Crusading Warfare

Exploring the Military History of the Crusades

William James Hamblin
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 Armenian Background,
5b: Armenian Principalities 2
AD 1084-1097
 Turks invade Principality of Philaretos 1084-1087
Melitene
1- {1084/12} Sulayman I
{1077-1086} of Rum Seljuqs Cyzistra Elbistan
takes and sacks Antioch
Gakik
1 Vahka Coxon

4- {1087} Death of Philaretos; his

Rubin (Roupen) I principality collapses into independent
{1080-1095} city-states under Armenian princes
(Rupenids)
Cilician Gates 4 Kaysun Samosata
Pardzerpert
Marash
Heraclea
Sis
Oshin (Ursinus)
{1072-1097+}
(Hethumids) Principality
Lampron of Philaretos
Edessa
{1071-1087}
Aintab
Adana

Abulgharib
Mamistra
Artsruni
Tarsus Harran
{1080s}
3
3- {1086} Malikshah
Studies Alexandretta 2- {1086} Tutush of Damascus conquers Edessa.
Boase, T. The History of the Kingdom The Cilician Belen Pass
(brother of Malikshah) defeats Manbij
and kills Sulayman, and takes
Kingdom of Armenia, ed. T. Boase (1978), 1-33. Antioch for the Great Seljuqs;
Charanis, P. The Armenians in the Byzantine Empire. Qilich Arslan is taken as
(1963).
Seleucia hostage from 1086-1092
Forse, J. Armenians and the First Crusade Journal of Antioch
Medieval History 17 (1991): 13-22 2
Ghazarian, J. The Armenian Kingdom in Cilicia During Aleppo
the Crusades. (2015) St Simeon
 Great Seljuq Domination of Armenian Principalities 1087-1092
Melitene
Gabriel
Cyzistra Elbistan

3- {1092-1097} Armenian
1b- Armenian Principalities tributary princes reassert
Armenians generally held mountain castles (highlanders) in Vahka Coxon independence during Turkish
difficult areas for Turkish horse nomads to operate. The civil war.
economic value of the highlands was limited for the Turks,
making long and difficult Turkish sieges of each individual
castle too expensive. Turks were generally satisfied with taking Rubin (Roupen) I 3
tribute from the Armenian mountain principalities. {1080-1095}
3
(Rupenids)
1 Kaysun
Cilician Gates Samosata
Pardzerpert
Marash 1
Heraclea
Oshin (Ursinus)
Sis Thatoul
{1072-1097+}
3
(Hethumids)
1a- At the death of Philaretos in
Lampron 1087, Malikshah {1072-1092},
sultan of the Great Seljuqs, Edessa
forces most Armenian princes Thoros
Aintab
Adana in tributary status.

Mamistra
Tarsus Harran

Alexandretta
Belen Pass Manbij
2- {1092} At the death
Malikshah the Great Seljuq
empire collapses into civil war,
Seleucia with princes, atabegs, and
generals struggling for power.
Antioch
Aleppo 2
St Simeon
 Armenian and Turkish Principalities after Seljuqs 1092-1097
Melitene
1
Cyzistra
Gabriel
Elbistan
1- {1092} Gabriel and Thoros
were commanders of Philaretos
Vahka 2- {1092} Kogh Vasil, was an who established independent
Coxon
Armenian brigand based at principalities on the collapse of
Kaysun (Kesoun) castle who the Seljuq domination.
established an independent
Constantine principality.
{1095-1102}
(Rupenids) Balak
Cilician Gates
2 Kaysun Samosata
Pardzerpert 3 Marash
Heraclea
Oshin (Ursinus)
Sis Thoros
{1072-1097+}
(Hethumids) 3- {1092} Thoros (Thatoul) of Kogh Vasil 1
Marash, son of Philaretos (?) who
Lampron
controls Marash at his fathers death. Edessa
Thoros
Aintab
Adana

Mamistra
Tarsus Harran

Alexandretta
Belen Pass Manbij
l
Mosu a)
Antioch rb o g h
Aleppo (Ke 1102}
(Yaghi-Siyan) 109 5 -
Seleucia (Ridwan) {
{1086-1098}
Antioch {1095-1113}
Aleppo
St Simeon
 Strategic Situation

1- The exact borders were vague and unstable.

2- Constantly shifting alliances and conflicts

Armenians vs. Turks

Armenians vs. Armenians

Turks vs. Turks

 Strategic Situation

3- Civil war after the death of Malikshah {1092} Turkish principalities

were ruled by Seljuq princes, atabegs, and generals, with only
nominal loyalty to the Great Seljuq Sultan Berkiyaruq at Baghdad.

4- Turks spent most of their military strength feuding with other

Turkish princes for dominance of the crumbling Seljuq empire.

5- Armenian princes were therefore able to assert independence

 Armenian Principalities

1- Armenian military aristocraciesfirst introduced by Byzantines as

mercenary garrisonsestablish dominance over Byzantine castles and cities

2- Armenian princes assert independence from Seljuq Turks during the

Seljuq civil war beginning in 1092

3- Armenian military aristocracies are generally an ethnic minority, ruling

over non-Armenian majorities

Christians: Greeks (Anatolia), Syriac (Syria); Muslims: Arabs

Armenian Internal Political Dynamics

1- Constant feuds among Armenian princes

but unite against the Turks

2- Armenians see crusaders as allies against the Turks

Probably viewed crusaders as similar to earlier Norman/Frankish

mercenaries in Byzantine service; did not expect crusader domination

Crusaders were less threat to Armenian independence than Byzantines?

 Armenian Religious Dynamics
1- native Armenian Apostolic Church; independent denomination

2- Some Armenians converted to Byzantine Greek Orthodoxy

Melki, Melkite = royal or imperial church

3- Apostolic Armenians see Orthodox Armenians as traitors; religious disputes

4- Armenian Apostolic Christian princes are generally of a different denomination

than the majority of the people in their principalities

5- Armenian Muslims (Badr al-Jamali in Egypt)

 Crusading Warfare
(Next = Cilician Campaign 1: Tarsus)

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