Crusades

Product Description

At the 900th anniversary of the Crusader capture of Jerusalem it is timely to reflect on how the phenomenon of the Crusades influenced the Muslim world then & now militarily culturally & psychologically. This book discusses a group of themes designed to highlight how Muslims reacted to the alien presence of the Crusaders in the heart of traditional Muslim territory. Ideological concerns are examined & the importance of the jihad is assessed in the context of the gradual recovery of the Holy Land & the expulsion of the Crusaders. Two chapters are devoted to an analysis of warfare
- arms battles sieges fortifications
- on the basis of written sources & extant works of art & the neglected aspect of the navy is brought into prominence. One chapter deals with the complex issue of the interaction between Muslims & Crusaders in a social economic & cultural setting. The epilogue traces in outline the profound impact of the Crusades on Muslim consciousness until the present day. This is not a chronological survey of the events of the period 1099 to 1291and even beyond for that has already been done several times. Instead this is a general book intended to introduce some of the wider aspects of the history of the Crusades from the Muslim side. Accordingly as a deliberate policy an attempt is made here to view the phenomenon of the Crusades entirely through the prism of medieval Muslim sources. This naturally involves bias but such a bias is salutary given the cumulative impact of centuries of Eurocentric scholarship in this field & it should help to create a more balanced picture of this fascinating & momentous period of Christian/ Muslim confrontation & interaction.