20 Sept 00

Saladin and Richard:

Grace and class, combined with ruthlessness, characterized Salah ad-din Yusuf ibn-Ayyub. His people knew him as Al Nasir ("The Victorious"). European Crusaders knew him simply as "Saladin." Saladin was one of the few Muslim leaders to survive an attack by the Secret Society of Hashish ("The Assassins"). Most targets of Assassins were not so lucky!

Since 638AD, Jerusalem and the balance of the Holy Land had been in the hands of the Muslims. In July of 1099, amid wanton slaughter, knights of the First Crusade recaptured Jerusalem, casually putting to death untold numbers of local Muslims and Jews alike.

Many Crusaders subsequently settled in the Holy Land and eventually made up a number of local states, collectively known as "Outremer." They were periodically reinforced by additional Crusaders. For the succeeding two hundred years, Christians and Muslims would fight over the Holy Land. It was not until 1300AD that Muslims finally drove out the last of the Crusaders.

When Saladin Retook Jerusalem on 2 Oct 1187AD, there was no massacre and no looting (in stark contrast to the Christian Crusaders one hundred years earlier). He even declined to destroy the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and, in fact, magnanimously made it immediately accessible to Christian pilgrims.

King Richard I ("The Lionhearted") of England was Saladin's chief opponent during the Crusades. Contrary to popular myth, the two never met in person, however, during the course of many battles, they did establish a great respect and even a grudging admiration for each other. Richard was bold, but impulsive. Saladin was clever, but hesitant. In the end, they fought each other to a standstill.

During Saladin's siege of the coast city of Jaffa in August of 1192AD, King Richard rode out on a dilapidated horse to challenge the enemy personally. It was Richard's habit to lead from the front. Badly battered as a result of repeated unsuccessful charges, Saladin's and his army declined Richard's brazen challenge, however Saladin himself, seeing the sorry condition of Richard's mount sent him a beautiful horse with a message stating, "It is not proper that such a great king as yourself should be seen on so wretched a mount!" Richard graciously exchanged the new horse for his old one and then rode back to his own lines. When Richard subsequently become ill, Saladin sent him fresh fruit as well as snow from Mt Hermon to cool his beverages.

In October of 1192, Richard returned to England, never to see the Middle East again. A year later, at the age of fifty-five, Saladin died, probably from malaria. One hundred years later, the era of the Crusades would finally be over.

Lesson: Great warriors are remembered as much for their decency, grace, and elegance as they are for their courage and skill in battle, perhaps more so.

/John