ShareHistory is often considered a boring subject by many, but for Dr Jamal AlZanki, it has always been a captivating and vibrant world. His passion for uncovering the stories of the past led him to write “The Ruling of Women in The Kingdom of the Lord”, a work that aims to share his love for history in an engaging and accessible way.
By weaving historical facts into compelling narratives, AlZanki seeks to inspire a deeper appreciation for history. Author AlZanki is a specialist in the History of the Crusades, which concerns the invasion of Latin Europe to the Islamic East during the 12th century. He earned his PhD in History from the University of St Andrews in Scotland and lectured on Islamic and Latin Civilization at the University of Kuwait. After retiring in 2012, he has been teaching Islamic Civilization at Kuwait International Law College since 2013.
Kuwait Times: What inspired you to write this book?
AlZanki: I think few people enjoy reading academic study, while they will enjoy reading it as a novel. As a specialist in the relationship between Muslims and Latin Europe, I select this unique subject. This novel will show readers, the real political life in the Latin of the East. It seems that few people know that women of the Latin of the East, succeeded in ruling Latin East entities during that era. Probably, Western historians are ignoring this topic to not open the eyes of readers to the black life of Latin women.
KT: How did you choose the characters for your book?
AlZanki: I started the novel, with a dialog between Lord Baldwin of Boulogne and his cousin Lord Baldwin of Bourg, when they were traveling to the Council Clermont in southern France. In this Council, Pope Urban II launched a war against Muslims – “the Crusades”. Baldwin of Boulogne would be the first king of Jerusalem and Baldwin of Bourg, would be the second king of Jerusalem. Baldwin of Bourg is the main character in the Novel. He got married to an Armenian, called Morphia. He planned to dominate all Latin countries.
His elder Melizand, would be the main character in the novel. She would be crowned by her father, with her husband Fulk and her infant Baldwin III, as rulers of the kingdom, after the death of her father King Baldwin II. The characters in the novel after the death of King Baldwin II, would be Queen Melizand and her husband King Fulk. Both engaged in rivalry to rule the kingdom. After the death of King Fulk, Queen Melisande tried to be free to rule the Kingdom, especially since King Balwin III, was only thirteen years old. The main characters would be Queen Melisande and her son King Baldwin III, and their rival to rule the Kingdom. King Baldwin III would succeed in controlling all powers and moved his mom out of politics.
KT: What was your main inspiration for writing “The Ruling of Women in The Kingdom of the Lord”?
AlZanki: As a specialist in the History of the Crusades, I discovered the involvement of women in politics during that era was not discussed in detail by the Latin historians. I decided to concentrate on this study to discuss this phenomenon and its effects on the Crusaders of the East.
KT: Who is the most historical figure that particularly stood out to you during your research?
AlZanki: The most historical character in my novel is Queen Melisande, who ruled the Kingdom of Jerusalem independently after the death of her husband King Fulk in 1142. King Baldwin II had crowned her daughter Melizand and her husband and his grandbaby Baldwin III before he died in 1030. When Queen Melisande ruled independently, she tried her best to engage her son King Baldwin III in bad behavior - to not let him rule the Kingdom even though he was 21 years old. In 1151, he succeeded in stripping his mother of her legitimacy.
KT: How did you feel about writing from the perspective of Crusaders, given that their beliefs were quite different from your own as a Muslim? How did you maintain objectivity in narrating the events?
AlZanki: I adopted an approach that combines elements of a novel and a play. This approach helps condense a lengthy period filled with significant and intertwined events and layers - presenting it in an objective, unbiased manner. To achieve this, I chose to narrate it through the voices of the Crusader characters themselves.
KT: What will your next book be about? And what is your next move?
