Haçlılar

The Crusaders are Frankish (Western) armies who headed east in the Middle Ages to seize the Holy Lands. In the Islamic period of Kurdish history, especially during the era of the Ayyubid dynasty, they stand out as the primary external power determining the course of the region.

The Ayyubids and the Crusades

The Ayyubid State, whose foundations were laid by Selâhaddîn Yûsuf b. Necmeddîn Eyyûb b. Şâdî, was established at a time when the Franks were threatening the East. The regions under the dominion of the dynasty, which seized power in Mısır in 564/1169, became the primary target of the Third, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Crusades. The Ayyubid dynasty, which waged an extraordinary struggle to stop the Crusaders, established a powerful civilization by patronizing scholars and cultural activities despite the exhausting war conditions (Vol. 1, p. 151).

Figures Shaping the Struggle

The struggle against the Crusaders shaped the lives of many figures of the era. Selâhaddîn, who established his dominion in Dımaşk, invited Üsâme b. Münkız; he granted him a salary and allocated a house and land. Selâhaddîn, benefiting from Üsâme's experiences with the Crusaders, consulted him on military and political matters (Vol. 1, p. 153). İbnü'l-Cevzî, considered an unparalleled scholar of the era in the art of preaching and oratory, encouraged the public to jihad against the Crusaders with his sermons, and he himself participated in the wars against the Crusaders (Vol. 1, p. 173).

Ayyubid rulers also personally resisted the Crusades. el-Melikü'l-Mansûr, appointed governor of Hama and its dependent regions, supported el-Melikü'l-Âdil's campaigns to the Crusader regions and el-Cezîre in 603/1206 and 606/1209, and made the city of Hama a difficult-to-capture fortress (Vol. 1, p. 163). The struggle continued in later generations of the dynasty: Ebü'l-Fidâ participated in the siege of Markab castle at the age of twelve, and subsequently achieved significant successes in wars against the Crusaders and the Mongols (Vol. 1, p. 189).

The Crusader Wars in Sources

The Crusader wars were reflected firsthand in the sources of the period. İbn Şeddâd lived during a time when the Mongols and Crusaders were threatening İslâm lands and took care to provide firsthand information based on his own testimonies in his works (Vol. 1, p. 185).

The Geographical Role of the Kurds

The geographical presence of the Kurds also played a role in this struggle. The Crusaders established their own principalities in Cizre and Suriye (Vol. 2, p. 65); in contrast, Hısn'ül-Ekrad (Kürtler Kalesi) played an important role in repelling many attacks on Bilâd-ı Şâm and in protection against many armies, especially the Crusaders; there is almost no book that does not mention this fortress and its importance (Vol. 2, p. 114). İbn Haldun, on the other hand, states that the Kurdish population migrating to Mısır increased after Selâhaddîn brought many cities, fortresses, and castles held by the Crusaders under his administration with the victories he achieved (Vol. 2, p. 79).