صلاح الدين وسقوط مملكة بيت المقدس

by Stanley Lane-Poole

يعتبر كتاب (صلاح الدين وسقوط مملكة القدس) الذي صدر عام 1898 اول سيرة لصلاح الدين مكتوبة باللغة الانكليزية، كما يذكر المؤلف. أذن للكتاب قصب السبق. ويمكن اعتباره ممهدا الطريق لمن بعده، ولأن الكتاب دراسة علمية نزيهة بكل ما في النزاهة من معنى لذا اصبح هذا الكتاب امثولة احتذاها المؤرخون حتى العرب .

صلاح نيازي

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Middle East, Islam, Medieval, Religion, Historical

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1898

About the author

Stanley Lane-Poole was a British orientalist and archaeologist.
Poole was from a famous orientalist family as his paternal grandmother Sophia Lane Poole, uncle Reginald Stuart Poole and great-uncle Edward William Lane were famous for their work in this field.
His other great-uncle was Richard James Lane, a distinguished Victorian lithographer and engraver.
He worked for the British Museum from 1874 to 1892.

Reviews

[علاء مصری النهر · Rating 5 out of 5]

الحمد لله أن منّ الله عز وجل عليّ بترجمة هذا الكِتاب الرائق؛ إذ عكفتُ على ترجمته سنينَ عَدَدًا، فعرَّبتُ خرائطَه، وعزوتُ اقتباساتِه الكثيرة إلى مظانِّها العربية والصليبية. وألحقتُ به تقديمَ العلَّامة الإنجليزي ديفيد نيكولا الذي أعدَّه في العام 2002م؛ وذلك بمناسبة مرور مئة عامٍ على صدور الكتاب. فلعله يحظى بشيءٍ من قَبولٍ من القارئ العربي!

[محمود المسلمي · Rating 1 out of 5]

ثقتي في مؤلف الكتاب كبيرة فهو المستشرق الأنجليزي المعروف ستانلي لين بول له مؤلفات عن الشرق عموما و مصر و القاهرة خصوصا . كما أنه أثري متخصص في العملات الإسلامية الأثرية.
لكن ما حيرني فعلا هوالمؤلف حقيقة خسارة أن تقع مؤلفات عظيمة في أيدي مترجمين غير محترفين مثلا :
1- نبي الإسلام عندما يذكر إما أن تصلي وتسلم عليه بالصيغة المعروفة بين المسلمين أو تتجاهل تماما الصلاة عليه لكن أن تضع بعد اللفظ المحمدي -صلعم- لا أجد له أي تفسير برئ.
2- ملك مملكة بيت المقدس اسمه عموري الأول و ليس أمارليك كما ترجمه الكاتب حرفيا كذلك مدينة في صعيد مصر اسمها أطفيح ولا تترجم أيضا حرفيا , قس علي ذلك كل أسماء الأعلام.

صحيح أن الترجمة من الإنجليزية القديمة للعربية شاقة و مرهقة لكن هناك من المترجمين الشباب من استطاعوا التغلب علي هذه العقبة مثل المترجم الرائع أحمد .سالم سالم صاحب ترجمة كتاب مصر في العصور الوسطي لنفس الكاتب بل و حصل علي جائزة الشيخ زايد في الترجم

[Elliott Bignell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Salah ud-Din, which name translates as the title of this review, qualifies as one of the defining figures of the Crusades, of mediaeval Islam and of chivalry. Poole, of whom I am now very much a fan, approves of him in a writing style of his customary grace and ease and a historian's style which is probably not as objective as it ought to be. I am prepared to forgive Poole this foible, as his writing is a joy and his sympathy for his Muslim subjects very appealing. In any case, he was writing in the 19th Century when standards of objectivity had not quite reached their modern peak of obsessiveness. And finally, if you aren't a historian then you will probably take my position of just wanting to read about the time and pick up some learning without making it a drudge.

The reader ought to be warned that Poole comes from a time when it could be presumed that an educated reader would cope with untranslated quotes in Latin, Greek, French and Italian, and takes occasional advantage of this presumption. I find that it does not interrupt the flow of the book too much, and in any case I more-or-less get by in the last two languages, but it is perhaps a little much to ask in our day. I don't speak a word of the former two but didn't feel the loss too sharply. Fortunately he doesn't venture into Arabic or Turkish, which I can report from experience to be ferociously intractable unless you grew up with them or are a natural linguist.

