Episode 59
Just as Marshall set sail for Eastern Rome from Italy, the city of Baghdad, once the most prosperous in the world and the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate, was experiencing a resurgence. Despite its title as the “City of Peace,” Baghdad had endured countless hardships, but recent times had seen a significant improvement.
The decline of the Seljuks, who had once conquered Baghdad, allowed the Abbasid Caliphate to regain its influence. Al-Nasir, regarded as the last great Abbasid Caliph, employed every strategy to restore his status as the universal ruler of the Islamic world. He fostered a strong relationship with the rising Ayyubid dynasty by supporting Saladin, its leader.
Traditionally, the title of Sultan could only be granted by the Caliph, the supreme leader of Islam. Although largely symbolic, the Caliph’s authority was immense. For Saladin, the Sultan of the Ayyubids, there was no reason to oppose the Caliph when he was treated with such respect.
Through his deft diplomatic maneuvers, Al-Nasir further weakened the crumbling Seljuks and expanded his power. Baghdad, which had been in decline since the 9th century, was once again entering a golden age after centuries.
However, just as the Abbasid Caliphate’s prestige was solidified with Saladin’s capture of Jerusalem, unsettling news arrived from Europe.
“A council to unite Christianity and Islam?” Al-Nasir muttered, incredulous. It was the most absurd thing he’d ever heard.
A council of unity? It was as ludicrous as holding a pork festival in Mecca.
“Has the Pope in the West lost his mind?” he wondered aloud.
“The situation is more serious than it seems,” an advisor replied. “They are using a false prophet, Edward Marshall, to try and sway the Eastern Orthodox Church.”
“This false prophet’s name is becoming quite familiar,” Al-Nasir noted.
“Indeed, there was even an attempt on his life by the Ayyubids, which failed. It’s causing quite a stir.”
Perhaps it would have been better to ignore him entirely, Al-Nasir thought. He had a sense of how things were unfolding.
“Still, we don’t need to get involved. Just ignore it. We have enough on our plate dealing with the remnants of the Seljuks.”
“However, Your Eminence, a messenger has arrived from Damascus. It seems someone is coming to Baghdad to discuss this matter.”
“Are they sending someone to explain the situation? Who is it?”
After a brief pause, the attendant spoke cautiously. “It says here that Saladin himself is coming.”
“What!” Al-Nasir exclaimed, standing up in shock, forgetting his composure. Was Saladin really coming to discuss such a ridiculous matter?
‘Is there something I’m missing?’ Al-Nasir wondered. He had known Saladin for a long time. Saladin was undoubtedly a treasure of Islam, blessed with wisdom by Allah. He wouldn’t make such a move without reason.
“Prepare to receive him. We must ensure there is no flaw in our hospitality.”
“Yes, Your Eminence. We will welcome the Sultan in the name of the great Caliph.”
Just as he thought he had rebuilt the crumbling dynasty, another unexpected challenge loomed. As the attendant left with measured steps, Al-Nasir’s eyes were filled with an unshakeable concern.
In the past, during the Abbasid Caliphate’s golden age, the Caliph wielded power befitting the head of a theocratic monarchy, comparable to the Pharaohs of Egypt or the Emperors of Rome. But those days were long gone. The current Caliph had neither the will nor the power to stand above the secular rulers, the Sultans.
Under Al-Nasir, the Caliphate had regained some strength, but it was still weak compared to the Ayyubids or the Khwarazmian Empire. Nevertheless, Saladin respected the Caliph and was a man worthy of admiration, which was a blessing for Al-Nasir.
When visiting Baghdad, Saladin took care to uphold the Caliph’s dignity. The Caliph, in turn, did not take Saladin’s courtesy for granted and respected his honor. The two were still good partners, complementing each other.
“Your Eminence, the Sultan has arrived.”
“Very well, let him in.”
With the Caliph’s permission, the palace doors opened, and musicians played lively tunes. As beautiful petals rained down, the Sultan of the Ayyubids approached the throne slowly.
Even the most magnificent palace in Baghdad could not overshadow the presence of the Sultan. The grand dome adorned with golden carvings and the vases encrusted with jewels and crystals seemed to fade in comparison.
Though he appeared slightly older than before, his wisdom had only deepened. The Sultan, exuding an aura of power, bowed gracefully in respect.
“To the noble Caliph, who reigns over Islam from the East to the Maghreb, I, your ally, offer my greetings.”
“Thank you for coming such a long way. It gladdens my heart to see you in good health after all these years.”
“Thanks to Your Eminence’s grace.”
“Come, let us catch up slowly. You must make yourself comfortable at your age.”
“I gratefully accept Your Eminence’s kindness.”
Seated across from the Caliph, Saladin glanced around before getting straight to the point.
“I imagine you were surprised that I came in person rather than sending a representative. May I proceed directly to the matter at hand?”
