Why did Edessa Fall to Zengi in 1144? Flashcards
what are 4 reasons why Edessa fell to Zengi in 1144?
- Immediate Actions and 1144 Events
- Growing Muslim Threat/Unity since 1119
- Weakness of the Crusader States
- Christian Divisions
what recent actions of Joscelin II allowed Edessa to fall?
- He spent much of his time at Turbessel, which was very far away from the city of Edessa itself.
- Had also allowed himself to become involved in the intriguing of the Artuqids
why was it is an issue that Joscelin II spent much of his time at Turbessel?
it was very far away from the city of Edessa itself
how had Joscelin II allowed himself to become involved in the intriguing of the Artuqids?
he had formed an alliance with Kara Arslan
why was it an issue that joscelin II had allowed himself to become involved in the intriguing of the Artuqids?
Zengi had been able to exploit this to lure Joscelin II away from Edessa; without this, the attack on the city would not have been possible.
what recent actions of Zengi caused the fall of Edessa?
- Zengi was powerful and was in a position to strike.
- 1144: news reached Joscelin II that Kara Arslan had been attacked near Aleppo. Joscelin organized a relief force, but it was a ruse by Zengi to lure him away from the city.
- Dec 1144: Zengi encircled and captured Edessa
- Zengi gained support in 1144 by claiming that he had been acting in support of Jihad against the Franks.
what made Zengi powerful?
he was ruler of Aleppo and Mosul
why was Zengi in a position to strike before the fall of Edessa?
1144: his Artuqid rival, Da’ud, died, leaving his son Kara Arlsan as his new, inexperienced rival.
how did Zengi capture/enter Edessa?
used a complex series of tunnels (‘sappers’) to undermine and bring down a section of the walls.
how did Zengi gain support in 1144?
by claiming that he had been acting in support of Jihad against the Franks.
what was Zengi’s real aim, if not jihad against the Franks?
Zengi’s real ambition was arguably the capture of Damascus, in order to secure total dominance in Syria; the attack on Edessa was most likely opportunistic
what are some aspects of the growing muslim threat/unity since 1119?
- Desire for Jihad against the Franks growing
- Zengi
what was the importance of the field of blood in relation to jihad?
The Field of Blood marked the beginning of the involvement of religious classes against the Franks; the decisive victory inspired further development of the use of jihad.
how was religion used during the field of blood?
The preacher, Ibn-al-Khashshab, was with the Muslim army before the battle to raise their morale.
what evidence is there that jihad imagery grew in the aftermath of the field of blood?
the memorials of the Muslim leaders Tughtegin (Damascus, died 1128) and Balak (Aleppo, died 1124) noted their role in the ‘defence of Islam’.
what were Balak’s crowning achievements as a supporter of jihad?
- Autumn 1122: Balak captured Joscelin of Edessa
- 1123: Balak captured Baldwin II
how did Zengi utilise the growing desire for jihad?
Zengi claimed that he had been acting in support of Jihad against the Franks; he used this to gain military support from Turcoman tribes to attack Edessa in 1144.
who did Zengi he used jihad to gain military support from?
Turcoman tribes
what events show Zengi was a growing threat before the fall of Edessa?
- 1130: Zengi captured the border town of Al-Atharib from the Principality of Antioch
- 1133: invaded the County of Tripoli – Fulk had to aid Pons.
- By the end of 1135, he had gained all Muslim territory near Aleppo except Homs.
- 1137: Zengi defeated Fulk of Jerusalem at Ba’rin and temporarily captured Raymond II of Tripoli.
- 1139: Zengi captured Maarrat al-Nu’man and recpatured al-Atharib and Kafartab (which had been lost to the Byzantines in 1138)
what border town did Zengi capture from Antioch in 1130?
Al-Atharib
who did Zengi capture the border town of Al-Atharib from in 1130?
Antioch
which crusader state did Zengi invade in 1133?
Tripoli
how large was Zengi’s territory by 1135?
By the end of 1135, he had gained all Muslim territory near Aleppo except Homs.
where did Zengi defeat Fulk in 1137?
Ba’rin
who did Zengi temporarily capture in 1137?
Raymond II of Tripoli
who did Zengi defeat at Ba’rin in 1137?
Fulk
what territories did Zengi capture in 1139?
captured Maarrat al-Nu’man and recpatured al-Atharib and Kafartab
who did Zeng8i recapture al-Atharib and Kafartab from in 1139?
