The Crusades, which continued until the end of the XIII. century starting at the end of the XI. century, is one of the important events affecting world history. Adorned with religious motifs, such as liberating Christians from the oppression and oppression of the Muslims in the East, it was the only one that succeeded in the campaigns made during this period when the West tried to gain superiority to the East. Four states were established in Urfa, Antakya, Jerusalem and Tripoli as a result of the first crusade, which started with the call of the Pope Urbanus II, In 1096. The Antioch Crusader Principality has the feature of being a very effective state in the regional politics.
Antakya was an enormous city surrounded by powerful walls in the Middle Ages. With this feature, it was very difficult to conquer. The city was seized in 1098 by Bohemund, the leader of the Normans of Southern Italy, one of the most interesting leaders of the First Crusade with the betrayal of the Armenian Firuz. Bohemund, who intended to establish his own state in the East, ignored his vassal oath to the Byzantine Emperor Alexios Komnenos and founded the Antioch Crusader Principality. The Principality, like other crusade states, tried to maintain its existence from time to time in the struggle with the Muslim, Turkish and Arab elements in the region against the Byzantine and Cilicia Armenians. Shortly after dominating the Çukurova region in the north, it expanded both in the south by adding ports such as Latakia and Cebele to its territory and strengthened economically. The greatest danger for the Antioch Crusaders was the Muslims who dominated Aleppo. However, at the time of the establishment of the Crusader states, while Muslims in the East lacked unity and solidarity, leaders such as Artukoglu Ilgazi, Imadeddin Zengi, Nureddin Zengi and Salahaddin Eyyubi managed to bring Muslims together against the Crusaders.
With the Tell-Afrîn War in 1119, Artukoğlu İlgazi had managed to destroy almost all of the Antioch Crusaders. The Antioch Crusaders had difficulty in compensating for the loss of people in this war. From then on, aid from both the other crusade states and the West became vital to the Antioch Crusaders. Imadeddin Zengî, on the other hand, was able to survive because the attention was devoted to the destruction of the Urfa Crusader County. Imadeddin's destruction of the Urfa Crusader County in 1144 caused the Second Crusade. This time, however, was a complete disappointment for the Crusaders in the East. The Antioch Crusaders' Principle was very worn out by Nureddîn Zengî. However, Nureddin tried to dominate Egypt on the one hand and on the other hand he was afraid of a great campaign against the Crusaders of Antioch because he became the vassal of the Byzantine Empire. Therefore, the conditions for the disappearance of the Principality were not suitable during the time of Nureddin Zengi.
The fact that Saladin had established domination in Egypt and in the lands of the Zengî had crushed the Crusaders. Crusaders in the East also started calling for help against the Saladin and the leaders of the West. However, in Europe, the war between England and France continued. Therefore, aid to the East was delayed. In addition to the delay in aid from the West, there were also differences between the Crusaders in the East in 1185. After Guy de Lugisnan was crowned the kingdom of Jerusalem, the crusader leaders of the Count of Tripoli They polarized as supporters of Raymond III (1152-1187) and as supporters of Guy. In this period, Antioch Crusader prinkeps Bohemund III (1161-1201)
Antakya Richard the Lionheart Crusaders Bohemund III Salahaddin Eyyubi
XI. yüzyılın sonunda başlayarak XIII. yüzyılın sonuna kadar devam eden Haçlı seferleri döneminde, 2 Ekim 1187 tarihinde Selahâddîn Eyyûbî’nin Kudüs’ü Haçlıların elinden alması muhakkak ki bir dönüm noktasıdır. Bu fetih Müslüman dünyasına büyük bir zafer armağan ederken başta Haçlılar olmak üzere tüm Hristiyan âlemini üzüntüye boğdu. Bu olaydan sonra Batı’da yeni bir Haçlı seferinin düzenlenmesi artık kaçınılmazdı. İngiliz, Fransız ve Alman ordularının katılımıyla gerçekleşen Üçüncü Haçlı Seferi Doğu’daki Haçlı devletlerinin yegâne umudu oldu.
Antakya Haçlıları da Kudüs’ün fethinden sonra sıranın kendilerine geldiğini düşünerek Batı’daki krallardan ve Papalıktan yardım istediler. Ancak gelecek bu yardımla varlıklarını sürdürebileceklerini zannediyorlardı. Fakat seferin seyri onların bu umudunu boşa çıkarttı. Neticede Antakya’da prinkeps III. Bohemund, Selahâddîn Eyyûbî’nin vassalliğini kabul etmek zorunda kaldı.
Bu çalışmada genel olarak Üçüncü Haçlı Seferini doğuran gelişmelere değinildikten sonra sefer sırasında Antakya Haçlı Prensliği’nin durumu, dönemin Haçlı, yerli Hristiyan, Bizans ve Müslüman kaynakları ile modern araştırma eserler çerçevesinde ele alınmaktadır. Ancak Üçüncü Haçlı Seferinin meydana geldiği yıllarda Antakya’da yaşanan gelişmeleri detaylı bir şekilde aktaran kaynakların yetersizliği olayların daha sınırlı ele alınmasına vesile olmuştur. Buna rağmen dönemin Antakya Patriği Aimery tarafından İngiltere Kralı II.Henry’ye yapılan yardım çağrısı ile II.Henry’nin cevabını içeren mektupların incelenmesi, Antakya Haçlılarının Selahaddin Eyyûbî’nin bölgedeki faaliyetleri karşısında düştüğü durumu açık bir şekilde göstermesi bakımından oldukça değerlidir.
Antakya Aslan Yürekli Richard III. Bohemund, Haçlılar Selahâddîn Eyyûbî
Birincil Dil | Türkçe |
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Bölüm | Araştırma Makaleleri |
Yazarlar | |
Yayımlanma Tarihi | 30 Haziran 2020 |
Gönderilme Tarihi | 23 Aralık 2019 |
Yayımlandığı Sayı | Yıl 2020 Cilt: 2 Sayı: 1 |