On 7 June-15 July 1099, the Siege of Jerusalem was fought between the Crusaders under Godfrey of Bouillon and Raymond of St. Gilles against the Fatimids under Iftikhar ad-Daula during the First Crusade.
Why did it happen?
Following their defeat at the Battle of Manzikert in 1071, the Byzantine Empire appealed to Christian Europe for help regaining their lost territories. In 1095, Pope Urban II called upon Christian knights to embark on an expedition to Palestine to reclaim Jerusalem from the Muslims. Material riches were sought by those who came back, and spiritual salvation in heaven was promised to those who died in battle. More than 100,000 people across Europe answered Urban’s call, and in 1097, they assembled outside Constantinople. After crossing into Anatolia, the Crusaders defeated a Seljuk army at the Battle of Dorylaeum. The following year, Antioch fell to the Crusaders, but their numbers had dwindled significantly by the time they reached Jerusalem in 1099.
Who was involved?
The Crusader army at Jerusalem numbered 12,000 infantry and 1,300 cavalry. They were arrayed north and south of Jerusalem under Godfrey of Bouillon and Raymond of St. Gilles. In addition to these forces, the Crusaders also constructed various siege engines, particularly towers, ladders and trebuchets. The Fatimid army at Jerusalem numbered 1,000 infantry, 400 cavalry, and 40,000 civilians. Due to their inferior numbers, the Fatimids under Iftikhar ad-Daula sought to man the city walls and hold them against Crusader attacks. The soldiers would retreat to the Temple Mount if the walls were breached.
What happened?
On 7 June, the Crusaders set up camp outside Jerusalem. Over the next six days, they assaulted the city wall with ladders and trebuchets but failed to breach it. On 17 June, six ships arrived at the port of Jaffa on Palestine’s coast carrying timber, from which the Crusaders constructed two siege towers by 21 June. On the night of 13/14 July, the Crusaders wheeled their siege towers slowly into place. At the Zion Gate, heavy fire from Jerusalem’s defenders stopped the southern siege tower from reaching the walls. On 15 July, the northern siege tower reached the walls near Damascus Gate, allowing the Crusader knights and infantry to pour out onto the ramparts. After a brief resistance, Iftikhar ad-Daula and his garrison abandoned the city walls and returned to the Temple Mount. The Crusaders subsequently secured the rest of the city and indiscriminately killed most of Jerusalem’s population: 40,000 men, women, and children. Crusader casualties during the siege numbered 5,000 killed.
What changed as a result?
The Siege of Jerusalem was a Crusader victory. However, the question of how the Crusader's conquests should have been ruled was only considered after the capture of Jerusalem. Subsequently, Godfrey of Bouillon was elected king of the newly created Kingdom of Jerusalem. The creation of the Principality of Antioch and the Counties of Tripoli and Edessa followed this, which alienated the Byzantines who had hoped to regain their former territories. Indeed, the Kingdom of Jerusalem depended heavily on supplies and reinforcements from Europe, making its existence precariously vulnerable. In 1187, the Muslim ruler Saladin defeated the Kingdom of Jerusalem at the Battle of Hattin. Although subsequent Crusades were fought to regain Jerusalem, they were less successful than the first.
Bibliography
Black, Jeremy. World History Atlas: Mapping the Human Journey. London, Dorling Kindersley, 2005.
Grant, R.G. 1001 Battles That Changed the Course of History. London, Cassell Illustrated, 2011.
Grant, R.G. Battle: A Visual Journey Through 5,000 Years of Combat. London, Dorling Kindersley, 2005.
McNab, Chris. The World’s Worst Military Disasters. London, Amber Books, 2005.
Swanston, Malcolm. Mapping History: Battles and Campaigns. Royston, Eagle Editions, 2007.
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