The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated in 1096 by European Christians in response to Muslim control of the Holy Land. The First Crusade succeeded in capturing Jerusalem in 1099, establishing the Kingdom of Jerusalem. However, Muslim leaders like Nuruddin and Saladin fought to recapture lands. Saladin defeated the Crusaders at the Battle of Hattin in 1187 and recaptured Jerusalem. This led to the Third Crusade which failed to retake Jerusalem. While the Crusades involved many campaigns over two centuries, they ultimately failed to permanently occupy the Holy Land and Jerusalem returned to Muslim control by 1246.

1. THE CRUSADESTHE
CRUSADES

2. BACKGROUND
• The word “crusade” comes from the Spanish cruzade which means
“marked with the cross”
– Crusaders wore red crosses on their chests to symbolize their
purpose
• The clash between Islam and Christianity started the very first day
with the advent of islam.
• The Muslims believed in Oneness of Allah and on other hand
Christians believed in trinity.
• By the end of the 11th century, Western Europe had emerged as a
significant power in its own right. Byzantium was losing considerable
territory to the invading Seljuk Turks.
• Seljuk Turks defeated the Byzantine Army at the battle of Manzikirt in
1071.
• They gain control over much of Anatolia.

3. The First Crusade (1096-99)
• Pope Urban II called Christians for first crusade.
• Soon a grand army assembled in France.
• Four armies of Crusaders were set to depart for Byzantium in August
1096.
• A less organized band of knights set off before the others
• In the first major clash Turkish forces crushed the invading
Europeans.
• The Seljuk were indulged in their state issues.
• In May 1097,after defeating Qilij Sultan(a Seljuk) the Crusaders and
their Byzantine allies captured Nicaea.
• In the same way after defeating Sultan Yaghi,Crusaders captured
Armenia.

4. • Count Baldwin was declared the as the king of Armenia.
• The Crusaders encaptured coastal town of Maarat-al-Numan and
killed 100,000 Muslims there.
• At last on June 1099,the Crusader army was against the walls of
Jerusalem.
• There was a massive bloodshed of Muslims and even the holy places
were not left free of blood.
• The Jerusalem which was gained by Omer the great so peacefully,
was now red with Muslim blood.
• The crusades then fought a battle against Fatimids and became the
rulers of whole Palestine.
• This was the end of first crusade.

5. The Second Crusade (1147-49)
• The news of AL-Ruha’s fall was received with concern by Pope
Eugenis 3.
• The Pope with other emperors including The German Emperor,
Conrad 3 and the King of France launched the third crusade.
• The crusaders besieged Damascus but they did not succeeded in
taking it from Muslims.
• The Crusade proved to be a failure.
• The combined Muslim forces dealt a humiliating defeat to the
Crusaders, decisively ending the Second Crusade.
• But islands in the Aegean sea fell to the Crusades which was a great
blow to the Muslims.

6. Nuruddin Zangi(1146-1174)
• In the mean time great person rose from the lines of Muslims.
• He was Nuruddin,the very capable son of Imaduddin Zangi.
• Nuruddin annexed the entire district of al-Ruha.
• He also captured the Christian Governor of the area, Count Jocelin 2
and imprisoned him.
• He then attacked the ruler of Antioch,Bohemund 2 and imprisoned
him.
• He would not release the two princes till they had paid him a large
ransom.

7. Salahuddin al-Ayyubi(1169-1192)
• Salahuddin was the son of Ayyub,the commander of Baalbeck under
the Zangids.
• The only objective of his life was to take Jerusalem back from
Christians.
• Because the Great Masjid, Masjid-e-Aqsa was a holy place of
Muslims.
• The Muslims up to this day remember it as Qibla-e-awal.
• The Prophet Muhammad(SAW) also offered a prayer there during
Meraj.
• After a series of wars with Christians and even Muslims who had
become allies of the Christians, Salahuddin regained Jerusalem for
Muslims .
• When Salahuddin entered Jerusalem, he asked the Christian
inhabitants to pay few money and leave Jerusalem.
• This was the education of Islam.

8. The Third Crusade (1189-92)
• The fall of Jerusalem sent a wave of horror throughout the Europe.
• All the kings of Europe rose to fight for the honor of Christendom.
• Three powerful kings took the lead .
• Richard of England, Frederick Barbarossa, Emperor of Germany and
Philip 2,king of France.
• Acre fell to Crusaders in 1191.
• 3000 Muslims prisoners were killed.
• After this Christian army stood before the walls of Jerusalem.
• But failed to take it from Muslims.
• Because Muslims fighted recklessly.
• At last a treaty was signed between Salah-Uddin and Richard.
• According to this treaty Salah-Uddin retained all the land he hand.
• Also Christians were allowed to enter Jerusalem free of arms.

9. From the Fourth to the Sixth Crusade
(1198-1229)
• There were many crusades after this but not all were aimed against
the Muslims or any holy city.
• The fourth crusade was aimed at and resulted in capture of
Constantinople.
• The fifth Crusade was fighted to take Egypt from Muslims, but it
proved failure for crusaders.
• In Sixth Crusade Emperor Frederick II achieved the peaceful transfer
of Jerusalem to Crusader.
• The peace treaty expired a decade later, and Muslims easily regained
control of Jerusalem.
• So Jerusalem came back to Muslims in 1246.
• From this time Jerusalem remained in Muslims hands until 1947.
• After this Israel came into being existence.

10. References
• A Short History of ISLAM(S.F Mahmud)
• Salahuddin(Unknown writer)
• Dastaan Emaan Faroosho Ki(Altumash)

11. JzakAllah