History Memes

Explanation/source from the original meme maker:

Usama’s family also faced a threat still closer to home. The Nizari Isma‘ili community of Syria was never in open conflict with the Banu Munqidh. Indeed, Shayzar was home to a small group of this Shi‘ite sect, who had fled persecution in Aleppo. But, several years after they lost Apamea to the Franks, the Nizaris set their sights on Shayzar. Due to their small numbers, they were obliged to use craftier means of attack than the Banu Munqidh had encountered before. In March 1114, the Christian townsfolk of Shayzar celebrated their Easter festival somewhere outside the town, in one of the neighboring villages. The festival apparently did not stress religious differences overmuch, as Sultan and most of the Banu Munqidh men came down from the castle to join the celebration. With the town and the castle largely defenseless, the Nizaris decided to strike. A group of about one hundred Nizaris from Shayzar and surrounding towns rose up, expelled most of the town’s remaining occupants and barred the gates. They then stormed the castle.

Meanwhile, the women and children of the Banu Munqidh household were forced to defend themselves. Usama was attending the festivities below, but his cousin Shabib had remained behind with the women, who included Usama’s aunts, his uncle’s wives, his sisters and others. Being one of the few male family members about, Shabib felt it was his duty to secure the safety of the household and negotiate its surrender. As Usama would later tell the tale, Shabib went out to confront the attackers and parley with their leader. The Nizaris offered to let him escape with his life and whatever property he could collect. Rather than attempt to fight them, Shabib ran back to his home and asked all the women to give him their belongings, that he might take them into safe-keeping with him. However, he was interrupted by his aunt, one of Sultan’s wives, clad in chain mail and armed to the teeth. She questioned him and, appalled, dressed him down on the spot (KI, 124/153):

What a wretched thing you are doing! You leave your uncle’s daughters and the women of your family to these dogs and go away?! What kind of life would you lead, dishonored by your family, fleeing from them? Get out and fight in behalf of your family until you are killed in their midst!

Usama added that, as a result of this harangue, Shabib remained in Shayzar to fight their attackers and grew to become one of the bravest warriors of the household.

But on that day it was the women who shone in battle. Usama’s mother led the defense: it was she who gathered weapons and armor and distributed them to those remaining in the castle who could fight. And it was she who sat with one of Usama’s sisters on a balcony overlooking the valley of the Orontes. In this way, if any of the Nizaris should approach, she could hurl her daughter off the balcony to her death rather than allow her to lose her honor as a prisoner of heretics and the rabble. Among the other fighters in the castle was Funun, an aged female servant who had once belonged to Usama’s grandfather. Veiled, she launched herself into battle against the enemy, armed with a sword, until the rest of the Banu Munqidh came to the castle’s aid.

As panic spread through the castle, the expelled townspeople down below were barred from entering at the gate. They made their way to one of the castle towers, from where the women lowered ropes and hauled the men in to help in the fight. Soon enough, the Banu Munqidh themselves heard the news, rushed back to Shayzar and, after a room-by-room search, re-took their own castle. Usama participated in this melee, at one point deflecting a blow from a Nizari dagger, which left a mark on his own blade that remained to the end of his life.

For the Banu Munqidh, the Nizari assault had, quite literally, hit home. Even had they been willing to come to some understanding with the Nizaris, this attack hardened the stance of Sultan and his household. They had, through deceitful means, penetrated into the homes of the Banu Munqidh, threatened their women, children and servants, and harassed their townsfolk. The lords of Shayzar, idling at a Christian festival, were caught blind and unaware. They had been shamefully tricked and put their household at dire risk. For the Banu Munqidh, this sense of shame could only be alleviated through revenge. After securing the castle, they descended to the lower town and rounded up and killed all the Nizaris still remaining. From this point on, Usama and his kin would have no more trouble from the Nizaris of Syria.

Usama ibn Munqidh: Warrior-Poet of the Age of Crusades, Paul M. Cobb