The Crusades Through Arab Eyes by Amin Maalouf was originally published in French in 1983. Maalouf, who comes from a Catholic family in Lebanon, was elected to the Académie française in 2011.
I started this book after reading a chronicle about the Crusades by Hilaire Belloc, which I found fascinating. Maalouf’s work is equally good. Although it’s a historical account of the Crusades, which began in the 11th century, Maalouf’s writing has a novelistic style, which I really appreciated. It makes the history come alive.
One important point to note is that while the title suggests the book offers an Arab perspective on the Crusades, this doesn’t necessarily mean it’s written from an Islamic viewpoint. Maalouf himself has a Catholic background, which adds an interesting layer to his telling of events.
The book traces the Crusaders’ journey, many of whom came from France, and details the battles they fought against the Arabs as they made their way to Jerusalem, aiming to take control of the site where Christians believe Jesus was crucified.
Maalouf highlights the internal struggles and power conflicts among Arab leaders, particularly the emirs and princes. He suggests that the primary reason the Arabs couldn’t stop the Crusaders from invading and destroying their cities was their inability to unite. Arab leaders were often entangled in disputes with each other, which prevented them from forming a strong, unified defense. In fact, at one point, an Egyptian leader even offered the Crusaders to form an alliance and share political power in the region. While the Crusaders initially accepted the deal, they later turned against him. Most of the forces defending Arab territories were Turks, who were fierce soldiers and had been controlling the region. Had the Egyptians instead formed an alliance with the Turks, they might have been able to protect Jerusalem. However, their differences prevented them from recognizing the Crusaders as an immediate common enemy that they needed to defeat together.
The Crusaders also faced harsh conditions, especially in the desert, where many nearly starved. In Syria, they were even reported to have resorted to cannibalism, eating their prisoners to survive.
Interestingly, the Crusaders were not a well-organized military force. While there were hundreds of knights in armor on horseback, most of the group was made up of ordinary people on foot, including women and children, who were more like pilgrims than trained soldiers. However, the Europeans had superior armor and were known for their bravery, cruelty, and ruthlessness.
When the Crusaders finally took Jerusalem, the city was divided into four quarters: two Christian, one Muslim, and one Jewish. They began by attacking the Muslim quarter, slaughtering everyone they found. They seized the mosque and converted it into a church. Next, they turned to the Jewish quarter, where Jews had gathered in their synagogue. The Crusaders set the synagogue on fire, killing everyone inside. They even mistreated fellow Christians, as many of them were Greek, Armenian, or Georgian. They tortured the Catholic priests to try to find the exact location of Jesus’ burial site.