Everything about Siege Of Kerak totally explained
The
Siege of Kerak took place in 1183, with
Saladin's forces attacking and being repelled from the
Crusader stronghold.
Prelude
Kerak was the stronghold of
Raynald of Chatillon,
Lord of Oultrejordain, 124km South of
Amman . The fortress was built in 1142 by
Pagan the Butler, Lord of
Montreal . While Raynald ruled, several truces existed between the
Christian and
Muslim states in the
Holy Land, none of which he made any qualms about breaking. The last straw came in 1183 when he organized an expedition around the
Red Sea. He captured the town of
Aqaba, giving him a base of operations against Islam's holiest city,
Mecca.
Saladin, the leader of the Muslim forces, couldn't tolerate this and moved against Raynald's stronghold.
Siege and Relief
The Muslims had sought to take Kerak for several years, but now they stretched its defenses to breaking point. At one point, 9 catapults were bombarding the walls and inhabitants within.
Inside the walls, a royal marriage was taking place.
Humphrey IV of Toron, Raynald's stepson and heir was to take the hand of
Isabella of Jerusalem, the King's stepsister. As the wedding ceremonies continued, Saladin instructed his troops to avoid bombarding the young couple's quarters, but pressure on Kerak continued. Messengers managed to escape the town and take word to the King,
Baldwin IV.
Baldwin immediately marched with a relief force, accompanied by his regent,
Raymond III of Tripoli. The young King was so crippled by leprosy, an affliction he'd battled since childhood, he could barely see or stand. Still, so determined was he to continue fighting his nemisis Saladin, he was carried with the troops on a stretcher. The Christian forces arrived while Saladin was still struggling against the heavy fortifications. Knowing he risked being crushed between the Royal army and the walls of Kerak, he fled.
The King of Jerusalem had again outwitted his Muslim rival, although it was clear he wouldn't survive for much longer, so aggressive was his disease. Just 5 years later, with Saladin's great rival gone, the Kingdom would crumble.
Aftermath
Saladin returned to Kerak again in 1184, with the same result. Kerak remained a
Crusader stronghold and a symbol of the West's grip in the region until falling to Muslim control in 1263 . The next time the Crusaders had to contend with a major siege, it was at the walls of
Jerusalem itself.
The motion picture
Kingdom of Heaven contains a fictional portrayal of the siege, in which the Knights of Ibelin and the Ayyubids engage in battle. In the film, the Knights attacked so defenseless citizens could retreat to Raynald's castle.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Siege Of Kerak'.
|
External Link Exchanges
Do you know how hard it is to get a link from a large encyclopaedia? Well we're different and will prove it. To get a link from us just add the following HTML to your site on a relevant page:
<a href="http://siege_of_kerak.totallyexplained.com">Siege of Kerak Totally Explained</a>
Then simply click through this link from your web page. Our crawlers will verify your link, extract the title of your web page and instantly add a link back to it. If you like you can remove the words Totally Explained and embed the link in article text.
As long as your link remains in place, we'll keep our link to you right here. Please play fair - our crawlers are watching. Your site must be closely related to this one's topic. Any kind of spamming, dubious practises or removing the link will result in your link from us being dropped and, potentially, your whole site being banned. |
