The Geography and Economy of the Crusader States

The key features of the County of Edessa

1. A small number of Frankish settler surrounded by a large number of Christian Armenians

2. Mainly agricultural economy based along River Euphrates

3. Heavily exposed to surrounding Seljuk territories, in particular Mosul and Aleppo

The significance of the Battle of Harran in 1104

1. Halted the crusader advance into Syria

2. Showed what happened when Muslims worked together (in this case Seljuk rulers of Mosul + Ardin)

Reasons why Edessa lost to Zengi in 1144

Death of King Fulk + tensions between Melisende and her son Baldwin III meant they couldn't help defend the city

The key features of the Principality of Antioch

1. Diverse ethnic groups - Franks, eastern Christians, Muslim Arabs

2. Mainly agricultural + with port at St Simeon

3. Close to border with Muslim centre of Aleppo and acted as buffer against Byzantine Empire (which claimed overlordship of the city)

Reasons why Antioch survived

1. Support from Jerusalem: between 1110-1137 Antioch requested help 15 times, usually at times of succession crises + when needed to defend border

2. Submission to Byzantine Empire: In 1137, 1145 and 1159, princes paid homage to emperor

The key features of the County of Tripoli

1. Diverse ethnic groups - Franks, eastern Christians, Muslim Arabs

2. Agricultural + industrial: sugar cane + olive oil produced + major ports at Tortosa/Tripoli itself

Reasons for the primacy of Jerusalem

1. Kings of Jerusalem divided region into areas ruled by marcher lords - loyal to king but free to act independently

2. Kings of J confiscated areas of land if a lord rebelled

3. Kings of J kept Acre and Jerusalem as their own land (demesne) rather than give it to a lord.

4. Jerusalem was the religious centre of Christendom - holy relics, Church of Holy Sepulchre, home to the Christian patriarchate

Impact of the absence of natural boundaries to the east

1. Some natural boundaries like the Taurus and Lebanese mountains + River Jordan -> inadequate due to the river being shallow + gaps in mountain ranges

2. Meant there was no fixed political boundary line and easy to invade -> castles scattered throughout Outremer, not just along border

The economic benefits of the seaports

1. Connected Outremer to large pre-existing trade network

2. Connected Outremer to Italian commerce - Acre had Genoese quarter

3. Financial gain through revenues from taxes on trade

4. Service industry related to pilgrims arriving from Europe

Military links provided the seaports

1. Control of Ascalon from 1153 removed port at which Egyptian Muslim fleets had collected water

2. Means for outside help to reach Outremer (1104 Genose fleet, 1169+1177 Byzantine fleet providing assistance to attack Egypt)

Evidence of trade between Christians and Muslims

1. Mosques provided in Christian controlled Tyre/Acre

2. Baldwin III guaranteed trading righgts of Izz ad-Din, a Muslim from Tyre

3. 1180 account of two Muslim traders dominating Outremer trade while living in Damascus

4. Taxes on sugar, shoes, cardamom in Kingdom of Jerusalem

5. Existence of mechanism that Franks could use to recover debts from Muslims

Reasons why western Europeans migrated

1. Some stayed or moved over immediately after First Crusade for religious reasons

2. Economic hardship in Europe: overcrowding, famine, demands of feudal system

3. Incentives to move, e.g. 1150 offer to settle at Casal Imbert - long term leases, free facilities, lower tithing requirements

The western Europeans who migrated

1. Rural population: Not much evidence but indications of significant numbers, eg record of residents in village of Magna Mahomeria: of 150 names, 44 from France.

3. Urban population: Italian quarters in major seaports, eg 1/3 of Tyre given to Venice