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Booklet 3: The Crusader States in 1099 - Coggle Diagram
Booklet 3: The Crusader States in 1099
The Kingdom of Jerusalem
Government system: Kingdom
Communities: diverse ethnic groups; Franks, eastern Christians, Jews, Samaritans, Druzes, Arab Muslims, Bedouins
Chief economic activity: agricultural; variety of crops including olives, wheat and citrus fruits, very reliant ton trading cities of Acre and Tyre for sugar and spice trade
On becoming leader of Jerusalem, Godfrey only really held the city of Jerusalem and the port of Jaffa
The battle of Ascalon in August 1099 had calmed the immediate threat from the Fatimid Muslims of Egypt, but the failure of Ascalon meant the Fatimids were never fully subdued
Potential threats from hostile cities in the East, such as the important city of Damascus, also left Jerusalem vulnerable to attack
Expansion to the coast and inland was necessary in order to make the states economically viable, to allow easy access for pilgrims and to protect the city of Jerusalem from hostile neighbours
The Principality of Antioch
Government system: Principality
Communities: diverse ethnic groups; Franks, eastern Christians and Muslim Arabs
Chief economic activity: chiefly agricultural but had an important port at St Simeon
Antioch had been part of the Byzantine Empire prior to its capture in 1085 by Tutush
Bohemond had retained control of the city after the siege in 1097-8, not handing control back to Alexius; this caused immense tension between the Crusader States and the Byzantine Empire
Antioch was in a more vulnerable position than Jerusalem because of its proximity to the powerful Muslim Lords of Aleppo and Homs in the east and the Seljuks in the north
Antioch relied on help from the kingdom of Jerusalem to fend off Turkish attacks
The County of Edessa
Government system: County
Communities: a small number of Frankish settlers and a large Armenian population
Chief economic activity: agricultural; grain crops around the Euphrates river, animals reared on the highlands and in the forest
Edessa had also been part of the Byzantine Empire but had been taken by the Seljuk Turks around 1087
The county was landlocked; it was remote from the other states and was not on particularly good terms with Antioch
Half of the county, including its capital, was located east of the river Euphrates, far to the east, rendering it particularly vulnerable
The west part of the Euphrates was controlled from the stronghold of the city of Turbessel, vulnerable to the Muslim stronghold of Mardin
The eastern border of Edessa was the river of the Tigris
The county was vulnerable to attacks from Mosul to its east and Aleppo to its south
The County of Tripoli
Government system: County
Communities: diverse ethnic groups; Franks, eastern Christians and Muslim Arabs
Chief economic activity: agricultural and industrial; sugar cane production, olive cultivation, large weaving community in Tripoli used by traders from Homs and Damascus
Raymond of Toulouse went towards Tripoli after rejecting the crown of Jerusalem, gaining territory in the region and founding the County of Tripoli in 1104, after taking Tostosa in 1103, but the city itself was not conquered until 1109 by his son Bertrand
Tripoli was an important strategic goal as it linked Jerusalem in the south with Antioch in the north, thus creating a safe passage for pilgrims and provided a vital trade route for both Christians and Muslims
It was a fertile and well populated area; was confined to the coastal region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Lebanese mountains
Defence of mountain passes was vital especially in the north of the county where the mountains were lower and the coastal plain was accessible; it was vulnerable to the assassins who populated the Nosari Mountains and Homs in the east