“Of course. I was about to ask you myself. Why should we respond to the nonsense coming from the West?”
“We attempted a maneuver, but it seems it didn’t go as planned.”
“I don’t understand why you would provoke them. It would have been fine to leave them be, but sending an assassin gave them an excuse.”
The operation seemed too clumsy to have been orchestrated by Saladin himself. Or was there a reason for such a sloppy execution?
Saladin nodded with a faint smile, acknowledging the Caliph’s curiosity.
“That’s why I came here personally. My younger brother, full of youthful vigor, led the operation, but it seems his plan didn’t work out.”
“Sending an assassin and failing, with grand intentions no less…”
“No, we anticipated a high chance of failure. However, their response was unexpected. My brother likely thought the Christian forces would be enraged and gather their armies to attack.”
“Wouldn’t that be a disaster?”
The Crusaders were notorious for finding any excuse to launch an attack, and while the Muslims were used to it, it was still a nuisance. The idea of deliberately provoking them was shocking to the Caliph.
Sensing the Caliph’s thoughts, Saladin added, “It’s alright. I’ve managed to rein in my brother’s extreme ideas. This incident will have taught him a lesson. He’ll now consider that things might not always go as planned.”
“Was this an attempt to teach your brother a lesson?”
“It was also an opportunity to curb his ambitions. He’s so capable that sometimes even I find it hard to manage him.”
Though Saladin was smiling, it didn’t seem like he was merely boasting about his brother. A capable sibling could be a potential threat to a king’s own children. While there were no issues while Saladin was alive, unforeseen events could arise at any time.
For the first time, the Caliph realized that even Saladin’s seemingly perfect reign had its uncertainties.
“Even the great Sultan finds it hard to plan for the future?”
“If I could, I would be a god, not a man. In any case, I’ve instructed my brother to restrain himself for now. The problem is that Europe’s response was far more cunning than I anticipated.”
“Hmm… It seems we’re going in circles. Is it really that problematic? Can’t we just dismiss it as nonsense?”
“If it were baseless nonsense, we could ignore it. But the Catholics are trying to involve the Orthodox Church. Recently, the Orthodox Church has shown more animosity towards the Catholics than us. If they were to cooperate with the Catholics…”
Though it seemed unlikely, nothing was impossible. The Caliph had suspected that the Catholics’ confidence might be based on something substantial.
“Are you suggesting…?”
“Yes. The prophet the Catholics are promoting might possess something that even the Orthodox Church cannot deny.”
“That’s absurd. Are you seriously suggesting that this false prophet might actually be genuine?”
“I’m saying we need to consider the possibility. Even if he’s not real, there might be some trick so convincing that people can’t help but believe.”
“It could be the devil’s work—a false prophet possessed by demons.”
Despite his words, it was clear that someone possessed by demons would be easily distinguishable from the real thing. Saladin shook his head cautiously, dismissing the idea.
“If the Orthodox Church decides to follow the Catholic demands, then we have a more serious situation on our hands. If we dismiss it as nonsense and they present undeniable evidence, it could lead to significant chaos. This might even be part of their plan.”
“But if they have well-fabricated evidence, wouldn’t attending their council as they demand only lead to greater embarrassment and confusion for us?”
“I have a plan. At least by being present, we can control the situation to some extent and minimize the chaos.”
“Still, it seems like a rather passive approach.”
“Of course, it’s just a ruse to buy time until we can prepare. The real strategy lies elsewhere.”
At Saladin’s gesture, an attendant unfurled a massive map, almost as tall as a person.
“It’s a plan from my less experienced brother, but the overall framework isn’t bad. However, we undeniably need more time to seize the opportunity for a counterattack.”
The Sultan’s finger traced a path far east of Baghdad.
“The Shah of Khwarezm has already agreed to join my plan. The issue is that Khwarezm still has several internal obstacles to overcome before it can stabilize.”
“You mean the remnants of the Seljuks and the Western Xia. But how do you plan to deal with them? The Ayyubid forces are too far away.”
“Yes, which is why I intend to use those further east. According to merchants and pilgrims traveling to Mecca, the people of Western Xia are deeply dissatisfied with their rulers.”
Western Xia was established by the core power group of the fallen Liao dynasty, but most of its people had lived there long before.
Naturally, most were Muslims, but the ruling class of Western Xia was not fond of their people’s faith.
This discontent among the pilgrims and merchants traveling to Mecca made it easy for Saladin to gather information from them.
“There are several nomadic tribes to the east of Western Xia, and I’ve learned the names of some noteworthy ones.”
Lowering his voice slightly, Saladin asked in a calm tone, “Have you ever heard of the Borjigin tribe?”
“Borjigin?” The caliph pondered for a moment before chuckling and shaking his head.
“Never heard of them. There are hundreds of nomadic tribes on the steppes. The only one I’ve heard of is the Merkits.”