mistakes were the real cause of the Frankish loss. This defeat was not inevitable, but a major conflict between the two powers in the region, Saladin and Guy, certainly was. For years, Saladin had been provoked by the Christian leader Reynald of Chatillon. In 1181-2, Reynald led a raid into the Hijaz?, winning the support of local tribes and wreaking havoc. While the raid itself didn’t do all that much damage, it still posed a huge problem for Saladin. The ease in which Reynald was able to recruit
Salah al-Din Yusuf bin Ayub or Saladin as he more commonly known was born in 1138 A.D. The meaning of his Arabic name is "righteousness of the faith." As a child Saladin was a studious boy who studied the Koran as well as poetry. He was known to love studying the Koran and other literature more than joining and fighting in the military. At the age of fourteen, he entered into the military service of his uncle Nur ed-Din, another great and respected Arab warrior. Another teacher of the young Saladin
The Knights Templar, a military order of monks answerable only to the Pope himself, were founded in 1118. Their primary responsibility, at least initially, was to provide protection to Christians making pilgrimages to the Holy Land. They rose in power, both religious and secular, to become one of the richest and most powerful entities in Christendom. By the time of their disbandment in 1307, this highly secretive organization controlled vast wealth, a fleet of merchant ships, and castles and estates