different claims to Muhammad's sucessor.
Shia Muslims believe that only Muhammed was the leader of Islam, and the Caliph Fatmids beleived they were descended from his son in law, Ali. They ruled with a vizier.
By 969, they had established an Empire in Eypt, Syria and Palestine.
Sunni Muslims beleive in following Sharia law and Sunna (the prohpet's customs).
Thier leader was a caliph, then sultans.
They ruled Iran, Iraq, Syria, Cilicia, Anatolia and Palestine.

1 of 6

1092 Malik Shah died along with his vizier, Nizam al-Mulk. 1094, the Egyptian caliph al-Mustansir and vizier Badr al-Jamali also died. This caused sucession crises.
al-Jamali's death halted Fatmid advances into Palestine, but they took Jerusalem in 1098.
They were not going to co-operate, both sides wanted personal gain.
Malik Shah's empire was divided by Atabegs, and the Seljuk Empire disintegreated.
Shah's hier to Aleppo, Ridwan, was very unpopular. The atabeg of Mosul wanted to attack Aleppo. Ridwan's brother Duqaq of Damascus opposed Ridwan conquering Syria.
The emir of Antioch joined Duqaq to fight Ridwan. Malik Shah's brother was killed in the fight.
Atabegs wanted to establish sultanates, so they were divided.

2 of 6

Seljuk Sultan of Rum, surrounded by Byzantines and Turks.
Nicaea was his capital, attacked in 1097 by the people's crusade and the real crusade.
Arslan underestimated the crusade and used the same tactics on each attack.
He didn't attack each contingent as it arrived. They had 75k knights and 50k infantry.
The crusaders used blockades and seige engines. They also had time to plan stratergy.
Arslan arrived during the seige from fighting Danishmned Turks, gave up and fled South.
The Nicaeans surrendered to the Byzantine ships.
Arslan was tired, lacking troops, impoverished and lost his family and capital.

3 of 6

1097, Arslan united with the Danishmned Emir to attack contingents.
They ambushed the crusaders at Doryleum, but they held thier ground.
When Godfrey arrived to releive the crusaders, Arslan was defeated and left.
This shattered his reputation as a strong Sultan.
The Byzantines occupied his old territory including Nicaea.
Turkish losses were 3k which meant the crusaders could continue through tiredness, heat, hunger and thirst. They also knew how the Turks fought so they would beat them in future.
By the time they started to work together, it was too late.

4 of 6

Seiged from 1097-8, Duqaq led a releif force with his atabeg and the emir of Homs.
Bohemond of Taranto kept his cavalry in formation.
12k under Ridwan of Aleppo arrived in 1098 on horseback.
The seige would only have infantry if they succeeded, but Bohemond used a surprise cavalry.
The Muslims retreated to Harim and counter-attacked in May 1098.
35k Turks arrived to end the seige, but they wasted time trying to take Edessa from Baldwin.
There was still divisions in the Turkish army and Ridwan did not join in.
Kerbogha made poor decisions such as spreading his men out instead of concentrating attack.
1098, the Fatmids proposed the crusaders asking for peace, so they were no help.

5 of 6

Little opposition from Arabs, Turks and Egyptians on the way to Jerusalem.
Rivalry grew between Aleppo and Damascus, who wanted to fight each other.
Arab emirs in Shazier, Homs and Hamah did not want to help either Sunni/Shia.
Native Syrians were Shia, but thier leaders were Sunni Seljuk.
Muslim towns preferred to negotiate than fight- Homs gave money for safety.
Towns such as Shazier even helped the crusaders by showing them territory.
The Fatmids had negotaited about Jerusalem but they did not send an army until 1099.
The Fatmids had just conquered Jerusalem from the Seljuks, and did not have time to refortify it. Thier seige engines were dissembled and hidden (found by crusaders.)
1099, the Fatmids made a peace offer, to let 200 enter as pilgrims. This was refused.
By attacking on two fronts, the crusaders divided the Fatmids, so they were overcome.
Vizier al-Adfal arrived with 20k too late and they were caught by suprise at Ascalon.

6 of 6