Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ - Shams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi - (19/409)

Siyar Aʿlām al-NubalāʾShams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi

A major expedition was carried out in al-Andalus—by Allah’s granting of victory. The Franks were routed and the son of their king was slain (1).

In 506 AH Basil, king of the Armenians, died. Tancred, the lord of Antioch, thereupon marched out intending to take possession of Sis, but he fell ill on the way and died (2).

Qaraja, lord of Homs, also died, and his son Khayr-Khan succeeded him (3).

At the beginning of 507 AH the army of the Jazira came to Tughtekin’s aid. They met the Franks by the Jordan; both sides stood firm, then the killing among the Franks intensified and their tyrant Baldwin was captured. The man who seized him acted rashly: he stripped him of his arms and released him wounded. The enemy withdrew, but reinforcements reached them; the next morning they formed battle lines again. The fighting flared and death was courted. The “dogs” entrenched themselves on a mountain, while the Muslim army camped opposite them, exchanging arrow-fire and skirmishing. This went on for twenty-six days, until provisions ran out and the two forces drew apart (4).

That same year an Ismaʿili in the Umayyad Mosque of Damascus attacked the ruler of Mosul, Mawdud ibn

(1) Al-Kamil, vol. 10, pp. 490–491. The passage reads: “In this same year Alfonso the Frank, lord of Toledo in al-Andalus, marched against the Muslim territories there, intent on conquering and annexing them. He assembled an enormous army and, emboldened by the death of the Amir al-Muslimin Yusuf ibn Tashfin, entertained strong hopes of success. When the Amir al-Muslimin Ali ibn Yusuf ibn Tashfin learned of this, he advanced with his own forces to meet him. The two armies clashed in a fierce battle that ended in a decisive Muslim victory: the Franks were routed, slaughtered in great numbers, many were taken prisoner, and incalculable booty was seized. From then on the Franks feared to approach his domains, while Alfonso was humbled and realized that the land now had a protector who would defend it.” (2) Al-Kamil, vol. 10, p. 493. (3) Al-Kamil, vol. 10, p. 493. (4) Al-Kamil, vol. 10, pp. 495–496.

وَتَمَّت بِالأَنْدَلُسِ غَزْوَةٌ كُبْرَى - نَصْر اللهِ - وَانحطمتِ الفِرَنْج، وَقُتِلَ ابْنُ مَلِكِهِم (١) . وَفِي سَنَةِ سِتٍّ مَاتَ بَسِيْلٌ مَلِكُ الأَرمَنِ، فَسَارَ صَاحِبُ أَنطَاكيَة تَنكرِي لِيَتَمَلَّك سِيسَ، فَمَرِضَ، وَمَاتَ (٢) . وَمَاتَ قرَاجَا صَاحِبُ حِمْص، فَتَمَلَّكَ ابْنُه خَيْرخَان (٣) . وَفِي أَوّل سَنَةِ سبعٍ أَقْبَلَ عَسْكَرُ الجَزِيْرَة نَجدَةً لِطُغتِكِين، فَالتَقَوُا الفِرَنْجَ بِالأُرْدُنّ، وَصبر الفرِيقَانِ، ثُمَّ اسْتَحَرَّ القتلُ بِالفِرَنْج، وَأُسِرَ طَاغِيتُهُم بغدوين، لَكِن أَسَاء الَّذِي أَسره، فَشلَّحه، وَأَطلقَه جَرِيحاً، ثُمَّ تَرَاجعَ العَدُوّ، وَجَاءتْهُم نَجدَةٌ، فَعملُوا المَصَافَّ مِنَ الغَدِ، وَحَمِي القِتَالُ، وَطَاب المَوْتُ، وَتَحَصَّنَ الكِلاَبُ بِجبلٍ، فَرَابط الجَيْشُ بِإِزَائِهِم يَترَامَوْنَ بِالنُّشَاب وَيَقْتتلُوْنَ، فَدَام ذَلِكَ كَذَلِكَ سِتَّةً وَعِشْرِيْنَ صَبَاحاً حَتَّى عُدِمَتِ الأَقْوَاتُ، وَتَحَاجَزَ الجَمْعَانِ (٤) . وَفِيْهَا وَثَبَ بَاطِنِيٌّ بِجَامِعِ دِمَشْقَ عَلَى صَاحِبِ المَوْصِلِ مَوْدُوْدِ بنِ

(١) الكامل: ١٠ / ٤٩٠ - ٤٩١ ونصه: وفي هذه السنة خرج أذفونش الفرنجي، صاحب طليطلة بالاندلس إلى بلاد الإسلام بها، يطلب ملكها والاستيلاء عليها، وجمع فحشد فأكثر، وكان قوي طمعه فيها بسبب موت أمير المسلمين يوسف بن تاشفين، فسمع أمير المسلمين علي بن يوسف بن تاشفين الخبر، فسار إليه في عساكره وجموعه فلقيه، فاقتتلوا، واشتد القتال، وكان الظفر للمسلمين، وانهزم الفرنج، وقتلوا قتلا ذريعا، وأسر منهم بشر كثير، وسبى منهم، وغنم من أموالهم ما يخرج من الاحصاء: فخافه الفرنج بعد ذلك، وامتنعوا من قصد بلاده، وذل أذفونش حينئذ وعلم أن في البلاد حاميا لها، وذابا عنها. (٢) الكامل: ١٠ / ٤٩٣. (٣) الكامل: ١٠ / ٤٩٣. (٤) الكامل: ١٠ / ٤٩٥، ٤٩٦.