Crusading Warfare

Exploring the Military History of the Crusades

William James Hamblin
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Blue boxes reference primary
sources, and provide

Color coded
quotations from primary
sources.

Gold boxes contains

references to secondary
sources.

White boxes are summaries

of primary sources.
text boxes
Green text boxes are my
analysis, notes, commentary,
and explanations.
Edessa Campaign 1
Background
AD 1097/10 late
Philippopolis
Varna
Strategic Situation: Edessa Expedition 1097-1098
Ardas a
Preslav Sinope Kur

Adrianople

Constantinople
Primary Sources: Rodosto Trebizond
Edessa Expedition
is
Nicomedia ps

ios
am

gar
Western Civetot Iris Ac
Neocaesarea

San
Albert 3.17-25 Yesil h Aras
s Amasya irma Coru
→William 4.1-6 ni cu Cyzicus Nicaea k
Sebenkarahisar
Caffaro — ra Theodosopolis
Abydos G Tokat Teleboas
Sank 1

dacus
Canso — arya

u)
Erzincan

S
Ekkehard — Sebastea

at
)
a Su

ur
Rhyn
Ankyra (Kar
Divrigi 3

(M
Fulcher 1.14
→Bartolf — Dorylaeum
→Malmesbury — 3- Old Armenian homeland,
Pergamum Amorium ak 4- Zone of refugee and now ruled by the Turks Akhlat
Gesta — li rm nias
Ha
lys izi mercenary Armenian Arsa
→Baldric — diz K
He Ge principalities
rm
→Orderic 9.11=119-29 us Philomelium 1- Route of the Melitene
Smyrna
→Guibert 3.14=70-72 First Crusade Comana
→Peter — Antioch Caesarea
→Robert —
k

4
yu

Gilo — Meander Iconium

Bu

han
Letters — Coxon Diyarbakir
1 n

Sey
Laodicea ha
Ralph — y

Ti
Cilician Gates Ce

gris
Raymond — Marash
Heraclea
William 4.1-6 ←Albert

s
Saru
Adana mus
ra 2 Edessa
Py 1
Eastern Christian
Anna — Attalia Mosul
Goksu Tarsis Belen Pass
Mathew 2.117-8=168-70 Rhodes Cal
yca 2- Baldwin’s
Michael —
dnu
s Antioch Edessa expedition
→Bar Hebraeus —
Studies Seleucia Euphr
Syriac 70-1 St Simeon Aleppo ates

Zab
Amouroux-Mourad, M. Le

ater
Comté d'Edesse, 1098-1150 Raqqa
Muslim

Gre
(1988). Latakia Rahba
AHC —
Asbridge 149-52
Ibn al-Athir —
France 195 Nicosia
Ibn al-Qalanisi {a490} — Hama
Frankopan 151-3
Kamal al-Din —
Rubenstein 161-167
Maqrizi {a490} — Paphos Homs
Runciman 1:201-12
Sibt {a490} — Tripoli
CE 2:379-85
 Vahka ♜ Gerger
Behesni 1071-1087
Constantine {??}
Rupenids 2
uk
Constantine ald
BSamosata
Marash 2- At the death of Philoretos in 1087,
{1095-1102} Pardzerpert ♜ Kaysun his domain, power fragmented into
Marash the hands of his Armenian generals
Thatoul and lords, creating a patchwork of
Sis
Armenian city-states.
{1087-1104} Keysun Raban

Kogh Vasil 2
{1087-1112} ♜ 2
Marzban Edessa
3 ♜
Qalat al-Rum Thoros
♜ Duluk {1094-1098}
Sarvantikar ♜ Principality Edessa

3- Sulayman, the Rum Seljuq prince, Aintab

of Philaretos
conquers Edessa in 1085 and turns it
over his vassal Yaghi-Siyan {1071-1087} Bira
Saruj
s

