Treaty of Jaffa (1192) facts for kids
The Treaty of Jaffa was an important peace agreement made during the Crusades. It is sometimes called the Treaty of Ramla or the treaty of 1192. This agreement was signed on September 1 or 2, 1192, by two powerful leaders: Saladin, the Muslim ruler, and Richard the Lionheart, the King of England. They signed it right after a big fight called the Battle of Jaffa. With help from Balian of Ibelin, the treaty created a three-year break in fighting between their armies. It also marked the end of the Third Crusade.
What the Treaty Decided
The Treaty of Jaffa mainly dealt with two big topics:
- What would happen to Jerusalem and if Christians could visit it.
- How much land the Crusader state would control in the Holy Land.
First, the treaty made sure that both Christians and Muslims could travel safely through Palestine. It said that Jerusalem would stay under Islamic control. However, Christians would be allowed to visit Jerusalem on pilgrimages, which are religious journeys.
Second, the treaty decided that the Christians would keep control of the coast from Tyre to Jaffa. This meant the Christian kingdom, which had lost most of its land in 1187 during the Battle of Hattin, became a small strip of land along the coast. The strong walls of Ascalon were to be torn down, and the town was given back to Saladin.
Neither Saladin nor King Richard were completely happy with the agreement. But they didn't have many other choices. Saladin's army was tired and expensive to keep fighting. King Richard also needed to go back to England because there were problems in his own kingdom. Richard left Acre on October 9, 1192.
Earlier Peace Talks
After the Siege of Acre, King Richard and Saladin had many discussions about ending the Third Crusade. They often argued about who had the religious right to own Jerusalem. None of these early talks led to a real peace agreement. The Treaty of Jaffa finally happened because King Richard the Lionheart really needed to return home. His country was starting to have problems while he was away.
Different from the 1229 Treaty
There was another treaty signed in 1229 that was a bit similar. It was actually two agreements, one in Tell el-Ajjul and one in Jaffa. Together, these ended the Sixth Crusade. The treaties of Tell Ajjul and Jaffa in 1229 solved land disagreements between different Ayyubid rulers in Egypt and Syria. This allowed Sultan Al-Kamil of Egypt to make a deal with Emperor Frederick II, who led the Sixth Crusade.
See also
- List of treaties
