But Musa also secretly harbored ambitions to be an Emir of Europe independent of the Caliph for which he embezzled a disproportionate part of the ill gotten wealth from the looting during the Spanish campaign. This raised the Caliphs suspicions about Musa. So Emir Musa was banished by the Caliph and he could not fulfill his aggressive dream. Consequently, the Muslim aggression against France was taken up by another Jihadi marauder named Abd-ur-Rahman. The Muslims insatiable appetite for land, together with a burning desire to put an end to Christianity, had received a fillip after the conquest of Syria, Egypt, North Africa, and Spain. They dreamt of overrunning the whole of Western and Northern Europe. Thus began the Muslim invasion of France under the leadership of Abd-ur Rahman, who had then been appointed the chieftain of the Muslim occupiers of Spain by the Caliph. When the Muslims burst upon France, the country was ruled by the Franks. The Franks were a Gothic (Germanic) tribe who eventually became the French as we know the French people today. It was another related Gothic clan – the Visigoths, who had been ruling Spain when the Muslims attacked Spain. The tales of mindless Muslim cruelty, savage torture, subterfuge deception and bloodchilling ruthlessness that the Visigoths who fled Muslim occupied Spain told their Frankish clansmen, had contributed to further stiffen the Frankish resolve to defeat the Muslim invaders. Abd-ur-Rahman was an Arab soldier and emir of Spain, at a time when Islam as a military force was the most aggressive, violent and cruel in the world. He had become the Governor of Spain in 721. And in 722, and with the normal Muslim avarice to conquer more lands and convert the subjugated population to Islam, he set his greedy eyes on France. With this avarice in mind, he led an army across the Pyrenees Mountains into the dominions of the Franks, in the year 722. Abd-ur-Rahman crossed the Pyrenees at the head of an immense army and advanced as far as the Loire River, pillaging and burning as he went. David W. Koeller in his article The Battle of Tours, says, (The) Moslem army, in a wild search for land and a fanatical zeal to an end to Christianity, after the conquest of Syria, Egypt, and North Africa, they began to invade Western Europe under the leadership of Abd-ur-Rahman. The Muslim army had between 600,000 to 400,000 soldiers, and an over whelming number of horsemen. (Encyclopedia, Battle of Tours). In October 732 AD, exactly one hundred years after Muhammad’s death, in 622 an army led by Abd-ur-Rahman… made contact with the Frankish army… along the road between Poitiers and Tours, [a city which was reputed to contain vast riches.] (Discovering World History Essay). Abd-ur Rahman led his infantry across the Western Pyrenees and toward the Loire River. A Muslim commander named Al-Semak led the first invasion across the Pyrenees in 721, establishing a base at Norbonne. He was followed by Abd-ur Rahman with fresh contingents, who moved up the Rhône as far as Lyons and Dijon destroying churches and monasteries, following Muhammads creed of especially targeting non-Muslim places of worship, before moving on to Bordeaux. Abd-ur Rahman had crossed the Pyrenees, with a larger army and traversed the defiles [in the mountains] and the plains, so that he could penetrate deeper into the lands of the Franks with his ravaging and slaying campaigns. He gave battle to Duke Eudes (of Aquitaine) beyond the Garonne and the Dordogne, and put him to flight---so utterly was he beaten, and a large number of his compatriots were slain and wounded. After this Abd-ur Rahman set in pursuit of Eudes; he destroyed palaces, burned churches, and imagined he could pillage the basilica of St. Martin of Tours. It is then that he found himself face to face with the lord of Austrasia, Charles, a mighty warrior from his youth, and trained in all the occasions of arms. Between Poitiers and Tours, there was a clash between Abd-er Rahman, and the army of Charles Martel. After some spectacular victories, The Saracens (as the Franks called the Muslims) were met just outside the city of Tours by Charles Martel, known as the Hammer, and the Frankish Army. (The Battle of Tours)October 10, 732 AD marks the conclusion of the Battle of Tours, arguably one of the most decisive battles in all of history. Martel gathered his forces directly in the path of the oncoming Moslem army and prepared to defend themselves by using a phalanx style of combat. The invading Moslems rushed forward, relying on the slashing tactics and overwhelming number of horsemen that had brought them victories in the past. However, the French Army, composed of foot soldiers armed only with swords, shields, axes, javelins, and daggers, was well trained. Despite the effectiveness of the Moslem army in previous battles, the terrain caused them a disadvantage. Their strength lay in their cavalry, armed with large swords and lances, which along with their baggage mules, limited their mobility. The French army displayed great ardency in withstanding the ferocious attack. It was one of the rare times in the Middle Ages when infantry held its ground against a mounted attack. The exact length of the battle is undetermined; Arab sources claim that it was a two day battle whereas Christian sources hold that the fighting clamored on for seven days. In either case, the battle ended when the French captured and killed Abd-ur Rahman. At Tours before the battle was joined, for almost seven days the two armies watched one another, waiting anxiously the moment for joining the struggle. Finally they met