we’ll be exploring five of the most epic and noteworthy battles in the history of the Knights Templar.
#1: The Battle of Montgisard
In late November, 1177, a large Crusader army had accompanied Count Philip of Flanders on an expedition north of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, into Syria, to attack the Saracen fortress of Hama. Saladin, the powerful Sultan of Egypt and Damascus, took advantage of the Crusader kingdom’s reduced forces to invade with a large army some 26,000 strong. The King of Jerusal... morewe’ll be exploring five of the most epic and noteworthy battles in the history of the Knights Templar.
#1: The Battle of Montgisard
In late November, 1177, a large Crusader army had accompanied Count Philip of Flanders on an expedition north of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, into Syria, to attack the Saracen fortress of Hama. Saladin, the powerful Sultan of Egypt and Damascus, took advantage of the Crusader kingdom’s reduced forces to invade with a large army some 26,000 strong. The King of Jerusalem, Baldwin IV, was only sixteen years old, and also stricken with leprosy. Nevertheless, the young King would not let Saladin’s attack go unchallenged, mustering a small army of just five hundred knights and four thousand infantry. The young leper King was joined by Raynald of Chatillon, as well as Odo of Saint-Amand, Master of the Knights Templar, accompanied by some eighty Templar knights.
Saladin did not believe such a tiny force of Christians should be considered a threat, and so marched at his leisure on Jerusalem, allowing his army to spread out across the countryside and pillage the Kingdom’s farmlands. Meanwhile, King Baldwin, the Templars, and the knights of the Kingdom closed in on Saladin’s army, encountering the enemy at Montgisard, near the city of Ramla.
Saladin was taken by surprise; his forces were in a vulnerable position attempting to cross a river. The young King immediately ordered a charge, and the Templars were at the forefront of the attack. Odo of Saint Amand led the Templars in several charges, which smashed Saladin’s forces. The Templars’ skills as cavalry warriors proved highly valuable that day, as almost the whole of Saladin’s army was wiped out. Saladin himself barely escaped, having to flee for his life on a racing camel.
Montgisard proved to be one of the greatest defeats of Saladin’s life, and a shining moment for King Baldwin IV, the knights of Jerusalem, and the Templars.
#2: The Battle of Hattin
On June 30, 1187, Saladin once again invaded the Kingdom of Jerusalem; his army was massive, numbering 30,000 men. To incite the Crusaders into a battle, Saladin attacked Tiberias.
The King of Jerusalem, Guy of Lusignan, marched out with a smaller but considerable army of 20,000, including a large contingent of Knights Templar. Although the other high ranking men of the army advised against it, Guy listened to the advice of the Master of the Temple, Gerard of Ridefort, who suggested an immediate attack on Saladin. The Crusaders made a forced march across scorching dry territory toward Tiberias. But when they tried to reach the Springs of Kafr Hattin, Saladin’s army intercepted them, forcing them to lay camp on the arid plateau. By morning the Crusaders were entirely surrounded by Saladin’s army, and Saladin launched his attack. The Crusaders suffered heavy casualties from Saladin’s archers and cavalry. But despite being outnumbered, exhausted and thirsty, the Crusaders fought with incredible vigor, and several times the Christian knights threw back Saladin’s attacks. The Templars were instrumental in this resistance, and fought with fierce spirit and courage. Indeed, the Saracen chronicler Ibn al-Athir tells us that Saladin, watching the battle unfold before him, was very nervous, tugging at his beard with anxiety as he watched the Templars and the other Crusaders repeatedly hurl the Saracen troops back.
Nevertheless, the superior numbers of Saladin’s forces finally prevailed and the Crusaders were defeated. It was a devastating loss for the Kingdom. Saladin was so afraid of the Knights Templar that he had every Templar prisoner captured at the Battle of Hattin executed immediately.
Despite their defeat at Hattin, the Templars once again showed themselves to be brilliant warriors, who fought with fierce determination even in the most desperate of situations.
