The Crusades Through Arab Eyes

Division, inter-Muslim conflict, and disregard led to further Crusader gains in the 1100s. Muslims had fresh opportunities to make gains in the summer of 1100 when Raymond of Saint-Gilles left Tripoli for Constantinople, Godfrey of Boullion died in battle, and Danishmend captured Bohemond. Duqāq of Damascus, for example, set out to confront Godfrey’s brother, Baldwin, as he made his way to Jerusalem in the wake of his brother’s demise. However, Fakhr al-Mulk, the new Muslim ruler of Tripoli, was concerned that Duqāq’s success against Baldwin would leave Tripoli vulnerable to Damascus. He thus notified Baldwin of Duqāq’s planned ambush. Baldwin became king of Jerusalem.

Muslim leaders attempted to unite when new Crusaders arrived in the east in 1101. Indeed, they successfully depleted the Frankish numbers in a “triple massacre” (65). When Raymond returned to attack Tripoli, Duqāq’s troops fled, perhaps as revenge for al-Mulk’s duplicity, facilitating the creation of another Crusader state (the county of Tripoli). Regional leaders presented “a fresh demonstration of […] negligence” (67) six weeks later. An army from Cairo ambushed Baldwin’s men in Ramlah, which the Crusader king fled. Jerusalem lay undefended, but the Egyptian commander, Sharif, hesitated, allowing Frankish reinforcements to arrive.

Subsequent attacks launched by the Egyptians also failed: “In the meantime, the Franj were steadily continuing their conquest of Palestine” (67).