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The three superstars in the history of the Crusades are also the protagonists in the movie. Let's talk today - Saladin!
Cao Mengde + Liu Xuande
Troubled times, traitors.
The Arab world in the 11th century was divided, comparable to any turbulent times in Chinese history. More troublesome is the mix of religion and belief. But even the loss of Jerusalem, the Holy Land, did not really unite them, Sunnis and Shiites, the Fatimid dynasty in Egypt, the Abbasid dynasty in Mesopotamia, the Zangi dynasty in the Turks. Attacking each other seems to be more important than unanimous foreign affairs! It is precisely because of such conditions that a few crusaders have gained a firm foothold and established a country.
until Saladin came along. Kurds are Sunni. It was originally a general of the Zanji Dynasty in Syria, and it was also a mercenary army, a force that could be sent out to consume at any time. At this time, Egypt was invaded by the Crusaders, and Saladin was sent to ask for help as reinforcements. At that time, the crusaders were famous, and almost all Muslims were in danger. They were sent to pretend to consume the enemy by the way. Anyway, they were worthless mercenaries. Much like when Liu Bei rescued Xuzhou, he was outnumbered and outnumbered.
But Saladin is not Liu Bei, he is a traitor, he is Cao Cao. Not only did he successfully defend against the Crusaders, but he also became prime minister because of his merits. An outsider with no foundation but a high position? Naturally, it is the target of public criticism, and the slightest carelessness will break the body. At this time, Saladin became Liu Bei again. He was different and did not love money. Every time he fought, he distributed the spoils of war to his subordinates.
If a person does not love money or lust, and at the same time does things continuously, then he can only love greater things - power and power! Political enemies were eliminated one by one, and Saladin grew up a little bit. Until 1171, after a grand military parade, the Fatimid caliph Adid died suddenly! ? Then Saladin immediately announced the Fatimid dynasty OVER! The new dynasty is called Ayub! At this moment, Saladin has become Cao Cao again, a dove occupies a magpie's nest, a familiar routine and a familiar formula. He is a villain in troubled times !
Soon after, the old club Zanji Dynasty had a civil strife and asked him to come back to preside over the work. Someone advised him to simply suppress the border and take the opportunity to annex, but he refused. He became Liu Bei again, and returned to his hometown with only a few relatives. Those big and small powerful ministers and warlords are dumbfounded, how come back alone to deliver meat?
But Saladin didn't come empty-handed. The countless gold and silver treasures plundered from Fatima's political opponents were put to good use and distributed to military leaders, large and small. The generosity made people cry! This kind of buying people's hearts is simpler and more effective than Liu Bei's benevolence, righteousness and morality! Soon most of the people surrendered, and a few diehards were quickly defeated by Saladin!
One is soft, the other is hard. Liu Bei on one side and Cao Cao on the other. Saladin, what a villain!
But his ambitions didn't stop there. The ultimate goal of regaining a unified Muslim world was to expel the Crusaders. And it seems that the Kingdom of Jerusalem is not stable, so there is the Battle of Mongiza. This battle was defeated, but a traitor like Saladin would not give up easily, but continued to accumulate strength and wait for the opportunity. He knew that the young king was dying soon, and he just had to wait patiently and wait for the bright star to fall on its own. .
In 1185, Baldwin IV died. Saladin, who was 47 years old in the same year, was in full swing and controlled today's Egypt, Sudan, Syria, Palestine, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and other places. The powerful Arab empire he built surrounded Jerusalem on three sides, but he was still in no hurry, he was still waiting for an opportunity and an excuse.
Soon, in 1186, the reckless militants of Jerusalem attacked the Egyptian caravan, and let out mad words, asking Saladin to go to the prophet to get the money back! Compared with the wise and wise Baldwin, these successors are really foolish and arrogant. And that's exactly what Saladin was looking for.
In 1187, Saladin led an army of 40,000 people and attacked Jerusalem again. He was 49 years old that year, already entering old age in ancient times. He also grew from an ordinary mercenary army leader to the overlord of the Islamic world, and even the "hope of the whole village".
The atrocities of the Crusaders are still vivid in our minds, and the bloody feud is hard to describe. And the fighting power of the Crusaders is like a cloud over their heads. From the beginning of the Eastern Expedition, every time they fight with less and more with the weak to defeat the strong, but every time they will burst out with blood to reverse the war situation! Is their faith purer? Or are the Arab warriors not religious enough? Hesitation and doubt are buried deep in the hearts of everyone, eager for revenge but deeply worried. After all, just 10 years ago, the same army was defeated by a disabled child.
Saladin knew all this well, that he and his faith needed a victory to wash away the shame, but not just blood and blood. So, then incarnate into Cao Cao! Traitor, you should use a little trick.
