TRIPOLI

intro:

• the last state to join Outremer

• established primarily through the efforts of Raymond of Toulouse

• after the 1st crusade of 1101, Tortosa was the first area of what would become the county of tripoli to be captured

• raymond’s forces captured Gibelet in 1104 and established a siege camp 3 miles north of city of tripoli

• tripoli was taken in 1109 shortly after raymonds death and the county continued to expand till late 1120s

• included loads of religious communities

independence:

• despite a vassal state of jerusalem, tried to maintain a large measure of independence

• e.g. during the succession crisis of 1109, king baldwin I negotiated a settlement and divided the county between william jordan and bertrand

• however upon williams death bertrand ignored the terms of the settlement and took control of tripoli with the support of his son, Pons who succeeded him in 1112

• the relationship changed when turkish threat increased and tripoli became more reliant on jerusalem

• raymond III count of tripoli was impirisoned in damascus between 1164-1172 by the turks

• king amalric became regent of the county until the ransom of 80,000 bezants could be paid

• also came to rely on jerusalems military orders to defend its key possessions

• tripoli had therefore developed from a large measure of independence into yet another territory th kings of jerusalem and the military orders within it had to sustain