Saladin

Paper Summary:

This paper presents an extensive examination of the life and influence of Saladin, including his perceived character in both the Western and Islamic world. Saladin is discussed in a broad historic context, particularly in light of the Crusades. The author notes that Saladin became the hero of the third crusade when he successfully defended Islam and ejected the Crusaders. The paper further describes Saladin as having a positive image in the West, saying that he stood out for his fairness and adherence to a certain code of battle. The author then shows how Saladin has been represented in literature, both in the Muslim and Western worlds. These images are compared and contrasted.

From the Paper:

"The Crusades were waged by certain of the European powers against the Muslims for several reasons, with the religious element being only one of those reasons. The Muslim world was divided into factions. Muslim Spain had started to go its own way in the eighth century. Much of the Muslim world was under siege from the Seljuk Turks. The Muslims were in control of the Holy Lands, the seat of Christianity, and in the eleventh century European Christians undertook the Crusades to recapture the Holy lands, notably the city of Jerusalem. The Crusaders saw their opportunity because of the dissension within the Moslem world itself."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Esposito, John L. Islam: The Straight Path. New York: Oxford University Press, 1991.
• Firestone, Reuven. Jihad: The Origin of Holy War in Islam. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.
• Franzius, Enno. History of the Byzantine Empire. New York: Funk and Wagnalls, 1967.
• Lane-Poole, Stanley. Saladin and the Fall of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1898.
• Munro, Dana Carleton. The Kingdom of the Crusaders. New York: D. Appleton-Century, 1936.

More papers on Saladin:

• Essay # 73431 : "Saladin"
• Descriptive Essay # 118564 : "Saladin and the Third Crusade"
• Essay # 34705 : "The Idealized Prince"

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