Crusades

==== Nūr-ad-Din and the rise of Saladin ====
In the first major encounter after the Second Crusade, Nūr-ad-Din's forces then destroyed the Crusader army at the [[Battle of Inab]] on 29 June 1149. [[Raymond of Poitiers]], as prince of Antioch, came to the aid of the besieged city. Raymond was killed and his head was presented to Nūr-ad-Din, who forwarded it to the caliph [[al-Muqtafi]] in Baghdad.<ref>Barker, Ernest (1911). "[[s:1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Raymund of Antioch|Raymund of Antioch]]". In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). ''Encyclopædia Britannica''. '''22.''' (11th ed.), Cambridge University Press. p. 934.</ref> In 1150, Nūr-ad-Din defeated [[Joscelin II, Count of Edessa|Joscelin II of Edessa]] for a final time, resulting in Joscelin being publicly blinded, dying in prison in Aleppo in 1159. Later that year, at the [[Battle of Aintab]], he tried but failed to prevent Baldwin III's evacuation of the residents of [[Turbessel#Byzantine Period|Turbessel]].{{sfn|Runciman|1952|pp=329–330|loc=Turbessel ceded to Byzantium (1150)}} The unconquered portions of the County of Edessa would nevertheless fall to the Zengids within a few years. In 1152, [[Raymond II, Count of Tripoli|Raymond II of Tripoli]] became the first Frankish victim of the [[Order of Assassins|Assassins]].{{sfn|Lewis|2017|p=167|loc=Military Decline and Matrimonial Discord: Count Raymond II (1137–1152)}} Later that year, Nūr-ad-Din captured and burned [[Tartus#Crusades|Tortosa]], briefly occupying the town before it was taken by the Knights Templar as a military headquarters.{{sfn|Runciman|1952|p=333|loc=Murder of Raymond II (1152)}}

[[File:BattleOfInab.jpg|thumb|[[Nur ad-Din (died 1174)|Nūr-ad-Din's]] victory at the [[Battle of Inab]], 1149. Illustration from the ''[[Passages d'outremer]]'', {{circa|1490}}.]]

After the [[Siege of Ascalon]] ended on 22 August 1153 with a Crusader victory, Damascus was taken by Nūr-ad-Din the next year, uniting all of Syria under Zengid rule. In 1156, Baldwin III was forced into a treaty with Nūr-ad-Din, and later entered into an alliance with the [[Baldwin III of Jerusalem#Byzantine alliance|Byzantine Empire]]. On 18 May 1157, Nūr-ad-Din began a siege on the Knights Hospitaller contingent at [[Banias#Crusader/Ayyubid period|Banias]], with the Grand Master [[Bertrand de Blanquefort]] captured. Baldwin III was able to break the siege, only to be ambushed at [[Daughters of Jacob Bridge#Crusader and Ayyubid period|Jacob's Ford]] in June. Reinforcements from Antioch and Tripoli were able to relieve the besieged Crusaders, but they were defeated again that month at the [[Battle of Lake Huleh (1157)|Battle of Lake Huleh]]. In July 1158, the Crusaders were victorious at the Battle of Butaiha Bertrand's captivity lasted until 1159, when emperor Manuel I negotiated an alliance with Nūr-ad-Din against the Seljuks.{{sfn|Runciman|1952|pp=338–342|loc=The Rise of Nur ed-Din: The Capture of Ascalon, 1153}}

Baldwin III died on 10 February 1163, and [[Amalric of Jerusalem]] was crowned as king of Jerusalem eight days later.<ref>Barker, Ernest (1911). "[[s:1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Amalric|Amalric]]". In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). ''Encyclopædia Britannica''. '''1.''' (11th ed.), Cambridge University Press. pp. 778–779.</ref> Later that year, he defeated the Zengids at the [[Battle of al-Buqaia]]. Amalric then undertook a series of four [[Crusader invasions of Egypt|invasions of Egypt]] from 1163 to 1169, taking advantage of weaknesses of the Fatimids.<ref name="images.library.wisc.edu"/> Nūr-ad-Din's intervention in the first invasion allowed his general [[Shirkuh]], accompanied by his nephew [[Saladin]], to enter Egypt.<ref>Winifred Frances Peck (1911). "[[s:1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Saladin|Saladin]]". In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). ''Encyclopædia Britannica''. '''24.''' (11th ed.), Cambridge University Press.</ref> [[Shawar]], the deposed vizier to the Fatimid caliph [[al-Adid]], allied with Amalric I, attacking Shirkuh at the second [[Bilbeis|Siege of Bilbeis]] beginning in August 1164, following Amalric's unsuccessful first siege in September 1163.{{sfn|Runciman|1952|pp=380–382|loc=Amalric advances on Cairo}} This action left the Holy Land lacking in defenses, and Nūr-ad-Din defeated a Crusader forces at the [[Battle of Harim]] in August 1164, capturing most of the Franks' leaders.{{sfn|Barber|2012|p=240|loc=The Zengid Threat}}

After the sacking of Bilbeis, the Crusader-Fatimid force was to meet Shirkuh's army in the indecisive [[Battle of al-Babein]] on 18 March 1167. In 1169, both Shawar and Shirkuh died, and al-Adid appointed Saladin as vizier. Saladin, with reinforcements from Nūr-ad-Din, defeated a massive Crusader-Byzantine force at the [[Crusader invasions of Egypt#Siege of Damietta|Siege of Damietta]] in late October.<ref>Bird, Jessalynn (2006).  Damietta. In ''The Crusades: An Encyclopedia''. pp. 343–344.</ref> This gained Saladin the attention of the Assassins, with attempts on his life in January 1175 and again on 22 May 1176.{{sfn|Lewis|2003|pp=113–117|loc=The Old Man of the Mountain}}

[[Baldwin IV of Jerusalem]]<ref>Barker, Ernest (1911). "[[s:1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Baldwin IV.|Baldwin IV]]". In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). ''Encyclopædia Britannica''. '''3.''' (11th ed.), Cambridge University Press. p. 247.</ref> became king on 5 July 1174 at the age of 13.<ref name=":22"/> As a leper he was not expected to live long, and served with a number of regents, and served as co-ruler with his cousin [[Baldwin V of Jerusalem]] beginning in 1183. Baldwin IV, [[Raynald of Châtillon]] and the Knights Templar defeated Saladin at the celebrated [[Battle of Montgisard]] on 25 November 1177. In June 1179 the Crusaders were defeated at the [[Battle of Marj Ayyun|Battle of Marj Ayyub]], and in August the unfinished castle at [[Siege of Jacob's Ford|Jacob's Ford]] fell to Saladin, with the slaughter of half its Templar garrison. However, the kingdom repelled his attacks at the [[Battle of Belvoir Castle (1182)|Battle of Belvoir Castle]] in 1182 and later in the [[Siege of Kerak]] of 1183.<ref>Barker, Ernest (1911). "[[s:1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Raynald of Châtillon|Raynald of Châtillon]]". In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). ''Encyclopædia Britannica''. '''22.''' (11th ed.), Cambridge University Press. p. 936.</ref>