Palestine in the last third of the 11th century: between the Fatimids and the Crusaders

Abstract

This paper reviews the history of Palestine during the period immediately preceding the coming of the Crusaders to the Middle East. Based on the sources available, the author attempts to give a detailed picture of the time.
In the second half of the 11th century, Palestine and Southern Syria belonged to the Fatimids of Egypt; the coming of the Sunni Seljuqs resulted in their eventual expulsion from these lands. The course of this struggle, the newcomers’ politics in the conquered lands and their relations with the local population are discussed. The author analyzes the Seljuqs’ inner struggle for the Sultanate following the death of Malik-Shah in 1092, between his brother Tutush, Lord of Damascus and Palestine, and his son Barkyārūq.
Special attention is paid to the impact of the Fatimid—Seljuq struggle for the predominance in Syria on the success of the First Crusade. It is argued that a belated re-occupation of Jerusalem and Palestine by the  Fatimids in 1098 AD and expulsion of the Artuqids, the Turkish masters of Jerusalem, paved the way to Jerusalem for the Crusaders. The establishing of the Crusading Kingdom of Jerusalem put an end to both Fatimid and early Seljuq periods in the history of Palestine.

Keywords:

Medieval Arabic history, history of Palestine, Jerusalem, Fatimids, Seljuqs, Crusades, Medieval Arabic sources