The battle of Hama happened in August 1178, when a Latin force raided the vicinity of Hama, which was under Ayyubid control. The Ayyubid repelled the raid and captured many prisoners who would be later executed.
| Battle of Hama (1178) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Crusades | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Kingdom of Jerusalem |
 Ayyubid Dynasty | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Unknown |
Nasir al-Din Mengüverish[1] | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Heavy | Unknown | ||||||
In 1178, Saladin returned to Syria on a month-long journey from Cairo to Damascus to relieve the city of Harim from his enemies. That proved unnecessary. Saladin then spent the summer in Homs and its neighborhood.[2] Despite his defeat at Montgisard, Saladin was far from discouraged, and in the next three months he was ready to meet the Franks again,[3] but major drought conditions prevented him from doing that.[4] The Latins, learning of Saladin's preoccupation with his affairs in Syria, decided to take an aggressive stance.[5]
On August 17, The Latin crusaders marched towards Hama.[6][7] Eager for plundering and raiding, they collected a considerable number of knights and infantry. They launched their raid and began plundering and burning the villages, killing and enslaving the inhabitants.[8] When the Ayyubid garrison learned of the attack, they marched to meet them.[9] They were led by Nasir al-Din Mengüverish bin Khumartigin . The Ayyubids defeated the Crusaders. Many crusaders were killed and taken prisoner. They also managed to recover the spoils looted by the Franks. The prisoners were taken to Saladin in Homs. He ordered the prisoners to be executed for laying waste on the land of Muslims.[10][11][12]
The rest of the year was spent without any military action from both sides, and Saladin spent the winter in Damascus, preparing to face Baldwin's latest movement.[13]
References
edit- ^ R. Stephen Humphreys (1977), From Saladin to the Mongols, The Ayyubids of Damascus, 1193–1260. [1]
- ^ William Barron Stevenson, p. 218
- ^ Stanley Lane-Poole, p. 155–156
- ^ Hannes Möhring, p. 50
- ^ William Barron Stevenson, p. 218
- ^ William Barron Stevenson, p. 218
- ^ Reinhold Röhricht, p. 382
- ^ Donald Sidney Richards, p. 450
- ^ Donald Sidney Richards, p. 450
- ^ Donald Sidney Richards, p. 450
- ^ Reinhold Röhricht, p. 382
- ^ Stanley Lane-Poole, p. 156
- ^ Stanley Lane-Poole, p. 156
Sources
edit- Donald Sidney Richards (2010), The Chronicle of Ibn al-Athir for the Crusading Period from al-Kamil fi'l-Ta'rikh. Part 2.[2]
- Stanley Lane-Poole (1906), Saladin and the Fall of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.[3]
- William Barron Stevenson (1907), The Crusaders in the East, A Brief History of the Wars of Islam with the Latins in Syria During the Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries.[4]
- Reinhold Röhricht (1898), Geschichte des Königreichs Jerusalem (1100–1291).[5]
- Hannes Möhring (2008), Saladin: The Sultan and His Times, 1138–1193.[6]