Saladin's Forgotten Enemy: The Battle of Montgisard 1177

Saladin's Forgotten Enemy: The Battle of Montgisard 1177

Before Hattin, before the conquest of Jerusalem, there was Montgisard. In 1177, a teenage leper king—Baldwin IV of Jerusalem—led a desperate charge against Saladin's army near Ramla and shattered it. This episode explores that stunning defeat, the first major clash between Saladin and the Crusader kingdom, and how it shaped the sultan's later strategy. We examine the sources: William of Tyre, Imad ad-Din al-Isfahani, and the Latin chronicles. We discuss Saladin's overconfidence, Baldwin's resolve, the role of the Knights Templar under Odo de St. Amand, and the legacy of a battle that bought the Crusader states a decade of survival. Why did Saladin lose? And what did he learn? A story of hubris, courage, and the long road to revenge. #Saladin #BaldwinIV #BattleOfMontgisard #Crusades #KnightsTemplar #Leprosy #KingBaldwin #OdoDeStAmand #WilliamOfTyre #ImadAdDinAlIsfahani #Ayyubid #MilitaryHistory #MedievalHistory #Jerusalem #Hattin #12thCentury #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Saladin's Forgotten Poet: How Imad ad-Din al-Isfahani Shaped His Legend

Beyond the battlefield, Saladin cultivated a court of brilliant scholars who chronicled his jihad. Chief among them was Imad ad-Din al-Isfahani, a Persian-born secretary and poet whose vivid writings became the primary source for Saladin's campaigns. This episode explores how al-Isfahani's literary genius—his epistles, his rhymed prose, and his eyewitness account of the fall of Jerusalem—crafted the image of Saladin as a pious, just, and merciful ruler that survives today. We examine his role in the Diwan al-Insha (the chancery), his rivalry with al-Qadi al-Fadil, and how his poetry served as propaganda for the Ayyubid cause. How much of our Saladin is history, and how much is Imad ad-Din's art? #Saladin #ImadAdDinAlIsfahani #Ayyubid #MedievalHistory #Crusades #IslamicPoetry #DiwanAlInsha #AlQadiAlFadil #Jerusalem #Hattin #Propaganda #HistoryOfWriting #KurdishHistory #MiddleEast #12thCentury #Historiography #FexingoHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Saladin's Forgotten Siege of Tyre 1187

After the crushing victory at Hattin in 1187, Saladin swept through the Kingdom of Jerusalem, capturing city after city. But one stubborn port held out: Tyre. Led by the resourceful Conrad of Montferrat, the city became a rallying point for the Crusader remnant. In this episode, we explore why Saladin failed to take Tyre, how Conrad fortified the city with refugees from Acre, and how that single failure allowed the Third Crusade to land. We look at the naval tactics, the diplomatic offers, and the strategic miscalculation that turned a near-total victory into a prolonged war. Featuring insights from Baha ad-Din ibn Shaddad and Imad ad-Din al-Isfahani, we uncover how the siege of Tyre changed everything. #Saladin #Tyre #ConradOfMontferrat #ThirdCrusade #SiegeOfTyre1187 #Crusades #Ayyubid #Hattin #CrusaderStates #MedievalHistory #MiddleEastHistory #BahaAdDin #ImadAdDin #SiegeWarfare #NavalHistory #Jerusalem #FexingoHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Saladin's Library: The Books That Fueled a Jihad

In this episode, we explore the intellectual side of Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub — Saladin as a patron of books and libraries. Drawing on accounts from Baha ad-Din ibn Shaddad and Imad ad-Din al-Isfahani, we uncover how the sultan built a vast collection of manuscripts, from Qur'anic commentaries to poetry and military manuals. We discuss his personal love of reading, the famous library he established in Cairo, and how books were used to unite scholars and justify jihad. The episode also touches on the destruction of libraries during the Crusades and how Saladin's library at the citadel of Damascus became a center of learning. This is a side of Saladin rarely covered — not just a warrior, but a man of letters. #Saladin #AyyubidLibrary #IslamicManuscripts #Cairo #Damascus #BahaAdDin #ImadAdDin #Crusades #MedievalLibraries #Jihad #Quran #Poetry #PatronOfLearning #DamascusCitadel #ManuscriptCulture #History #FexingoHistory #MiddleEast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Saladin's Justice: The Qadi and Muslim Law in Jerusalem

After capturing Jerusalem in 1187, Saladin faced the challenge of restoring Islamic governance to a city that had been under Crusader rule for 88 years. This episode explores how the sultan appointed a chief qadi, or judge, to administer justice according to Sharia law, and how that legal system functioned alongside the existing Christian and Jewish communities. We look at the role of Baha ad-Din ibn Shaddad, who later became Saladin's biographer and served as a qadi in his court, and the legal principles that shaped daily life in Ayyubid Jerusalem. You'll hear about the qadi's courts, the school of law Saladin favored (the Shafi'i madhhab), and how he handled disputes between Muslims, Christians, and Jews. We also touch on the famous story of Saladin's justice toward a Christian woman whose child was stolen, a tale that reveals the intersection of law, mercy, and politics in his rule. This is a side of Saladin rarely covered: not just the warrior, but the administrator who built a functioning legal system in a contested holy city. #Saladin #Ayyubid #Jerusalem #Qadi #ShariaLaw #BahaAdDinIbnShaddad #IslamicLaw #Shafi'i #Crusades #MedievalJustice #HistoryOfLaw #ReligiousToleration #MiddleEastHistory #FexingoHistory #History #LegalHistory #Sultan #MuslimJurisprudence Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]