This book review was written by Eugene Kernes
“One consequence of Islamic scholarship and self-assurance was its tolerance. This was not a world of inward-looking fundamentalism. True, Jews and Christians were seen as benighted, the Jews for believing that divine revelation had stopped with the Hebrew prophets, the Christians for abandoning monotheism, believing that God was not one but a Trinity. Yet Judaism and Christianity were seen as stepping-stones from barbarism to revelation and Islam. All three were ‘Peoples of the Book’, namely what Christians know as the Old Testament.” – John Man, Chapter 1: A World in Conflict, Pages 3-4
“When Saladin came to Damascus with his father in the mid-twelfth century, its glory days as an imperial capital were long gone. Islam had been made anarchic by rival dynasties, and the capital was now Baghdad. The Umayyad Mosque had been ruined by fire in 1069. But now the former capital was being resurrected by the Seljuks.” – John Man, Chapter 2: A Teenager in Damascus, Pages 30-31
“But securing his power had political implications for
Saladin. It made him increasingly
independent of Nur al-Din back in Damascus, and Nur al-Din was worried that his
protégé might have ambitions beyond his station. He would have done something to reassert his
authority, except that in June 1169 northern Syria was struck by the worst
earthquake in living memory.” – John Man, Chapter 4: Building a Power-base,
Page 66
Is This An Overview?
A solution to European regional conflicts, which included a
Christian power struggle, was a Crusade.
The 1st Crusade united the leaders through conflict and a noble cause,
against Islam. Muslims did not have the
unity to withstand the Crusade. Some
wanted to use the Crusaders against their own Muslim opponents or appease the
Crusaders. Even years after the Crusade,
Arabic communities preferred Frankish leaders to their own. But Christian misbehavior, created a desire
to unite Muslim communities. The 2nd and
3rd Crusades were initiated in response to Muslims recapturing territory. The leader against the 3rd Crusade, was
Saladin.
Saladin was a Muslim Sultan who united Muslims and
successfully defended the realm against the Crusaders. Decisions that Saladin made, turned Saladin
into a hero to Muslims and Christians alike.
Saladin was generous, and facilitated policies that enabled a prosperous
economy. Saladin was an effective
negotiator, and avoided needless conflicts such as those which would have
turned rivals into enemies.
Saladin showed mercy to many, even to opponents. Other leaders would not have shown
mercy. Sparing many people was a
decision criticized by Saladin’s allies, as the spared people were then able to
defend regions against Saladin.
Saladin’s generosity and mercy is contrasted by the Crusaders, who
slaughtered many indiscriminately.
Christians might have united under a banner to engage in the Crusades,
but Christians began to support Saladin as Saladin was seen as divine
punishment for Christian misbehavior.
What Political Situation Did Saladin Have To Manage?
Religion and culture united the people, but violent
conflicts existed. Various Islamic
kingdoms were wealthy, and used the wealth to fund research. They sought knowledge, no matter the
source. They were tolerant of diversity,
such as in art and science, for all creation reflected the glory of Allah.
Islam was split between Shia and Sunni sects. Each having their politically dominant
regions. During this time, changing
allegiances was common. People might
have been opponents during conflict, but were willing to trade with each other
quickly after the conflict. The political
world could quicky change enemies and rivals into trading partners and friends.
Who Was Saladin?
Saladin came from a politically influential family. Earned favor and political power from an
early successful campaign. Earning
governorship of two villages initially, and gaining Egypt by being recognized as
candidate for succession after the death of the predecessor. Power was gained mostly through luck of
circumstance.
As Saladin gained power, there was a conflict as to who
Saladin was supposed to serve. Which
religious sect, which peoples, which more powerful leader. With diverse interests, Saladin was under
threat from rebellion and assassination.
As Saladin secured power, Saladin became more independent of Saladin’s
political supporter, Nur al-Din.
Saladin also had to deal with the Nizari, who became known
as Assassins. The Nizari were culturally
Shi’te Islam. The Nizari almost killed
Saladin twice.
Caveats?
There is a lot of content provided on
the politics and the world during the era.
Most of the content on Saladin, is about interactions with the
Crusaders.