in combat when the Franks suddenly advanced on the Arabs after nightfall on the seventh day. And in the shock of the battle the men of the North seemed like North a sea that cannot be moved. Firmly they stood, one close to another, forming as it were a bulwark of ice; and with great blows of their swords they hewed down the Arabs. Drawn up in a band around their chief, the people of the Austrasians carried all before them. Their tireless hands drove their swords down to the breasts [of the foe]. At last late in to the night, the combatants. The Franks with misgivings lowered their blades, and beholding the numberless tents of the Arabs, prepared themselves for another battle another day. The Muslims had initially planned to go to Tours to destroy the Church of St. Martin, the city, and the whole surrounding countryside. They never expected any serious battle with the Frankish leader Charles Martel, since till then the resistance had been weak and fragmented. But Charles was different from other leaders. He drew up his host, and fought as fiercely as the hungry wolf falls upon the stag. He wrought a great slaughter upon his enemies that he slew in that battle 300,000 men, which included the commander of the Saracens Abd-ur-rehman. From then on was Charles called Martel, for as a hammer of iron, of steel, and of every other metal, even so he dashed: and smote in the battle all his enemies. And what was the greatest marvel of all, he only lost in that battle of Tours only 1500 men. The tents and harness [of the enemy] were taken; and whatever else they possessed became a prey to him and his followers. Eudes, Duke of Aquitaine, being now reconciled with Prince Charles Martel, later slew as many of the Saracens as he could find who had escaped from the battle. What frightened that “brave” Muslim general Ab-ur-Rehman most of all was the possibility of losing his army among the forests and the streams. (Payne, 142-143). For seven days Charles [Martel] remained on the edge of the forest, waiting for the attack. It was bitterly cold weather, with Arabs still dressed for their summer campaigns. The wolf pelts (furs) of the Franks helped them in the icy cold in addition to their nightly ravages of the huge Arab host arrayed against them. The Arabs were unfamiliar with the topography of the land, while the Franks knew it like the back of their palm. At last tire of the nightly ravages of the Franks in the morning of the seventh day Abd-ur-Rahman decided to launch a full-scale attack. Charles and his army held firm, forming a hollow square to take the main charge of the Arabs while dispatching raiders along infrequently used forest paths to attack the Arabs from the rear. The Arabs, once guerrilla warriors, had a reverted to classical mode of warfare, and were no match for the Franks, who numbered many more well equipped soldiers than the Arabs spies indicated. Also the Franks were fighting with the Loire river at their back, and could not have retreated even if they had wanted to. The Arabs marching through France had acquired a lot of loot, and this too worked in the favor of the Franks, who were not weighed down with the task of guarding their treasure, nor did they posses baggage trains of any kind. Most of them were simple foot soldiers, but there were some companies of cavalry. (Payne, 142-143) As the battle progressed, the Franks began to waver…. Behind their coats of mail, and their pointed helmets, their horses clothed in chain mail, the Arabs were almost impregnable. They were on the verge of victory when the Franks fought their way toward the treasure carts. Instead of fighting in column, the Arabs flew in defense of the treasure, and panicked when they saw the carts being driven away by the enemies. Abd-ur-Rahman ordered his troops back in line, but it was too late. A lance killed him. Then, while the armies were still fighting confusedly, night fell. Both armies retried to lick their wounds. (Payne, 142-143). All through the night spies of Charles heard the clash of arms as lieutenants of Abd-ur-Rahman quarreled bitterly over the election of a new leader. The Arabs were fighting a small-scale civil war over the treasure carts. Toward dawn the sounds of fighting had ceased, and when the sun came through the clouds on that cold October Sunday, Charles saw that the enemy had vanished from the battlefield. His scouts informed him that the Arabs were hurrying south, away from the northern winter and save their looted treasure. But the Franks were not going to allow the Muslim to escape that easily and they pursued them into the in the marshes of the Loire and cut down the fleeing Arabs and also retrieved the loot that the Arabs were trying to save by fleeing. So at one stroke the Franks not only defeated and slaughtered the invading Saracens, but also recovered the looted treasures. The reason that the battle turned out the way it did, a loss for the Muslims and a win for the Franks, seems disgraceful for the Muslims, and genius for the Franks. The Arabs were at a distinct disadvantage. The reason why is because the Franks had the advantages of more men, warmer clothes, and the home terrain. The Arabs were no match for the Franks. The Franks had more men, but only a few cavalry and much more foot soldiers than the Arabs. Although, the Arabs had an overwhelming number of horsemen and relied on them greatly. With their horseman the Arabs rushed forward relying on slashing tactics. (Koeller, Battle of Tours) The Arabs relying on the tactics began to weaken the more numerous Franks and the momentum of this battle began to change. But by this