Ravendan
Mt

♜ 1 Haran
♜
s
aeu

Tel Bashir Jerablus

Am

Cyrrhus 1
Ayas

Azaz
Aleppo
Alexandretta Yaghra
Darbsak
Mashhala (Ridwan) Mosul
♜ {1095-1113} Manbij ♜
Qalat al-Najm (Kerbogha)
Syrian
Gates
Ma’ratah {1095-1102}
Russole
♜ Tall Qabasin 1- Great Seljuq Turks conquer
Baghras Antioch in 1086, and the northern
Antioch Mamulah al-Bab
Buza’a plains of Mesopotamia and Syria 3- The death of Malikshah in 1092
led to a succession crisis, a civil
(Yaghi-Siyan) Artah Bir war, and the political fragmentation
Tall Aghdi
3 {1086-1098} of Turkish Syria.
‘Imm ♜ Hisn al-Dayr
Antioch Harim Balat Aleppo 3
Daphne Sarmada Atharib
♜
St Simeon Qusayr Kafr Nasih
 Vahka ♜ Gerger 1097-1098
5
6 Behesni
Constantine {??}
Rupenids uk 4
Constantine 1 ald
BSamosata
Marash
{1095-1102} Pardzerpert ♜ Kaysun
Marash A- Armenians controlled the more
Sis Thatoul 2 mountainous, and less fertile, prosperous and
populous regions of the north; Turks controlled
{1087-1104} Keysun 3 Raban
the larger and wealthier cities, fertile plains,
Kogh Vasil and steppe pastureland of the south.
{1087?-1112} ♜
C- Both Armenians and Turks formed minority military Marzban Edessa
♜
aristocracies ruling over majority peoples. Armenians Qalat al-Rum Thoros 4
ruled over largely Christian peoples—Greeks and {1094-1098}
♜ ruled over largely Arab and
Syriacs. The Turks Duluk
Sarvantikar ♜ Edessa
Kurdish Muslims population, but with significant
Christian and Jewish minorities. Armenians were a
majority only in the old Armenian homeland. Aintab
B- Although ArmenianBira and Turkish
principalities certainly fought each other, Saruj
both sides were politically fragmented
and spent much of their military strength
s

Ravendan
Mt

♜ feuding amongst themselves. Haran

♜
s
aeu

Tel Bashir Jerablus

Am

Cyrrhus
Ayas

Azaz
Aleppo
Alexandretta
Darbsak
Yaghra Mashhala (Ridwan) 2
Mosul 1
♜ {1095-1113} Manbij ♜
Qalat al-Najm (Kerbogha)
Syrian
Gates
Ma’ratah {1095-1102}
Russole
♜ Tall Qabasin
Baghras
Antioch 3 Mamulah al-Bab
Buza’a
(Yaghi-Siyan) Artah Bir
Tall Aghdi D- Most of both the Armenian and Turkish
{1086-1098}
military principalities were relatively ephemeral,
‘Imm ♜ Hisn al-Dayr
each lasting only a few decades. Except for the
Antioch Harim Balat Aleppo
Sarmada Atharib
Rupenids in Cilicia, most of these principalities
Daphne
♜
were eventually overrun by the crusaders or
St Simeon Qusayr Kafr Nasih Zengi in the 1120s and 1130s.
 Vahka ♜ Gerger 1097-1098
5
6 Behesni
Constantine {??}
Rupenids uk 4
Constantine 1 ald
BSamosata
Marash
{1095-1102} Pardzerpert ♜ Kaysun
Marash
Sis Thatoul 2
{1087-1104} Keysun 3 Raban

Kogh Vasil
{1087?-1112} ♜
Marzban Edessa
♜
Qalat al-Rum Thoros 4
♜ Duluk {1094-1098}
Sarvantikar ♜ Edessa

Aintab
Bira
Saruj
s

Ravendan
Mt

♜ Haran
♜
s
aeu

Tel Bashir Jerablus

Am

Cyrrhus
Ayas

Azaz
Aleppo
Alexandretta
Darbsak
Yaghra Mashhala (Ridwan) 2
Mosul 1
♜ {1095-1113} Manbij ♜
Qalat al-Najm (Kerbogha)
Syrian
Gates
Ma’ratah {1095-1102}
Russole
♜ Tall Qabasin
Baghras
Antioch 3 Mamulah al-Bab
Buza’a 1- Kerbogha{1095-1102}:
(Yaghi-Siyan) Artah Bir Atabeg of Mosul in the
{1086-1098} Tall Aghdi service of the Seljuq Sultan
♜ Hisn al-Dayr Barkiyaruq {1094-1105}
‘Imm
Antioch Harim Balat Aleppo
Daphne Sarmada Atharib
♜
St Simeon Qusayr Kafr Nasih
 Vahka ♜ Gerger 1097-1098
5
6 Behesni
Constantine {??}
Rupenids uk 4
Constantine 1 ald
BSamosata
Marash
{1095-1102} Pardzerpert ♜ Kaysun
Marash
Sis Thatoul 2
{1087-1104} Keysun 3 Raban

Kogh Vasil
{1087?-1112} ♜
Marzban Edessa
♜
Qalat al-Rum Thoros 4
♜ Duluk {1094-1098}
Sarvantikar ♜ Edessa