The first attack will save him, and attack the fortress of Tiberias, where there is the wife of the Crusader Raymond. The fortress was soon besieged, but the attack was not broken. The signal for help was quickly transmitted back to the Crusaders' base camp, Severus, where all the fighting forces of the Kingdom of Jerusalem were assembled.
After a brief and ineffective dispute, the new King Guy ordered everyone to set out, bring the "true cross" to find Saladin desperately! His idea is very simple, that weak child can do it, so can my Guy! What's more, he has 20,000 troops in his hands! Much better than Baldwin back then. But this is exactly what Saladin wanted.
The Crusaders are only 30 kilometers from their departure to their destination, but these 30 kilometers are deserts! It was midsummer again, and the crusaders wearing heavy armor were simply self-destructing. At the same time, Saladin also sent cavalry archers to constantly harass him.
Cut off its food supply and exhaust its military strength. This is very treacherous, very Cao Cao. The distressed crusaders came to their destination, and the only source of water was still occupied by Saladin. Want to get water? Thousands of bows and arrows will shoot you into a basket! The Crusaders are in decline. But Saladin was not in a hurry and had to stay up for another night. This night, the Arabs frequently blew the horns of charging around the Crusaders, repeatedly torturing their nerves. The next day dawned, and the haystacks that had been prepared were lit again. The hot air was about to set people on fire!
Attack it, even death is better than consuming death like this! The crusaders, who had been tortured for a day and a night, broke out and rushed towards Saladin's formation desperately. Saladin had already prepared enough to arrange enough bowmen and javelins on both sides of their advance, and no one fell to the ground before seeing the face of the enemy. After repeated ineffective charges, the Crusaders were exhausted and completely incapacitated. And Saladin ordered a general attack, and the army was surrounded from all directions, vowing to wipe out the Crusaders!
Take it easy, get it in one hit! This is very treacherous, very Cao Cao. Many knights on the battlefield participated in the battle of Mongisa ten years ago, and the heroic appearance of the young king is still in their minds. And at this moment, their King Guy, the mediocrity who thinks he is comparable to Baldwin, is hiding in the tent and is at a loss! A sheep led by a lion is also a lion, and even a lion led by a sheep is a lamb to be slaughtered.
The knights fell in batches, they were bloodied and unable to resist, and finally slowly concentrated under the "true cross". This sacred object that once gave them infinite power is now just a pile of meaningless wood. They didn't understand that what really inspired them back then was actually the burning soul of the young king.
The Battle of Harding came to an end without any suspense. Except for a few people, the Crusaders were basically wiped out, and most of the nobles, including King Guy, were captured. Then over the next two months, Saladin recaptured the Crusaders' 52 fortresses and towns in the Middle East. Then the army came under the city of Jerusalem.
The latter thing is similar to the movie. Saladin encountered unexpected and stubborn resistance. In order to end the war as soon as possible, he chose to negotiate. Cao Cao slaughtered Xuzhou because his father was killed. As for Saladin's army, most of their ancestors were slaughtered in Jerusalem, and this century-old blood feud only waits for a bloodbath!
It's hard to imagine Saladin's state of mind as he stands under the tent ready to negotiate. He is " the hope of the whole village ", he is the leader of all Muslims, he is the hero who drove out the Crusaders, he is the verdict of justice! Thousands of eyes stared at him, and the blood debt of generations was on his shoulders. As if a voice kept ringing in my ears - revenge! Bloodbath! revenge! !
But he was Saladin, and he knew in his heart that as long as distant Europe was still under the rule of the Church, there would be a steady stream of crusades. That holy land will never have a peaceful day, if you can turn the war into jade and silk? At least a little kindness can be released. So he chose to be Liu Bei.
Open the gates and let Christians go home! As long as they pay a certain ransom, after all, he needs to use money to win over his subordinates. In the end, 45,000 of the city's 60,000 residents were freed, and most of the remaining poor were eventually released without compensation. Perhaps as Bellion asks him in the film, what is the value of Jerusalem?
"Nothing......Everything!" (Nothing... Infinite Value!) That's Saladin's answer. As a leader, he must recapture the Holy Land, but as an individual, as a rational ruler, what can a land of strife and four wars do but bring chaos and hatred?
In the end, Saladin not only let all the Christians go, but didn't even destroy the church. But it is a pity that his kindness cannot be understood by that frenetic era, and he will continue to fight for the holy city for the rest of his life.
Six years later, Saladin died in Damascus. His estate is only 1 gold and 47 silver.
He is a hero in troubled times. He is a benevolent monarch. He is Cao Mengde + Liu Xuande. He is a real hero! 700 years later, Kaiser Wilhelm II visited Damascus and personally presented a beautiful coffin with the inscription "To the Great Conqueror - Saladin".
There are very few people who can be respected by the enemy throughout the ages, and there is only one who can be called great by the conquered!
To be continued... For more content, please pay attention to the public account "See Addiction".
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