The Battle of Al Sannabr is a battle between the army of the crusaders under the command of King Baldwin I of Jerusalem and the Seljuks led by Maudud ibn Altuntash in 1113, which ended in the defeat of the crusaders.
| Battle of Al Sannabr | |||
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| Main Conflict: Crusades | |||
| date | 1113 | ||
| A place | Al Sinnabra ( Israel ) | ||
| Total | Seljuk victory | ||
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| Commanders | |||
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| Forces of the parties | |||
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| Losses | |||
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Content
Background
Since 1110, the Seljuks led by Sultan Muhammad I annually invaded the crusader states. In 1110 , 1112 and 1114, the Seljuks targeted Edessa , in 1113 they captured Galilee , and in 1111 and 1115, the Frankish possessions east of Oronto , between Aleppo and Shaizar [1] .
The attack on Edessa in 1110 was unsuccessful. In 1111, Maudood , the governor of Mosul , was never able to lure the army of Baldwin I of Jerusalem for an open battle at Shaizar . After that, the Muslim army engaged in robbery and returned home. In 1112 and 1114, the attack on Edessa again failed. On the whole, the four Christian states succeeded in holding defense together.
Battle
In 1113, Tugtegin from Damascus joined the Maudud army, and their combined army marched south of the Sea of Galilee . Baldwin I offered the Seljuks a battle at the Al-Sannabra Bridge. Maudud used the tactics of false retreat to force the crusaders to break the ranks and set off in pursuit [2] . Succumbing to the ploy, the crusaders were defeated during the counterattack of the Seljuks.
The surviving crusaders regrouped and retreated a hill west of the Sea of Galilee , where they set up a fortified camp. Soon reinforcements from Tripoli and Antioch approached them, but the crusaders did not dare to leave the camp [1] .
Unable to capture the crusader camp, Maudud depleted the enemy’s resources, cutting off supplies of food and fodder. Muslims robbed the surrounding villages, destroyed crops. Subsequently, this tactic was used by Saladin . Seljuk raiders freely traveled through the lands of the crusaders, and many local Muslim peasants began to enter into friendly relations with them, which seriously worried the Frankish feudal lords.
Result
Maudood was unable to complete the campaign with any significant success. Soon he was killed by the Assassins , and Ak-Sungur Bursuki took command of the army [3] . The last Seljuk invasion in 1115 as a result of the Battle of Sarmin was repelled by Roger Salernsky .
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 Smail, p 55
- ↑ Smail, p 79
- ↑ Smail, p 143
Literature
- Smail, RC Crusading Warfare 1097-1193. New York: Barnes & Noble Books, (1956) 1995. ISBN 1-56619-769-4 .
See also
- Crusades