The battle of Inab

Abstract

This article studies the battle of Inab fought in 544/1149 in northern Syria between a Muslim force led by Nur al-Din of Aleppo and the Franks of Antioch. Examining both the circumstances surrounding the encounter and its consequences, the article demonstrates that it was not the important victory for the Muslims it is currently believed to have been, but a lesser battle of limited consequences. Nur al-Din was not, at this point in time, an important figure in the geopolitical situation in the Near East, but a comparatively minor character whose role in the counter-crusade was negligible.