Medieval Syria and the Onset of the Crusades

Situates the First Crusade and the formation of the Latin East within the broader framework of Syrian history

• Re-examines the pre and early Crusading period from a Syrian perspective
• Presents a reassessment of the broad strategic picture in Syria at a vital point in the timeline of the Medieval Middle East
• Argues that there was a perceptible military reaction from Syrian rulers to the arrival of the Franks
• Provides a new chronology for the erosion of Byzantine and Fatimid influence in the region during the late fifth/eleventh century and analyses the extent of Seljuq influence

Between 1050 and 1128 the nomadic Seljuq Turks and European Crusaders subjected northern Syria to a series of invasions from the east and west. The migration of militant peoples from the Eurasian Steppe and Western Europe inserted a new set of political elites into a complex frontier zone already beset by numerous conflicts fought along several ethno-cultural and religious contours. Surveying this turbulent chapter of Syrian history from multiple perspectives, this book recalibrates the underlying power dynamics of the late eleventh and early twelfth centuries. Through this regional focus, it reassesses both the impact that the establishment of Turkish and Crusader lordships had upon bilad al-sham (Greater Syria) and the reactions of Syria’s established ruling elite to this unprecedented sequence of events.

Providing a unique reinterpretation of the political situation in bilad al-sham during one of the most important periods in Middle Eastern history, this book proposes a new model for understanding the political dynasties of this period and questions the significance ascribed to the establishment of the Crusader States by modern historians.