The Knights Templar: An Enthralling History of the Rise and Fall of the Most Influential Catholic Military Order by Wellman Billy

Author:Wellman, Billy
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-05-26T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 7 – The Rise of Saladin

Saladin has become one of the most recognized names in military history. So far, we have only mentioned him as a young warrior who accompanied the Syrian general Shirkuh in Egypt. However, as time would show, Saladin would rise to become a powerful, feared, and well-respected man not only in the Middle East but also in Europe. In response to Saladin’s rise, the Knights Templar would demonstrate the full might of the order. This chapter will cover how Saladin became a threat to the Templars and how the brothers struggled to overcome the challenge he posed to the Christian world.

Montgisard

King Amalric died in 1174, leaving the kingdom in the hands of his young leper son Baldwin IV. The teenage Baldwin was, as one would imagine, not competent enough in ruling when he was put in the position of king. In addition, his kingdom was in shambles, as the greedy Frankish lords had been squabbling over territories in the lands controlled by the Kingdom of Jerusalem. A similar situation was going on in Nur ad-Din’s sultanate. The great sultan had died the same year as Amalric, making internal politics very complicated. Rival Muslim atabegs from Mosul, Aleppo, Cairo, and Damascus fought each other for superiority.

It was at this time that the young Saladin, an experienced general who had proven his worth in the Egyptian campaigns and against the Christians, managed to unify most of the rival atabegs under his rule, convincing them to join him and continue the jihad against the Christians instead of fighting between themselves. It is thought that he succeeded in doing this because of his reputation as a pious, god-fearing man. He was respected all throughout the Muslim world for his manners and ethics. These traits complemented his amazing fighting prowess, a skill for which he was known amongst the Franks. It must be said that, unlike the other Muslim leaders who had risen to prominence before him, such as Zengi and Nur ad-Din, Saladin was not as ruthless and bloodthirsty, especially when comparing his attitude toward the Christians. While he

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