Aintab
Bira
Saruj
s

Ravendan
Mt

♜ Haran
♜
s
aeu

Tel Bashir Jerablus

Am

Cyrrhus
Ayas

Azaz
Aleppo
Alexandretta
Darbsak
Yaghra Mashhala (Ridwan) 2
Mosul 1
♜ {1095-1113} Manbij ♜
Qalat al-Najm (Kerbogha)
Syrian
Gates
Ma’ratah {1095-1102}
Russole 2- Ridwan{1095-1113}: A semi-
♜ Tall Qabasin
Baghras independent ruler of Aleppo. Ridwan
Antioch 3 Mamulah was a son ofBuza’a
al-Bab Tutush (uncle of the great
Sultan Berkiyaruk). Tutush had been
(Yaghi-Siyan) Artah governor Birof Damascus {1078-1095};
Tall Aghdi
{1086-1098} at his death Syria was divided between
‘Imm ♜ Hisn al-Dayr his two sons Ridwan (Aleppo) and
Antioch Harim Balat Aleppo Duqaq (Damascus).
Daphne Sarmada Atharib
♜
St Simeon Qusayr Kafr Nasih
 Vahka ♜ Gerger 1097-1098
5
6 Behesni
Constantine {??}
Rupenids uk 4
Constantine 1 ald
BSamosata
Marash
{1095-1102} Pardzerpert ♜ Kaysun
Marash
Sis Thatoul 2
{1087-1104} Keysun 3 Raban

Kogh Vasil
{1087?-1112} ♜
Marzban Edessa
♜
Qalat al-Rum Thoros 4
♜ Duluk {1094-1098}
Sarvantikar ♜ Edessa

Aintab
Bira
Saruj
s

Ravendan
Mt

♜ Haran
♜
s
aeu

Tel Bashir Jerablus

Am

Cyrrhus
Ayas

Azaz
Aleppo
Alexandretta
Darbsak
Yaghra Mashhala (Ridwan) 2
Mosul 1
♜ {1095-1113} Manbij ♜
Qalat al-Najm (Kerbogha)
Syrian
Gates
Ma’ratah {1095-1102}
Russole
♜ Tall Qabasin
Baghras
Antioch 3 Mamulah al-Bab
Buza’a
3- Yaghi-Siyan{1086-1098} was appointed governor
(Yaghi-Siyan) Artah Bir
of Antioch by Sulayman of the Rum Seljuqs when he
Tall Aghdi
{1086-1098} conquered the city. On Sulayman’s death in 1086,
♜ Hisn al-Dayr
Yaghi-Siyan
‘Imm became semi-independent ruler of
Antioch Harim Antioch, allying
Balat Aleppolord of
with Tutush of Damascus,
Sarmada
Daphne
Syria. From Atharib
1095 he was engaged in an ongoing
♜
St Simeon Qusayr power struggle
Kafr Nasih with Tutush’s sons Ridwan of Aleppo
and Duqaq of Damascus.
 Vahka ♜ Gerger 1097-1098
5
6 Behesni
Constantine {??}
Rupenids uk 4
Constantine 1 ald
BSamosata
Marash
{1095-1102} Pardzerpert ♜ Kaysun
Marash 4- Balduk{??} an independent Turkish
Sis Thatoul 2 warlord who seized control of Samosata
before the arrival of the crusaders, and raided
{1087-1104} Keysun 3 Raban
the surrounding Armenian principalities.
Kogh Vasil
{1087?-1112} ♜
Marzban Edessa
♜
Qalat al-Rum Thoros 4
♜ Duluk {1094-1098}
Sarvantikar ♜ Edessa

Aintab
Bira
Saruj
s

Ravendan
Mt

♜ Haran
♜
s
aeu

Tel Bashir Jerablus

Am

Cyrrhus
Ayas

Azaz
Aleppo
Alexandretta
Darbsak
Yaghra Mashhala (Ridwan) 2
Mosul 1
♜ {1095-1113} Manbij ♜
Qalat al-Najm (Kerbogha)
Syrian
Gates
Ma’ratah {1095-1102}
Russole
♜ Tall Qabasin
Baghras
Antioch 3 Mamulah al-Bab
Buza’a
(Yaghi-Siyan) Artah Bir
Tall Aghdi
{1086-1098}
‘Imm ♜ Hisn al-Dayr
Antioch Harim Balat Aleppo
Daphne Sarmada Atharib
♜
St Simeon Qusayr Kafr Nasih
 Vahka ♜ Gerger 1097-1098
5
6 Behesni
Constantine {??}
Rupenids uk 4
Constantine 1 ald
BSamosata
Marash
{1095-1102} Pardzerpert ♜ Kaysun
Marash
Sis Thatoul 2
{1087-1104} Keysun 3 Raban
1- Constantine{1095-1102}, an Armenian Kogh Vasil
highlander warlord, who controlled several ♜
castles in the Taurus mountains. He was the {1087?-1112} Edessa
Marzban
founder of the Armenian Rupenid dynasty. ♜
Qalat al-Rum Thoros 4
♜ Duluk {1094-1098}
Sarvantikar ♜ Edessa