It might come as a surprise to the modern reader that Poole's Victorian writing style is light and engaging. More so, perhaps, given the presumptions of national superiority typical of his contemporaries, that he finds such a glowing example among the Muslims of the Middle Ages. Saladin may go some way to explaining that.

Greatness was forced upon Salah ud-Din when he was dispatched to Egypt. Without the responsibilities of leadership being pressed into his hands, he might have remained a secluded and bookish scholar and deprived history of one of its shining figures. Without the sudden death of Nur ed-Din, he might have been put in his place and his ascent to the throne prevented. Such are the hinges of history. At any rate, the Muslim world received a leader of unique character whose brush with death at the hands of a fever left him with a compulsion to do right. The outcome was the end of the Crusader state of Outremer and the expulsion of Latin Christianity from all but a small coastal strip.

Even this might have been retrieved has it not been for Saladin's curious negligence at Tyre, where he abandoned the siege and left the Crusaders a staging post. This was a rare lapse, but a potentially catastrophic one, and may stem from pressure from his weary emirs. Saladin leaves few traces of character flaws, by-and-large, with one exception being the execution of a single Sufi mystic. He seems to have been an orthodox type, generous to a fault with enemies of other religions but with a blind spot for dissent and heresy within his own faith. Certainly the Catholicos of the Armenians and the Emperor of Constantinople regarded him as an ally and warned him of the approach of the Western Emperor through Asia Minor. His clemency has gone down in history, as his emirs vied to be gifted with slaves from the un-ransomed poor at Jerusalem that they might gain their sultan's approval by freeing them. And Saladin's word was truly his bond, and accepted as such even by his enemies. The contrast with the compulsive oath-breaking and the brutality of the Christians, typified by the slaughter of 2,700 Muslims prisoners at Acre by Richard, could not be more marked.

Saladin is a unique figure, and well-enough documented that much of this hagiography can be taken at face-value or close to it. Poole is not truly objective, but the sources all seem to agree with him. Aside from that, he is a joy to read. Highly recommended.

[Ahmad Hassam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a rare book that I happen to read many years back. I have read other books by Stanley Lane Poole and I found him to have a grip on the ancient Islamic history not found in the present historians. When he wrote these books in the 19th century, his audience must have been limited. Today his books are very good for reference and citation. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in serious work of history.

[Mohamed Ibrahim · Rating 5 out of 5]

"صلاح الدين وسقوط مملكة بيت المقدس"

في البداية أشكر الباحث والصديق العزيز الدكتور علاء مصري النهر علي هذه الترجمة الرائعة والتي لم يبخل فيها بشئ من إضافة التعليقات والهوامش الخاصة به مع هوامش المؤلف
وإضافة المصادر والمراجع العربية أو المترجمة حتي أوراق البحث والدراسات المتعلقة بسيرة صلاح الدين.

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كتاب ستانلي لين بول

عديدة هي الكتب التي تناولت سيرة صلاح الدين ومن أشهرها والتي سجلت في عهده " النوادر السلطانية والمحاسن اليوسفية" و "الفتح القسي في الفتح القدسي"، ويعد هذا الكتاب أول سيرة إنجليزية عن صلاح الدين الأيوبي ونري فيها إعجاب المؤلف بسيرة وشخصية صلاح الدين، والعمل يتسم بالدقة والموضوعية والالتزام بالسياق التاريخي للأحداث دون تحريف أو مبالغة.

الكتاب مقسم إلي ستة أجزاء

في الجزء الأول يوضح الأوضاع السياسية والتقلبات في العالم الشرقي و اضمحلال الخلافة العباسية، وسطوع نجم دولة السلاجقة وشرح لنظام دولتهم العسكري والاقطاعي وتقدمهم.
وحديث عن الحملة الصليبية الأولي وتأسيس مملكة بيت المقدس والعلاقة بين المسلمين و الصليبيين وقت السلم والحرب

_____________________
الجزء الثاني(الديار المصرية)
ذكر به نشأة صلاح الدين والفترة التي قضاها في بعلبك وهو صبي وعن التعليم الذي تلقاه ، وانتقاله لدمشق مع والده وهو شاب وارتباطه بنور الدين الذي تعلم منه الكثير ، وأوضح أن صلاح الدين كان يميل إلى العزلة ويدير حياته علي مبادئ الحكمة كوالده وليس كعمه شيركوه المندفع ذراع نور الدين الأيمن ، والذي كان له دور في إدخال صلاح الدين إلي الحياة العامة حين اصطحبه مع مستشاريه إلي مصر في حملاته علي مصر .