time the Franks had reached the treasure carts, and were riding off with them. The Arabs, in a foolish move motivated by greed ran back to save the treasure carts, not thinking about the battle. The greed of the Arabs and the thought of the Franks having taken their treasure terrorized them. Abd-ur-Rahman who had boasted of taking the land of France in the name of Islam was killed in action leaving the panicking Muslims, without a leader. As Robert Payne said in his book The History of Islam, the loss of the leader a power vacuum, consequently starting a miniature civil war over the commanding role, weakening the Muslim army(Payne, 143). This in turn led to the complete rout of the Muslim army at Tours. The battle at Tours was the turning point battle of the epic war between the Muslims and the Christians. This battle won by Charles Martel and his Franks stopped the spread of Islam into Western Europe. If Abd-ur-Rahman had won the battle at Tours and conquered even farther into Europe then the world as it is know might be different. Will Durant speculates that the Muslims defeat at the French city of Tours in 732 AD determined that European countries remained Christian rather than becoming Islamic cultures. (Durant, Will. 86) Instead of Christianity, Islam might have become the dominant religion to in Europe. The Arabs were at a distinct disadvantage. The reason why is because the Franks had the advantages of more men, warmer clothes, and the home terrain. The Arabs were no match for the Franks. The Franks had more men, but only a few cavalry and much more foot soldiers than the Arabs.Although, the Arabs had an overwhelming number of horsemen and relied on them greatly. With their horseman the Arabs rushed forward relying on slashing tactics. (Koeller, Battle of Tours) The Arabs relying on the tactics began to weaken the more numerous Franks and the momentum of this battle began to change. But by this time the Franks had reached the treasure carts, and were riding off with them. The Arabs, in a foolish move motivated by greed ran back to save the treasure carts, not thinking about the battle. The greed of the Arabs and the thought of the Franks having taken their treasure terrorized them. Abd-ur-Rahman who had boasted of taking the land of France in the name of Islam was killed in action leaving the panicking Muslims, without a leader. As Robert Payne said in his book The History of Islam, the loss of the leader a power vacuum, consequently starting a miniature civil war over the commanding role, weakening the Muslim army(Payne, 143). This in turn led to the complete rout of the Muslim army at Tours. The Battle of Tours has been hailed as one of the most crucial battles in history. (Discovering World History Essay) This battle was the turning point of the undeclared war against Western Europe, which had become inevitable once [Gibraltar had been captured by the Moors]. (Payne, 143) The Muslims had moved in and captured all of Spain, from their position of strength in North Africa. After that they went into France they met the Loire River the resolute Frankish General Charles Martel, and their campaign ended at Tours in defeat. This is where the expansion of Islam ended in Western Europe. Some say Charles Martel saved Christianity and Europe from Islam.This battle is said to be decisive because this battle decided whether Islam would spread father, or stop. This is the farthest a Muslim army ever got in Europe. If the Muslims had not chased after their precious treasure, and pursued the wavering Franks, then they might have won the battle and Western Europe and the world would be different today. If the Muslims had won the battle, and their campaign had gone farther into Western Europe, Islam would most certainly be the most predominate religion in Western Europe. That is only if the Muslims had won the battle. That is why the Battle of Tours is one of the most decisive battles in history, to decide which would prevail Islam or Christianity. As one sees today Christianity prevailed, thus far at least. It remains to be seen how Europe that is today on the way to becoming an Eurabia, as evidenced by the riots over the Danish Cartoons, can defeat the modern Islamic Jihad. The Battle of Tours decided much. Which major religion would prosper in Western Europe, Christianity or Islam. Christianity won this battle, but it was not because of the Muslim tactics or the great leadership of either side, it was greed that won the battle. If the Muslims had not thought of their treasure and thought of the spread of Islam they might have won the battle and changed the world as one knows it. In the battle of Poitiers (or Tours) Martel not only decisively defeated Abd-ur-Rahmans advance with great slaughter of the Muslims, but after that heavy fighting continued in the south of France, to the west in Langredoc under ibd-al-Malik, and up the Rhone river again, then east to Piedmont in Italy. The Muslims, helped by some apostate Christian allies, regroup and began attacking again. But due to the constant hammering they received from Charles, they had to be on a steady retreat towards the south. In 737 AD, Martel recaptured Avignon and continued to recapture Muslim strongholds until he reached Marseilles (739 AD). Martel died in 741 A.D., after succeeding in driving Islam from France, and was succeeded by Pepin the Short who was followed by Charlemagne, (Charles the Great). theguardian/world/live/2015/jan/09/charlie-hebdo-manhunt-kouachi-terrorist-links-live-updates
Posted on: Fri, 09 Jan 2015 18:53:32 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015