Battle of Yibneh

Battle of Yibneh
Part of the Crusades
Date May 29, 1123 Location Yavne, Israel, see also Yibna Result Crusader victory
Belligerents
Kingdom of Jerusalem	Fatimids of Egypt
Commanders and leaders
Eustace Grenier	Al-Ma'mum, Vizier of Egypt
Strength
Unknown	Unknown
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Serious

Coordinates: 31°51′57.5″N 34°44′46.75″E / 31.865972°N 34.7463194°E / 31.865972; 34.7463194

In the Battle of Yibneh (Yibna) in 1123, a Crusader force led by Eustace Grenier crushed a Fatimid army from Egypt sent by Vizier Al-Ma'mun between Ascalon and Jaffa.

After the First Crusade captured Jerusalem from the Fatimids, vizier al-Afdal Shahanshah mounted a series of invasions "almost annually" from 1099 to 1107 against the newly established Kingdom of Jerusalem. Egyptian armies fought three major in 1101, 1102 and 1105, but they were ultimately unsuccessful. After this, the vizier contented himself to launching frequent raids on Frankish territory from his coastal fortress of Ascalon. In 1121, al-Afdal was assassinated. Meanwhile, Jerusalem was weakened by the capture of King Baldwin II by the Artuqids in northern Syria; the kingdom was at this time governed by the regent Eustace Grenier.

In 1123, the new vizier organized a major invasion of Crusader lands. The Fatimids planned to capture the coastal city of Jaffa. In this era, the Egyptian armies usually deployed with Sudanese archers on foot, supported by dense formations of Arab and Berber light cavalry. Unfortunately for the Fatimids, this relatively immobile array provided the Frankish heavy cavalry with an ideal target.

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