Kerboga

Kerboga ( Arabic كربغا, Turkish Kürboğa. Meaning: "Strong bull" ) († 1102 ) Atabeg of Mosul was known in the time of the First Crusade and because of his military skills.

When he heard in 1098 that the Crusaders were besieging Antioch , he gathered his troops and set out to terrorize the city. When he arrived on July 7th, the crusaders had owned the city for four days. Kerboga now began to besiege the crusaders for their part.

During the siege, Peter the Hermit was sent to Kerboga by the Christian princes to propose that they resolve their disputes in duels. Probably because Kerboga felt safe, he saw no point in this proposal and turned it down.

Inside the city, Peter Bartholomew claimed to have discovered the Holy Lance through a vision during this time . This discovery awakened new energies in the Christian army. At the same time, disagreements and internal fighting broke out in the Atabeg's army. When Bohemond of Taranto , a Christian leader, decided to attack, Kerboga was taken by surprise, as his spies had told him of a weak and poorly organized army. Instead, he found himself facing a motivated and united troop, while his army split up into factions. It was beaten, Kerboga withdrew with the remains to Mosul. This had a negative impact on his power and prestige.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Cf. René Grousset: Histoire des croisades et du royaume franc de Jérusalem. Volume I. 1095-1130 L'anarchy musulmane. Perrin, Paris 1934/2006, ISBN 2-262-02548-7 , p. 438 f.

literature

• August C. Krey: The First Crusade: The Accounts of Eyewitnesses and Participants. Princeton 1921, pp. 163-189.
• Kenneth Setton (Ed.): History of the Crusades. The first hundred years. Madison 1969, pp. 319-323.