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On arrival in the East, in the year 1096, the crusaders found a disunited, Muslim world, divided into numerous states at war with one another. Many local Muslim rulers did not hesitate to ally themselves with the invading crusaders to fight other Muslims. The crusaders obliged and destroyed them, one after the other, conquering them and inflicting terrible casualties. The Seljuk’s, who were orthodox Sunni Muslims, had formally ruled a large empire, but by the time of the crusades it had divided into several smaller states after the death of there leader Malik- Shah, the Seljuk sultanate disintegrated as his kinsmen fought over his empire. Turkish warlords pursued self-governing local policies. The Fatimids took advantage of Seljuk disarray to create gains in Palestine, re-capturing Jerusalem in 1098.
Divided by doctrines and rituals, religious schisms and political ambition, the Muslim leaders of the near east included Atabaks, semi-independent Turkish military governors such as Kerbogha of Mosul, Ridwan of Aleppo nephew of Malik-Shah, and Duqaq of Damascus all fought to gain land creating a disunited Muslim world.