Saracens

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Saracens
Original Name	撒拉逊人
Species/Race	Humans
Affiliation	Various Saracen cities, tribes, armies, and courts
Occupation/Role	Collective population including warriors, scholars, merchants, officials, and civilians
Status	Active
First Appearance	4

Background / History

Saracen civilization is described as having united through faith in the seventh century before expanding from the Arabian Peninsula into a vast empire. Its people absorbed knowledge from Greek, Persian, and Frankish sources, treating learning as a defining cultural achievement. 142

By the events of the novel, Saracen political power is repeatedly weakened by regional division. In the absence of a strong caliph or sultan, separate factions raid one another, compete for authority, and fail to coordinate even against common enemies. 138 152 271 272 Saladin later attempts to restore unity, building support through his devotion, tolerance, and patronage of loyal followers. 252 263

Society and Culture

Education and Scholarship

Saracens hold scholars in high regard, particularly those who teach useful disciplines such as mathematics, Latin, astronomy, medicine, and literature. Hadiri's Saracen neighbors attempt to ransom him partly because he educates their children. 80

• Children may study reading, handicrafts, literature, medicine, and mathematics after reaching fourteen. 142
• Girls receive elementary instruction in writing and arithmetic alongside boys from roughly ages six to nine, but must later leave formal schooling. 142 422
• Scholars who lead a city or tribe require a Prophet's revelation. 142
• Saracen scholars may serve as teachers, spiritual leaders, physicians, or warriors; healing and combat are not strictly separate roles. 152 356
• Poetry is widely practiced by people across social roles, including generals, ministers, craftsmen, and farmers. 143

Customs and Dress

• Saracen men are commonly described as wearing turbans, beards, plain robes, broad leather belts, and few ornaments beyond a silver ring. 144
• Silk outerwear is forbidden to men by the Prophet's law and is therefore associated with vanity or exceptional ceremonial situations. 274 389
• The curved blade known as Tiger Fang is described as a traditional weapon carried from the age of thirteen; women are forbidden from touching it. 79
• White camels carry special symbolic weight: offering one is an oath of loyalty to a chieftain or king. 349

Military Organization

Saracen forces vary sharply in discipline and loyalty. Individual emirs and fatāh often prioritize their own troops and interests, making coordinated defense difficult when central authority is absent. 271 272

• Mamluks — Saladin cultivates a force of two thousand Mamluks loyal to him personally. They maintain disciplined formations and are portrayed as more dependable than many other Saracen contingents. 373
• Emirs and fatāh — Regional commanders whose disunity contributes to setbacks during the Jordan River battle and the siege of Jerusalem. 271 272 373
• Revealed warriors — Some Saracen fighters receive enlightenment from the Prophet and can contend with blessed Christian knights. 85 88 89
• Scholars and Elders — In addition to religious and educational duties, they may take up arms and command or inspire their communities in battle. 280 350 356

Story Role / Major Arcs

Fustat Campaign

Saracens defend Fustat against Amalric I's Crusader army with arrow towers, burning oil, siege engines, and determined counterattacks. During the breach of the city walls, some defenders fight with extreme disregard for their own lives, including revealed warriors known as Blades. 85 89

After the city's fall becomes inevitable, Shawar and his followers set Fustat ablaze with naphtha rather than allow it to be taken intact. Saracen guards and eunuchs attack the trapped Crusader nobles while on fire, attempting to kill them alongside the city. 92 94

Nur ad-Din's Decline and Aleppo Crisis

Saracen forces under Nur ad-Din face a Crusader assault that exploits disorder within their camp. Nubian slave soldiers form the army's lowest-ranked contingent, while the main Saracen camp is breached by Baldwin IV and Cesar. 125 126

Following Nur ad-Din's death, his sons' struggle for succession plunges Aleppo into violence and persecution. Kamal rescues imprisoned ministers and officials, then seeks Cesar's assistance in escaping with them. Cesar and his knights cooperate with the rescued Saracens despite their former enmity. 150 152

Damascus and the Jordan River

While Saladin is incapacitated, Saracen emirs and fatāh fail to maintain a unified defense of the Jordan ford. Their competing commands, incomplete fortifications, and unwillingness to reinforce one another enable the Crusaders to break through. 271 272

During the later siege of Damascus, Saracens defend the walls fiercely and concentrate attacks on Baldwin. The governor Rhazes ultimately rides out to seek peace as the city’s defenses collapse. 280 281

Nablus and the Five-Year Truce

Saladin leads a coalition of Mamluks, emirs, mercenaries, and tribal volunteers against the Crusaders at Nablus. Though his Mamluks hold together effectively, defeats among other Saracen forces and the arrival of Crusader reinforcements force Saladin to withdraw. 373

After the battle, Saladin pays ransom for every captured Saracen, including his own son and brother. Baldwin and Cesar agree to a five-year truce and permit Saracen merchants and pilgrims to travel to the Holy Land. 374

Rule Under Cesar

Following the Crusader conquest of Damascus and Aleppo, Saracens become subjects under Cesar's administration. Former Damascus Elders petition to remain outside the city and bury relatives who died shortly before the conquest. 356

Cesar employs Saracen scholars as scribes, lecturers, and physicians, including in Damascus's medical institutions. However, he initially excludes Saracens from court offices and retains distinctions between Christians and Saracens in taxation and political appointments. 417 425 448

Relationships

• Crusaders — Long-standing military enemies, though captured Saracens, refugees, and civilian communities sometimes receive protection or cooperate with Christian forces. 152 344 374
• Saladin — Their principal unifying ruler; he seeks to overcome factionalism and commands the loyal Mamluks. 263 373
• Cesar — Enemy commander and later ruler over Saracen-majority cities; employs Saracen scholars and recruits Saracens into his territories while limiting their access to court offices. 417 425 448
• Isaacites — Relations vary by individual community. A Saracen group pays to ransom the Isaacite scholar Hadiri because of his honesty and service as a teacher. 80

Notable Quotes

“We will offer you white camels!” 349