بعد وفاه عمه أصبح صلاح الدين وزيرا لمصر، واجهته بعد العواقب قبل أن يرسخ حكمه وكان منها التصدي للدسائس و المؤامرات كثورة العبيد السودان والتصدي لحصار الصليبيين بدمياط، ومحاولة الوفاق مع نور الدين بعد أن توترت العلاقة بينهم.

_______________________
الجزء الثالث ( الإمبراطورية)
بعد وفاة نور الدين يبدأ صلاح الدين بالتحرك الي
غزو الشام، فبعد دمشق انطلق ليخضع باقي المدن تحت سيطرته وعقد معاهدات وأشهرها مع جماعة الحشيشية والتي حاولت اغتياله أكثر من مرة ومن قبله نور الدين، وفي نفس الوقت كان مشغول بالإصلاحات والتحسينات في القاهرة وبناء قلعة الجبل.
بعد موت الملك الصالح يودع صلاح الدين القاهرة يبدأ بالتحرك لغزو بلاد الجزيرة ودخوله حلب وحصار قلعة الكرك

__________________
الجزء الرابع (الجهاد)
والذي كان هدف ثابت لدى صلاح الدين منذ أمد بعيد. يذكر المؤلف بالتفصيل المعارك التي خاضها والحصار الذي فرضه حتي تحقق له فتح بيت المقدس وأول خطبة في المسجد الأ/قصى ، وتحرك الحملة الصليبية الثالثة والزحف نحو عكا والمعركة مع الصليبيين حتي وصول أول أسطول إنجليزي

____________
الجزء الخامس(رتشارد وصلاح الدين)

في هذا الجزء يشرح محاولات رتشارد العديدة للسيطرة والحصول علي بيت المقدس مرة بالسيف ومرة أخري بالمفاوضات مع صلاح الدين والتي تنتهي بفشل الحملة الصليبية الثالثة
وينتهي هذا الجزء بمرض صلاح الدين حتي وفاته وحديث عن جنازته ومكان دفنه.

كتاب آخر مهم من كتابات ستانلي لين بول المهتم بالتاريخ والحضارة الإسلامية واعتمد في كتابه هذا علي جميع المصادر المتاحة أمامه الأوروبية و الإسلامية.

[Shawkat Kamal · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant work!

I found the book very well written and the sources used were clearly explained. I have always been a great fan of Saladin, and this book took this admiration to a new level. It is difficult to find a conqueror in history who had so many humane attributes, and who was so humble in nature. As the author rightfully said, the only blemish in his character might be his ferocious loyalty to Islam. But then it was his religion, and he had every right to hold on to it with the greatest fervor. If I die, when my time comes, with even 10 percent of the amazing attributes that I found in his character; I will consider myself very lucky.

[Rrlgrrl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I randomly found this book at a library sale and discovered it was over 100 years old. The delicate maps and insert leaves make this book special, even though it has been rebound to look like a college text book. It is an intriguing read, particularly with the current events happening in the Middle East. Things really haven't changed since the First Crusade.

[أحمد هاني · Rating 4 out of 5]

كتاب جميل عن شخصية عظيمة أجمع عليها اعدائه قبل أصدقائه هو كتاب تقيل مضمون بسبب كثرة الهوامش ولكنه مهم وعظيم

[roarayacr · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is little more than a recount of names, dates and places, but does not go to describe and describe the figure of Salidin, whose psychology and thought very little is said in the book. Except in chapter 22, which briefly addresses Saladin's thought, the rest of the book does not tell us much about who he really was and how he developed and applied his military genius. It is a good book for study at school, but not suitable for knowing the figure of Saladin.

[Robert L. Steimel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting and enlightening read.

History the say is written by the victors. This book doesn’t hide the truths but explains reasons why intellectual people can make some very wrong decisions.

[Larry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written

A solid effort to accurately portray this remarkable individual. A terrific accounting along with a good, though brief history of Jerusalem.