For our next battle, we’ll move to the Iberian Peninsula, specifically Portugal:
#3: The Siege of Tomar
The castle of Tomar, built in 1160, was the headquarters of the Knights Templar in Portugal for many years. In the late twelfth century, a powerful Moroccan Berber dynasty, the Almohads, ruled over much of North Africa. They also controlled most of those portions of southern Spain still under Mohammedan rule.
In 1190, the Almohad Caliph, al-Mansur, crossed the River Tejo and invaded the Kingdom of Portugal. The Almohads captured the castle of Torres Novas, then moved on Tomar, which they put to siege.
Gualdim Pais, Grand Master, led the Templar garrison in defense of their fortress. Despite being impossibly outnumbered, the Templars held out for six days. Gualdim was around seventy years old at the time, and a long-time veteran of the Crusades both in Iberia and in the Holy Land. The Almohads made several assaults on the walls, but each time they were repulsed by the Templars. Finally, the Almohads managed to breach the fortress gates, but Gualdim led his knights in a counterattack, which devastated the Almohad troops. So heavy were the Almohad casualties during this attack that from then on the entrance to Tomar was known as “The Gate of Blood”.
At this point al-Mansur gave up his attack, withdrawing his troops and abandoning the siege. Tomar remained in Christian hands. The valor and determination of Gualdim Pais and his Templars had won the day.
For our next battle, let’s return to the Crusades in the Holy Land:
#4: The Battle of Arsuf
Following Saladin’s victory at Hattin, Richard the Lionheart, King of England, led a Crusade to the Holy Land to beat back the Saracen advance. After recapturing the wealthy coastal city of Acre from Saladin in the summer of 1191, Richard marched his forces south down the Palestinian coast, placing the Knights Templar at the head of the army.
Saladin was desperate to stop Richard’s advance, and so, as Richard’s army approached Arsuf on September 7th, Saladin attacked with full force. Once again, the Crusaders, with an army of under 12,000 troops, were outnumbered; Saladin had a host of 25,000. Nevertheless, Richard’s formation was solid and impenetrable. The Knights Hospitaller, who made up the rearguard, charged early, but Richard took advantage of the situation, and ordered a general charge, which crushed Saladin’s troops. The Templars, under their new Grand Master, Robert de Sable, played a key role in the battle, delivering some of the most devastating charges. Saladin was utterly defeated, losing thousands of troops. Richard and the Crusaders won the day, occupying Arsuf, and going on to take the important coastal city of Jaffa as well.
Once again, Templar cavalry tactics had proved very useful in the heat of battle.
For our last battle, we’ll again head to Spain:
#5: The Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa
In the summer of 1212, the Almohad Caliph, Muhammad al-Nasir, gathered an enormous army of some 25,000 troops and marched north out of Seville, intent on invading the Christian Kingdom of Castile with its capital in Toledo. Meanwhile, Pope Innocent III had proclaimed a Crusade in Spain to counter al-Nasir. Christian knights from virtually every corner of the Iberian Peninsula gathered in Toledo under King Alfonso VIII of Castile, King Pedro II of Aragon, and King Sancho VII of Navarre. Included in this Crusader coalition was a considerable contingent of Knights Templar under their Grand Master, Gomes Ramires, who was Portuguese.
The Crusaders marched south and the two armies met on July 14th at Las Navas de Tolosa. On the morning of July 16th, the battle began. The Templars and other military orders were in the front lines, and closed quickly with the Almohad troops. The fighting was fierce, and the Templars suffered some of the heaviest casualties on the Christian side. However, the Aragonese and Navaresse contingents, which made up the Christian right and left flanks, carried out a pincer movement that threw the Moors into disarray. A series of cavalry charges now shattered the Almohad army, and the Christian victory was total. Thousands of Almohad troops were slain, and the Caliph himself barely escaped with his life. The Templar Grand Master, Gomes Ramires, was one of the few Christina casualties, since he and his brother Templars had been among the first warriors to ride into battle; they died helping to win an incredible victory for the Iberian Crusade, which led to the collapse of Moorish power in Spain.
Sir Kenneth Glover
Ordre Militaire Suprême Des Templiers (OMSDT)
Marshal, Priory of St. Luke
Esto Benignus et Humilis
