Jihad Flashcards
(10 cards)
What were the jihadist advantages between 1110–1124?
• 1113 – Battle of al-Sannabra: Tughtegin of Damascus and Mawdud of Mosul defeat Crusaders; framed as a sign of divine favour.
• Mawdud explicitly promotes the battle as a jihad, supported by religious figures.
• c. 1110–1119 – Aleppo: Ibn al-Khashshab, qadi of Aleppo, preaches jihad in public sermons.
• Denounces Muslim complacency; declares jihad a religious obligation.
• Organizes processions and rallies to pressure rulers.
• 1119 – Battle of the Field of Blood: Il-Ghazi, influenced by Ibn al-Khashshab, defeats Roger of Salerno (Antioch).
• Victory boosts morale and spreads the illusion of a turning point.
What were the disadvantages of jihad efforts from 1110–1124?
• 1113–1125 – Assassinations of jihad leaders: Mawdud (1113), Balak (1124), and Ibn al-Khashshab (1125) all murdered, disrupting momentum.
• Death of Il-Ghazi (1122) increases disunity.
• Continued fragmentation among Muslim rulers.
• Fatimid Egypt remains isolated and Shia, offering no cooperation.
What were the jihadist advantages under Zengi (1125–1144)?
• 1127: Imad al-Din Zengi becomes atabeg of Mosul.
• Declares himself a mujahid (fighter of jihad).
• Uses jihad rhetoric to attack Crusaders and rival Muslims.
• Gains control over Mosul and Aleppo, using Islam to justify expansion.
• 1144 – Captures Edessa: First Crusader state to fall; celebrated as a victory of Islam and divine will; inspires the Second Crusade in Europe.
What were the limitations of Zengi’s jihad (1125–1144)?
• Zengi’s motives were mixed—he also targeted fellow Muslims.
• Jihad rhetoric was selectively used for political gain.
• Many scholars question sincerity of his religious justification.
What were Nur al-Din’s contributions to jihad (1146–1174)?
• 1146: Zengi assassinated; Nur al-Din inherits Aleppo.
• Builds madrassas, promotes Sunni orthodoxy and religious reform.
• Collaborates with scholars to embed jihad in Islamic legal and moral thought.
• 1149 – Battle of Inab: Defeats Raymond of Antioch, places sword on Prophet’s tomb, declaring divine victory.
• 1154 – Captures Damascus: First unification of Aleppo and Damascus under a single Sunni ruler; increases capability for unified jihad against Crusaders.
What were the limitations of Nur al-Din’s jihad (1146–1174)?
• Still faced internal Muslim rivals: Seljuks in Iraq, Fatimids in Egypt, Assassins.
• At times overly cautious, delaying broader campaigns despite power.
What were the jihadist achievements under Saladin (1171–1193)?
• 1171: Abolishes Fatimid Caliphate, aligning Egypt with Sunni Abbasids; framed as religious purification of heresy.
• 1174–1186: Consolidates Egypt and Syria; uses jihad language while eliminating rivals.
• Sponsors mosques, scholars, and religious institutions to solidify legitimacy.
• 1187 – Battle of Hattin and Recapture of Jerusalem: Crusader army destroyed; Jerusalem retaken (July 1187); declares it divine support for jihad; installs Nur al-Din’s minbar in al-Aqsa Mosque as symbolic fulfillment of jihad.
What were the jihadist limitations under Saladin (1171–1193)?
• Criticized for truces with Crusaders: 1175, 1185, and post-1187 with Richard I; hardline scholars saw these as betrayals of jihad.
• Jihad rhetoric was also a tool for political manipulation.
What caused the decline of jihad between 1193–1204?
• 1193: Saladin dies; succession war erupts among al-Afdal, al-Aziz, al-Adil.
• Jihad loses force as a unifying ideology.
• Crusaders regain ground (e.g., Jaffa) without major resistance.
• 1197–1200s: Al-Adil negotiates truces to regain Jaffa, Ramlah, Nazareth—not framed as jihad victories.
• Jihad is sidelined by realpolitik.
Why was 1204 a missed opportunity for jihad?
• 1204 – Sack of Constantinople by the Fourth Crusade weakens Byzantines.
• Muslim leaders fail to exploit Christian disunity.
• Internal divisions prevent launch of a jihad campaign.
• Event symbolizes strategic failure of jihad revival.