Aintab
Bira
Saruj
s

Ravendan
Mt

♜ Haran
♜
s
aeu

Tel Bashir Jerablus

Am

Cyrrhus
Ayas

Azaz
Aleppo
Alexandretta
Darbsak
Yaghra Mashhala (Ridwan) 2
Mosul 1
♜ {1095-1113} Manbij ♜
Qalat al-Najm (Kerbogha)
Syrian
Gates
Ma’ratah {1095-1102}
Russole
♜ Tall Qabasin
Baghras
Antioch 3 Mamulah al-Bab
Buza’a
(Yaghi-Siyan) Artah Bir
Tall Aghdi
{1086-1098}
‘Imm ♜ Hisn al-Dayr
Antioch Harim Balat Aleppo
Daphne Sarmada Atharib
♜
St Simeon Qusayr Kafr Nasih
 Vahka ♜ Gerger 1097-1098
5
6 Behesni
Constantine {??}
Rupenids uk 4
Constantine 1 ald
BSamosata
Marash
{1095-1102} Pardzerpert ♜ Kaysun
Marash
Sis Thatoul 2
{1087-1104} Keysun 3 Raban

Kogh Vasil
2- Thatoul Thoros {1087-1104}, was the {1087?-1112} ♜
brother of Prince Philoretos, and was made Marzban Edessa
♜
governor of Marash; he became an independent Qalat al-Rum Thoros 4
lord at the death of his brother in 1187. {1094-1098}
♜ Duluk
Sarvantikar ♜ Edessa

Aintab
Bira
Saruj
s

Ravendan
Mt

♜ Haran
♜
s
aeu

Tel Bashir Jerablus

Am

Cyrrhus
Ayas

Azaz
Aleppo
Alexandretta
Darbsak
Yaghra Mashhala (Ridwan) 2
Mosul 1
♜ {1095-1113} Manbij ♜
Qalat al-Najm (Kerbogha)
Syrian
Gates
Ma’ratah {1095-1102}
Russole
♜ Tall Qabasin
Baghras
Antioch 3 Mamulah al-Bab
Buza’a
(Yaghi-Siyan) Artah Bir
Tall Aghdi
{1086-1098}
‘Imm ♜ Hisn al-Dayr
Antioch Harim Balat Aleppo
Daphne Sarmada Atharib
♜
St Simeon Qusayr Kafr Nasih
 Vahka ♜ Gerger 1097-1098
5
6 Behesni
Constantine {??}
Rupenids uk 4
Constantine 1 ald
BSamosata
Marash
{1095-1102} Pardzerpert ♜ Kaysun
Marash
Sis Thatoul 2
{1087-1104} Keysun 3 Raban

Kogh Vasil
{1087?-1112} ♜
Marzban Edessa
♜
3- Kogh Vasil (Vasil/Basil “the Brigand”) Qalat
was al-Rum
Thoros 4
♜ an Armenian brigand warlord who rose to
Duluk {1094-1098}
Sarvantikar power in the wake of♜Philaretos’ death in 1087, Edessa
based at the fortress-city of Kaysun (Kesun).
Aintab
Bira
Saruj
s

Ravendan
Mt

♜ Haran
♜
s
aeu

Tel Bashir Jerablus

Am

Cyrrhus
Ayas

Azaz
Aleppo
Alexandretta
Darbsak
Yaghra Mashhala (Ridwan) 2
Mosul 1
♜ {1095-1113} Manbij ♜
Qalat al-Najm (Kerbogha)
Syrian
Gates
Ma’ratah {1095-1102}
Russole
♜ Tall Qabasin
Baghras
Antioch 3 Mamulah al-Bab
Buza’a
(Yaghi-Siyan) Artah Bir
Tall Aghdi
{1086-1098}
‘Imm ♜ Hisn al-Dayr
Antioch Harim Balat Aleppo
Daphne Sarmada Atharib
♜
St Simeon Qusayr Kafr Nasih
 Vahka ♜ Gerger 1097-1098
5
6 Behesni
Constantine {??}
Rupenids uk 4
Constantine 1 ald
BSamosata
Marash
{1095-1102} Pardzerpert ♜ Kaysun
Marash
Sis Thatoul 2
{1087-1104} Keysun 3 Raban