[Helena Schrader · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eulogy not Biography: A Disservice to Saladin

In his introduction to this book, Lane-Poole claims that “no complete Life of the celebrated adversary of Richard Coeur de Lion” is available in the English language. This may have been true at the time of publication, but it is no longer the case. At just $.99, however, I decided to try it. Before others make the same mistake, I share my assessment here.

While understanding that every biographer is to some extent the captive of his sources, this book is far more than biased: it singularly fails to provide the analysis and context so vital to a good biography. Furthermore, it is based on two false assumptions. First, that Muslims have the right to all territory that was ever ruled by Muslims, and blindly denies both Jews and Christians any right to the territories that was theirs long before the Muslim invasion of the 7th Century AD. Second and more important, Lane-Poole ignores the fact the population of these lands – even at the end of the 12 century – was not predominantly Muslim, much less Sunni Muslim. The population was completely fragmented into Jews, Greek Orthodox Christians, Armenian Christians, Jacobites, Maronites, Coptic Christians, Nestorians and Shiia Muslims as well as Sunni Muslims. The latter distinction is very important because Shiite leaders, both the Fatimid Caliphate and the Assassins, made repeated pacts and alliances with the Christians to fight the Sunnis – and Saladin himself -- and the Shiite population in Palestine probably opposed Saladin at least as much if not more than the Jews and some of the Christians. (For more information on the population of the crusader kingdoms and their relations to their rulers I recommend either Malcolm Barber’s book, “The Crusader States,” or to Professor Kenneth Harl’s excellent series of lectures in The Great Courses series.)

Lane-Poole, however, is clearly not interested in the facts. Instead, he slavishly follows his pro-Saladin sources without standing back to question or balance these sources with information drawn from other chronicles and historians or – indeed – simple common sense. For example, it gets very tedious to have every tactical defeat of a Christian force portrayed as a “humiliating retreat” with the Christians departing “with their tails between their legs” – in one case this was after just one week in the field! -- while every set back Saladin suffered (and he sometimes spent many months in pointless sieges!) is explained away as a wise decision not to pursue a time-consuming campaign or the need to let his troops go home to see their families. Indeed, Lane-Poole mentions several times how attached Muslims are to their wives and children, but does not credit Christians with the same feelings. As for Saladin’s defeat at Mont Gisard, where Saladin’s army of 20,000 was put to flight by roughly 500 knights led by a 16 year old king suffering from leprosy, it is glossed over as “inexplicable” and takes up less than two pages of the narrative. A real biographer would have been intent on explaining both how it happened – and what Saladin learned from it; as a historian, the latter point is particularly important as such a bitter defeat (Saladin had to escape on a pack camel and lost almost his entire body guard) surely left its scars on his psyche.

It is likewise the mark of a dilettante rather than a historian to claim that Richard I “was honeymooning” on Cyprus, when in fact he was conquering the island from a tyrant and by so doing secured the lines-of-communication and a breadbasket for the crusader states for the next hundred years. Indeed, the Latin Kingdom of Cyprus outlived the crusader kingdoms by more than 200 years.

About four fifths of the way through the book, Lane-Poole casts aside all pretense of being a historian and biographer and declares his partisanship in the statement: “But the students of the Crusades do not need to be told that in the struggle of civilization, magnanimity, toleration, real chivalry, and gentle culture were all on the side of the Saracens.” (Chapter XIX) Now, students of the crusade know just the opposite: that there were atrocities, betrayals, cruelties, excesses and also magnanimity, generosity, courage and gentle culture on BOTH sides.

The greatest weakness of this book is that by its excessive bias it detracts from its hero. Saladin deserves our respect because he was exceptional, not because he was perfect. Saladin stands out as an impressive and attractive example of integrity, tenacity, leadership, piety and generosity – particularly when compared to his successors, such as Baibars. He was undoubtedly a more chivalrous figure than Guy de Lusignan, and even Christians despised and repudiated butchers like Ranaud de Chatillon. Saladin deserves a real biography that attempts to explain him as a statesmen and a military leader; this book is not it. I hope one of the modern biographies will prove more useful to my research on Balian d'Ibelin.

[Faris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very detail and precise. but hard to absorb and digest. A lot of complicated jargons. dun really suit me as a 'beginner'... hehe.. well, juz give it a try. very nice book.