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| - By 1200, the eastern part of China was under the command of the Dynasty of Generals, and the western area of former China was a collection of three independent kingdoms known as Kipchak, Persia and Arabia. Besides these were the strong states of Japan, Sri Vijaya, and the Byzantine Empire. All three of these non-Chinese states gained clout throughout the latter half of the 12th century. The kings of the new break-away states, however, were immediately faced with internal rebellions and war. Such was the case in Arabia in 1204, when an Arabic tribal leader known as Yusuf bin Ghazi al-Qassimi. Yusuf managed to gather a large group of southern Arabs (who hadn't been as severely subject to Chinese rules because of weak rule in the region) and ride to Baghdad, attacking the Chinese Arabian mona
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| abstract
| - By 1200, the eastern part of China was under the command of the Dynasty of Generals, and the western area of former China was a collection of three independent kingdoms known as Kipchak, Persia and Arabia. Besides these were the strong states of Japan, Sri Vijaya, and the Byzantine Empire. All three of these non-Chinese states gained clout throughout the latter half of the 12th century. The kings of the new break-away states, however, were immediately faced with internal rebellions and war. Such was the case in Arabia in 1204, when an Arabic tribal leader known as Yusuf bin Ghazi al-Qassimi. Yusuf managed to gather a large group of southern Arabs (who hadn't been as severely subject to Chinese rules because of weak rule in the region) and ride to Baghdad, attacking the Chinese Arabian monarch. In October, Baghdad was once again beseiged by an army, this time al-Qassimi's. By January, 1205, al-Qassimi's army was able to break through into the city. The Arabian Chinese King, Yi Ba (伊巴) fled, along with other Chinese. Yusuf had stated that any Muslims were in the city were not to be harmed, but that Chinese and Muslim apostates were to be killed. Thus, while most Arabs at least pretended to be Muslim once again or had never given Islam up in the first place, a small diaspora of non-Muslim Arabs and Chinese from Baghdad and other cities that were heavily Chinese-influenced fled to Jerusalem. Once there, they reinforced it so that they could better defend against al-Qassimi's army. One mistake that Yusuf bin Ghazi made was not keeping an eye on the north of Baghdad, where the escape occurred, but continually besieging it from the south. His prize was the city, as he knew that it was the most important in the region. However, from Jerusalem, Yi Ba wrote letters to the Byzantine capital of Constantinople, asking for assistance. He stated that al-Qassimi was set to attack the Byzantine Empire once he had completed his domination of Arabia, and proposed that he could lend troops and support to the Byzantines in exchange for being the governor of Baghdad once again. At first, the Byzantines didn't believe Yi Ba, but at the same time, they were worried about the instability to the East, and thought that this was a good chance to grow their empire while solving the conflict. However, before The Byzantines had a chance to think things over, both Jerusalem (under Yi Ba's control) and eastern Anatolia (under Byzantine control) were attacked by Yusuf's swelling army. The Byzantine Empire quickly agreed to Yi Ba's proposal, but added that he would have to convert to Christianity if he wanted any part in ruling the conquered lands. Yi Ba agreed, and an offensive gathered force against Yusuf's forces. For the first time, Yusuf's army felt what real war was like, and the first few battles left his forces reeling. There was soon a mutiny in Yusuf's own army, and he was killed. A number of his men claimed leadership, and several factions were formed, which ended up fighting amongst themselves as much as they fought against the ethnic Chinese and Byzantines. Still, they managed to hold their own and gain control of most of the former Chinese break-away nation of Arabia, including the Sinai Peninsula, but minus most of the Levant, which by now was under Byzantine control. The Muslim forces didn't let up, even though they lost an astonishing number of fighting men. The Byzantines grew so desperate that they called upon the Pope of the Western church for aid, offering up a council to attempt to mend the religious schism, as well this perhaps one-time opportunity to Christianize the Muslim lands. The Pope decided to help, and ordered the Crusade in 1208. By 1209, there was fierce fighting in most of the Middle East. This fighting would go on for 17 years, and this, along with the emnity between China and its former domains would bring the Silk Road to a screeching halt, hurting the economies of China, Japan, and Sri Vijaya in particular.
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