Kogh Vasil
{1087?-1112} ♜
Marzban Edessa
♜
Qalat al-Rum Thoros 4
♜ Duluk {1094-1098}
Sarvantikar ♜ Edessa

Aintab
Bira
Saruj
s

Ravendan
Mt

♜ Haran
♜ 4- Thoros of Edessa {1094-1098} was called by his
s
aeu

Tel Bashir Jerabluscourt title curoplates = “in charge of the

Byzantine
Am

Palace.” When Tutush of Damascus conquered Edessa in

Cyrrhus
Ayas 1094, Tutush placed the collaborator Armenian Thoros as
governor of the city. But at the death of Tutush next year
in 1095, Thoros asserted independence in the wake of the
Azaz
Aleppo succession crises in Syria and Iraq, fighting several
Alexandretta
Darbsak
Yaghra Mashhala (Ridwan) 2 campaigns to retain his independence. He summoned
Baldwin to come ♜ as a mercenary to assist him to retain his Mosul 1
♜ {1095-1113} Manbij
independenceQalat
from the Turks.
al-Najm (Kerbogha)
Syrian
Gates
Ma’ratah {1095-1102}
Russole
♜ Tall Qabasin
Baghras
Antioch 3 Mamulah al-Bab
Buza’a
(Yaghi-Siyan) Artah Bir
Tall Aghdi
{1086-1098}
‘Imm ♜ Hisn al-Dayr
Antioch Harim Balat Aleppo
Daphne Sarmada Atharib
♜
St Simeon Qusayr Kafr Nasih
 Vahka ♜ Gerger 1097-1098
5
6 Behesni
Constantine {??}
Rupenids uk 4
Constantine 1 ald
BSamosata
Marash
{1095-1102} Pardzerpert ♜ Kaysun
Marash
Sis Thatoul 2 5- The principality of Gerger (Karkar,
Jarjar), was ruled by the Armenian
{1087-1104} Keysun 3 Raban
warlord Constantine and his brothers. The
Kogh Vasil details of this kingdom are vague.
{1087?-1112} ♜
Marzban Edessa
♜
Qalat al-Rum Thoros 4
♜ Duluk {1094-1098}
Sarvantikar ♜ Edessa

Aintab
Bira
Saruj
s

Ravendan
Mt

♜ Haran
♜
s
aeu

Tel Bashir Jerablus

Am

Cyrrhus
Ayas

Azaz
Aleppo
Alexandretta
Darbsak
Yaghra Mashhala (Ridwan) 2
Mosul 1
♜ {1095-1113} Manbij ♜
Qalat al-Najm (Kerbogha)
Syrian
Gates
Ma’ratah {1095-1102}
Russole
♜ Tall Qabasin
Baghras
Antioch 3 Mamulah al-Bab
Buza’a
(Yaghi-Siyan) Artah Bir
Tall Aghdi
{1086-1098}
‘Imm ♜ Hisn al-Dayr
Antioch Harim Balat Aleppo
Daphne Sarmada Atharib
♜
St Simeon Qusayr Kafr Nasih
 Vahka ♜ Gerger 1097-1098
5
6 Behesni
Constantine {??}
Rupenids 6- To the north, off this map, is the uk 4
Constantine 1 ald
BSamosata
Marash Armenian held city-state of Melitene
{1095-1102} Pardzerpert ♜ (Malatya), ruled by an ArmenianKaysun
Marash general Gabriel {1086-1103}.
Sis Thatoul 2
{1087-1104} Keysun 3 Raban

Kogh Vasil
{1087?-1112} ♜
Marzban Edessa
♜
Qalat al-Rum Thoros 4
♜ Duluk {1094-1098}
Sarvantikar ♜ Edessa

Aintab
Bira
Saruj
s

Ravendan
Mt

♜ Haran
♜
s
aeu

Tel Bashir Jerablus

Am

Cyrrhus
Ayas

Azaz
Aleppo
Alexandretta
Darbsak
Yaghra Mashhala (Ridwan) 2
Mosul 1
♜ {1095-1113} Manbij ♜
Qalat al-Najm (Kerbogha)
Syrian
Gates
Ma’ratah {1095-1102}
Russole
♜ Tall Qabasin
Baghras
Antioch 3 Mamulah al-Bab
Buza’a
(Yaghi-Siyan) Artah Bir
Tall Aghdi
{1086-1098}
‘Imm ♜ Hisn al-Dayr
Antioch Harim Balat Aleppo
Daphne Sarmada Atharib
♜
St Simeon Qusayr Kafr Nasih
 Crusading Warfare
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