Part 4 : The Cedars of Lebanon (Syria & Lebanon 1100-1110)Back in 1097 al-Nizar began a vigorous promotion of the Isma'ili doctrine beyond the borders of his realm. The wealth of Egypt was a good selling point. Lavish gifts of money, and a promise of assisting his army sold the Nizarid faith to Ridwan of Aleppo, who switched kutbah from the Abbasid Caliph to the Fatimid, much to the disgust of his more orthodox subjects. He could only keep up the change of allegiance for four weeks before returning the prayers to their original form under mounting pressure. But in order to placate the Egyptians he allowed their dais freedom within his lands, and gave them permission to build meeting houses. The arrival of more shadowy characters from Alamut soon followed, and the beginnings of an underground order were started. Al-Hakim al-Munajjim al-Ajami leads the first Assassin mission in Syria, operating under the orders of Hasan e Sabbah. al-Munajjim's men infiltrate the courts of many of the Syrian emirs. Gabriel of Melitene comes under great pressure from the Danishmends in 1100 (in both OTL and the ATL). In OTL he asked for help from Antioch, as he feared Baldwin after the experience of Thoros, who was deposed and blinded after inviting Baldwin's assistance. Here Baldwin of Edessa is also Baldwin of Le Bourg, who was on much better terms with the Armenians, and he is the obvious person to approach. Baldwin of Le Bourg's army is destroyed fighting the Danishmends and he is captured. In 1101 three new crusading groups head out from Europe, a group of Lombards, a French group led by the Count of Nevers, and one under Philip IX of Aquitaine. Their various alliances with different German princes prevent the two French groups uniting. Arriving at Constantinople the Lombards are taken under the wing of Raymond, who has recently made an agreement with the Emperor, who will aid him if he promises to acknowledge Imperial suzerainty. The two men get on well together. In OTL this crusade was diverted in an attempt to rescue Bohemond, the crusaders' hero. Here they care little for Baldwin of Le Bourg, and head on the direct route. Konya is taken, and handed over to the Emperor. The road through Anatolia is cleared (somewhat), as Imperial forces occupy positions that the Turks abandon before the crusade. Raymond's plan is to create a new Christian state based around Tripoli, and extending perhaps as far as Beirut in the south and Homs in the east. With the crusade behind him he takes Tortossa by storm. Imperial ships assist. But the crusade is impatient, and soon passes on to Jerusalem. Tripoli is too powerful to take immediately, as its supplied by sea from Egypt. Raymond builds castles and begins capturing the surrounding countryside. His moment comes in 1103 when the emir of Homs, Janah ad-Daulah, is stabbed to death by three Assassins. This is their first major strike in the west. Raymond immediately marches out to the Orontes. In the chaos the Assassins manage to take control of Shaizar, and numerous castles in the district. They tried doing this in OTL, but failed. Here they are stronger, and Raymond is faster. They offer Raymond tribute and his suzerainty, and he accepts. Under his protection the ineffective rulers of Homs, struggling to secure power under Assassin threat, dare not move to reconquer Shaizar. In 1108 Raymond finally captures Tripoli with the aid of Venetian ships (who gain a quarter of the town and a castle). By 1110 he has the whole of the coast down to Jebail. In OTL the county of Tripoli was quite small compared to the mighty Principality of Antioch and the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Raymond's inheritance was divided between his two sons, and acknowledged the suzerainty of King. Here Raymond survives longer, regains his reputation and builds a strong and rich territory, independent from the other Frankish states, acknowledging only the Emperor as its overlord: the Principality of Lebanon. The Nivernais crusade followers the crusade of the Lombards, but hears the dreadful news that Kerbogha is massing to attack Edessa, which has no strong leader. The Crusade is diverted from Antioch, and brings Kerboghato a defeat near Harran. It is his last battle, and he dies soon after. While the Frenchmen who are eager to reach Jerusalem carry on their way, Joscelin of Courtenay remains at Edessa, and becomes Regent for Baldwin. Baldwin hasn't antagonised the Emperor anywhere near as much as Bohemond did in OTL, but he has signally failed to observe his oath. Also unlike Bohemond, Baldwin has retained the Orthodox Patriarch. Though the population are rightly fearful of Baldwin, who ruthless crushes all political opposition, it is generally considered fair that he holds the city, as the Emperor hasn't personally enforced Baldwin's oath. In 1103 this changes, and Alexius himself marches on Antioch. Some quick negotiations remove the possibility of violence, and Baldwin admits the suzerainty of the Emperor, while Alexius enfiefs Baldwin with the city and the surrounding territory before departing back to Constantinople. Baldwin retains his practical independence, while Alexius has a strong bulwark against invasions from the south-east. He can now concentrate on negotiations with the Danishmends.
