Battle of Artah
Battle of Artah | |||||||
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Part of the Crusades | |||||||
Tancred of Hauteville, Prince of Galilea. | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Principality of Antioch | Seljuk Turks of Aleppo | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Tancred of Galilee | Fakhr al-Mulk Ridwan General Sabawa | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
10,000 1,000 cavalry 9,000 infantry | 7,000+ Unknown cavalry 7,000 infantry | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
Unknown | Nearly all infantrymen killed |
- v
- t
- e
- Xerigordos
- Civetot
- Nicaea
- 1st Dorylaeum
- 1st Antioch
- Samosata
- 2nd Antioch
- Ma'arra
- Arqa
- 1st Jerusalem
- 1st Ascalon
Period post-First Crusade
- Arsuf
- Melitene
- Mersivan
- 1st Heraclea
- 2nd Heraclea
- 1st Ramla
- 2nd Ramla
- 1st Tripoli
- 1st Acre
- Harran
- 3rd Ramla
- Artah
- Beirut
- Sidon
- 1st Shaizar
- Al-Sannabra
- Sarmin
- Ager Sanguinis
- Hab
- Jaffa and Tyre
- Yibneh
- 1st Aleppo
- Azaz
- Marj al-Saffar
- al-Atharib
- Rafaniyya
- Antioch
- Qinnasrin
- Ba'rin
- 2nd Aleppo
- 2nd Shaizar
- Edessa 1144
- Edessa 1146
- Bosra
- 1st Constantinople
- 2nd Dorylaeum
- Ephesus
- Meander Valley
- Mount Cadmus
- Damascus
Period post-Second Crusade
- Inab
- Aintab
- 2nd Ascalon
- Lake Huleh
- Butaiha
- al-Buqaia
- Harim
- 1st Bilbeis
- al-Babein
- 2nd Bilbeis
- 1st Damietta
- Alexandria
- Montgisard
- Banias
- Marj Ayyun
- Jacob's Ford
- Red Sea
- 1st Belvoir Castle
- Al-Fule
- Kerak
- Cresson
- Hattin
- 2nd Jerusalem
- 3rd Tyre
- 2nd Belvoir Castle
- Laodicea
- Sahyun
- Al-Shughur
- Bourzey
- Safed
- Acre and Tyre
- Philomelion
- Iconium
- 1st Arsuf
- 1st Jaffa
Period post-Third Crusade
- 2nd Jaffa
- Toron
- Zara
- 2nd Constantinople
- 3rd Constantinople
- Mount Tabor
- Machghara
- 2nd Damietta
- 1st Fariskur
- 1st Mansurah
Sixth Crusade and aftermath
- Gaza
- 3rd Jerusalem
- Forbie
- 3rd Ascalon
- 3rd Damietta
- 2nd Mansurah
- 2nd Fariskur
End of the Crusader states in the Levant
- 2nd Arsuf
- Caesarea
- Haifa
- Safed
- 2nd Antioch
- Eighth Crusade
- Krak des Chevaliers
- 2nd Tripoli
- Lord Edward's Crusade
- Homs
- Margat
- 3rd Tripoli
- 2nd Acre
- Ruad
The Battle of Artah was fought in 1105 between Crusader forces and the Seljuk Turks at the town of Artah near Antioch. The Turks were led by Fakhr al-Mulk Ridwan of Aleppo, while the Crusaders were led by Tancred, Prince of Galilee, regent of the Principality of Antioch. The Crusaders were victorious and proceeded to threaten Aleppo itself.
Background
After the great Crusader defeat at the Battle of Harran in 1104, all of Antioch's strongholds east of the Orontes River were abandoned.[1] In order to raise additional Crusader reinforcements, Bohemond of Taranto embarked for Europe, leaving Tancred as regent in Antioch. The new regent began to patiently recover the lost castles and walled towns.
In mid-spring 1105, the inhabitants of Artah, which is located 25 miles (40 km) east-northeast of Antioch, may have expelled Antioch's garrison from the fortress and allied with Ridwan or surrendered to the latter upon his approach to the fortress.[2] Artah was the last Crusader-held fortress east of the city of Antioch and its loss could result in a direct threat to the city by Muslim forces.[2] It is unclear if Ridwan thereafter garrisoned Artah.[2]
Battle
With a force of 1,000 cavalry and 9,000 infantry, Tancred laid siege to the castle of Artah.[3] Ridwan of Aleppo tried to interfere with the operation, gathering a host of 7,000 infantry and an unknown number of cavalry.[3] 3,000 of the Muslim infantrymen were volunteers.[3] Tancred gave battle and defeated the army of Aleppo.[3] The Latin prince is supposed to have won by his "skillful use of ground."[4] The Franks may have gained a tactical advantage by using the "device of a feigned retreat."[5] The Muslim infantry entered the Crusader camp after the initial Crusader retreat and were then surprised and killed by the Crusaders, with only a small number escaping.[6]
Aftermath
Tancred proceeded to consolidate the Principality's control of its eastern frontier regions, precipitating the flight of local Muslims from the areas of the al-Jazr and Lailun, although several were slain by Tancred's forces.[2] After his victory, Tancred expanded his conquests east of the Orontes with only minor opposition. The next actions of consequence in northern Syria were the Battle of Shaizar in 1111 and the Battle of Sarmin in 1115.
Citations
- ^ Smail 1995, p. 28.
- ^ a b c d Asbridge 2000, p. 57.
- ^ a b c d Ibn al-Athir 2010, p. 92.
- ^ Smail 1995, p. 178.
- ^ Smail 1995, pp. 78–79.
- ^ Ibn al-Athir 2010, pp. 92–93.
Bibliography
- Asbridge, Thomas S. (2000). The Creation of the Principality of Antioch, 1098-1130. Woodbridge: The Boydell Press. ISBN 978-0-85115-661-3.
- Ibn al-Athir (2010). The Chronicle of Ibn al-Athir for the Crusading Period from al-Kamil fi'l-Ta'rikh. Parts 1-3. Translated by Richards, D.S. Farnham: Ashgate Publishing. ISBN 978-0754669395.
- Smail, R. C. (1995) [1956], Crusading Warfare 1097-1193, New York: Barnes & Noble Books, ISBN 1-56619-769-4