Byzantines (had gained them in 1138)
what are some limitations to the theory that it was the growing muslim threat/unity which caused the fall of Edessa?
- Both Il-Ghazi and Balak had died in conflict with fellow Muslims.
- Balak’s successor, Timurtash, released Baldwin II.
- Zengi was hated more than the Franks, and feared by many
- Zengi was often absent from Syria
- Zengi was apparently a poor role model for Jihad
who did Balak’s successor, Timurtash, release?
Baldwin II
why was Zengi hated more than the Franks, and feared by many?
he spent most of his time before 1144 fighting Muslim rivals rather than uniting them
give 2 examples of Muslim leaders that Zengi alienated
- Unur of Damascus
- new Muslim Artuqid lord of Hisn Kayfa
how did Zengi alienate Unur of Damascus?
- 1136 & 1139: besieged Damascus, earning the hatred of its people
- 1140: Unur allied with Fulk which cost Zengi the town of Banias.
who did Unur ally with in 1140?
Fulk
what town did Unur and Fulk capture from Zengi?
Banias
who allied with the new Muslim Artuqid lord of Hisn Kayfa in 1144?
made a treaty with Joscelin of Edessa
why was Zengi often absent from Syria?
1128-30: left for 2 years to fight Muslim enemies in Iraq
where did Zengi leave Syria to fight 1128-30?
Iraq
why was Zengi apparently a poor role model for Jihad?
- drank heavily
- reputation for oath breaking
how did Zengi gain a reputation for oath-breaking?
1139: flayed and crucified the muslim garrison at Baalbek despite swearing on the Koran to spare them
What made the crusader states weak in 1144, before the fall of Edessa?
- Crusader states lacked manpower and Latin support
- Edessa had always been the most vulnerable of the crusader states.
- Raymond of Antioch (closest Frankish neighbour) was involved in a (losing) conflict with the new Byzantine Emperor
- The death of King Fulk of Jerusalem in 1143 made the situation more precarious as he left a youth, Baldwin III (13), as his heir and the kingdom was clearly not in a position to launch swift military campaigns outside its own borders:
why did the crusader states lack manpower in 1144?
Latin support for the crusader states had dwindled since the failure of the 1101 crusade
what made Edessa the most vulnerable of the crusader states?
- was territorially large and wealthy in terms of natural resources but exposed to attack.
- landlocked and could not be reinforced from the sea
- The city of Edessa itself was separated from the more protected parts of the county by the Euphrates River and so was exposed to attack
- Far from the normal pilgrim routes and held little religious significance, so did not attract much regular support from Europe the way that Jerusalem did.
- The Syrians and the Jews were indifferent at best towards Frankish rule in Edessa (their strongest support was from the Armenians).
what made Edessa particularly weak, just before 1144?
Raymond of Antioch (closest Frankish neighbour) was involved in a (losing) conflict with the new Byzantine Emperor, Manuel I over Cilicia and was in a weakened military position. Also on poor terms with Joscelin
what evidence is there that jerusalem was clearly not in a position to launch swift military campaigns outside its own borders?
The response of the kingdom was not speedy enough; Melisende eventually responded by sending an army led by Manasses, but it arrived too late to help.
what christian divisions meant that Edessa fell to Zengi in 1144?
- Joscelin II has quarrelled with pretty much everyone
- The long-term reasons for poor relations between the Franks and the Byzantines had not been resolved.
when had it been productive that the count of Edessa often looked to the prince of Antioch for support?
This had been particularly productive 1100-18 between Tancred and Baldwin of Edessa
why was it an issue that The relationship between Antioch and Edessa largely broken down by the 1140s?
- Raymond of Antioch refused to aid Joscelin II (he wanted Edessa to accept Antioch’s overlordship).
- This left Edessa more exposed to Muslim attack.
why did Raymond of Antioch refuse to aid Joscelin II?
(he wanted Edessa to accept Antioch’s overlordship)
who had Joscelin II of Edessa quarreled with before 1144?
- Raymond of Antioch
- Raymond II of Tripoli
- John II of Byzantium
how had Joscelin II acted against the Byzantine emperor John II in 1138?
undermined their combined siege of the Muslim town of Shaizar and tricked John II into leaving Antioch
why was it bad that Joscelin II acted against the Byzantine emperor John II in 1138?
he could now expect no help from the Byzantines led by John II’s son, Manuel I, when Edessa fell
