The Battle of al-Atharib occurred in 1130 when Imad al-Din Zengi laid siege to al-Atharib in spring and defeated an army led against him to relieve the town commanded by King Baldwin.[1]
| Battle of al-Atharib | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Zengids |
Kingdom of Jerusalem Principality of Antioch | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Imad al-Din Zengi | King Baldwin | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| unknown | unknown | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| unknown | unknown | ||||||
Imad al-Din Zengi sought to reassert Muslim control over the eastern frontier of the Principality of Antioch.[1] Zengi invaded and raided the territories of Antioch; in the Spring of 1130, he laid siege to al-Atharib.[1][3]
When the Franks and King Baldwin, who was in command of a Latin army, advanced to relieve the city, the officers of Zengi advised him to retreat; however, Baldwin scorned their advice.[2] A battle followed and Zengi emerged victorious.[2][3][1] After conquering the citadel of al-Atharib, Zengi destroyed it and razed it to the ground.[4]
Zengi then advanced on the fortress of Harim but its inhabitants persuaded him to abandon his siege in return for half of the districts revenues.[2] A truce was concluded and Zengi returned to his territories.[2]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e Asbridge, Thomas S. The creation of the principality of Antioch, 1098-1130. Boydell & Brewer Ltd, 2000, p. 90
- ^ a b c d e Baldwin, Marshall W. "A History of the Crusades, Volume 1." University of Pennsylvania Press, 2016. p. 431
- ^ a b c Lock, Peter. The Routledge companion to the Crusades. Routledge, 2013.
- ^ Hillenbrand, Carole. The Crusades: Islamic Perspectives. p. 533 Edinburgh University Press, 1999.