Muslim Sources of the Crusader Period

About this book

Historians of the Crusades have at their disposal a large corpus of Muslim sources, which reflect a variety of views on what unfolded in the eastern Mediterranean and the Near East between the eleventh and fourteenth centuries. These sources register how the events and main figures involved in them were remembered in later years and subsequent centuries, allowing the historian to gauge the impact of the Crusades on Islamic history, culture, and society, as well as the legacy they left behind and how it was exploited in intra-Muslim dynamics as well as Muslim-European relations. Despite their importance, the Muslim sources remain relatively marginal in the way the general history of the Crusader period is written. This anthology is an attempt to bring to light a disparate selection of sources that introduce the student of Crusades history to a more complex understanding of the Crusades and the interactions between Franks and Muslims - which ranged from animosity to amity - in the broader context of Islamic history. Also included are study questions throughout the book to help guide the readers and to assist them in making the most out of the material; an index, glossary, and sources for further reading