Part 83

Asad ad-Deen Shirkuh learned that the Crusader army had started to march towards Egypt, at which point he crossed the desert heading south west, in order to avoid a premature confrontation with the Crusaders, until he reached the Nile at Itfeeh, forty miles south of Cairo.584 Then he crossed to the west bank of the river, and stayed close to the river as he marched until he reached Giza, where he camped opposite al-Fustat, and he gained control of the western side of the country and ruled it for fifty-odd days.585 Amalric's third campaign and Crusader-Fatimid negotiations Amalric I set out from Jerusalem in Rabee' al-Awwal 562 AH/ January 1167 CE, heading for Egypt in the third campaign against that land. He followed the usual route from Gaza to al-'Areesh, then he crossed the desert to Bilbeis. Shawar was surprised by his sudden appearance, and started to get worried because he had not coordinated with him. It seems that he did not know of Shirkuh's arrival in Itfeeh and was not certain until he sent his scouts to the desert to find out what was happening, at which point he went out to welcome the Crusader king and meet with him. He invited Amalric I to stay in his camp on the eastern bank of the Nile, one mile from the walls of Cairo.586 He held discussions with Shawar in which Shawar agreed to pay four hundred thousand dinars in return for driving Asad ad-Deen Shirkuh out of Egypt, with half of this amount to be paid immediately and the other half to be paid later on. He also stipulated that Amalric I should swear to that587, in order to support this agreement and make it official. Amalric I sent Hugh, ruler of Caesarea, and Geoffrey, commander of the Knights Hospitaller, to the Fatimid caliph, to obtain from him his official agreement to this deal. The two envoys were warmly welcomed in the Fatimid palace and the deal was confirmed.588 It was natural for the Crusaders to welcome this agreement, which made them the protectors of Egypt and the Fatimid caliphate, and pushed away Asad ad-Deen Shirkuh as he was their only competitor for control of this land.589 The battle of Babayn Asad ad-Deen and Noor ad-Deen's troops marched to as-Sa'eed (Upper Egypt) and reached a place called al-Babayn (Two Gates). The Egyptian and Frankish troops set out after them and caught up with them on 25 Jumada I. Shirkuh had sent spies to them, who came back and told him about their great numbers and equipment, and how persistent they were in seeking him. So he decided to meet them and fight, and let the sword judge between him and them. But he was worried that his companions' resolve might be weakened in this dangerous situation in which destruction was more likely than safety, because of their lack of numbers and their being so far from home. So he consulted them, and they all advised him to cross the Nile to the eastern side and go back to Syria. They said to him: If we are defeated — which there is no doubt about — where will we seek refuge and who will protect us, when everyone in this land, soldier, ordinary person or peasant, is an enemy to us and wishes to drink our blood?