Part 5: The Holy Land (Galilee and Palestine 1100-1110)Bohemond begins his reign with characteristic energy and verve, attacking Bedouin caravans and driving the Arabs away from the southern marches of Palestine. The booty is welcomed; money is always in desperately short supply. Bohemond has four problems; Daimbert, Tancred, al Nizar and Duqaq. Daimbert is no match for the Norman adventurer. Bohemond is patient, and builds up a substantial following amongst the minor secular lords (to whom he is a great hero) and those disgruntled elements of the church, including the native Christians. His chance comes in 1101, where a Papal legate arrives. Bohemond immediately takes charge of the anti-Daimbert party, and despite Tancred's protests gets him deposed. Daimbert is so corrupt and miserly that its hard to defend him with a straight face once the evidence is examined. Of course all this leads to a Bohemond reducing the Patriarch's power (with the weak Evremar in Daimbert's place) and he regains control of the Tower of David, and asserts his personal control over Jerusalem. Tancred is easy to deal with, for the time being at least. Bohemond intends to use Tancred's Principality of Galilee as a counter-weight to Raymond's growing Principality of Lebanon, and so encourages his ambition in a northward direction. Battles with Duqaq force Tancred's men away from the region east of the river Jordan, which becomes the de facto border. The first few years are ones of triumph for the crusaders. The key conflicts rage over the coastal cities, where al-Nizar is staking his reputation as defender of Islam. The safe arrival of the Lombard and French crusades in 1101 scotches this proposition. Bohemond and Tancred take Haifa and Acre within the year. Acre then becomes the main port for the Holy Land, as its port is far stronger than that of Jaffa. Bohemond gives it to Richard of Salerno as a direct fiefdom of Palestine. As a sop to Tancred he promises him Sidon, Tyre and Beirut, when they're conquered. An attempt on Ascalon fails in 1102, and Tyre remains inviolable behind extremely strong fortifications. In 1104 it all goes horribly wrong. al-Nizar gets extremely worried by the continual erosion of his coastal power, and is alarmed by the way the emirs of the coastal cities are always asking the Turks for help. He decides the time has come to smash Bohemond's power at its roots. A massive army of Berbers, Persian fedayeen, Arab and Turcoman cavalry and Sudanese infantry is assembled at Ascalon, while the navy prepares to strike at Jaffa. By this time the Franks are getting over-confident. They may not be able to take every city, but they have yet to be defeated in the field by a Muslim army. Bohemond isn't the world's best tactician (though he was certainly a brave soldier) and is careless with his scouting. Riding out to face the Egyptian army at Ramleh in May 1104, he and his few hundred knights find themselves facing some five thousand Egyptians. Stabelon and Gerard of Avesnes charge the enemy but are wiped out with their men. Bohemond and the survivors take shelter overnight in Ramleh castle. The next day the Egyptians over-run the outer defences, and pile up fuel around the base of the citadel. Rather than burn, the knights ride out for the final battle (cue Carl Orff). It almost works, as the Egyptians fall back under the unexpected and ferocious attack, but eventually the fedayeen finally overwhelm the Christians. Impressed by their bravery, the knights are spared and taken captive to Cairo. [1] Meanwhile news reaches Tancred, who is at Tyre. Raising the siege he marches for Jaffa. The Egyptians fail miserably in taking advantage of their victory. The main forces at Ascalon are heartened by their victory but uneasily aware of the huge losses they suffered from facing just a few knights. They are somewhat cautious and decide not to drive on to Jerusalem, which they could have taken easily. Instead they move up to besiege Jaffa from the landward side. The arrival of Tancred pins them between the two Christian forces, and the besiegers become the besieged. A lack of co-operation with the naval forces, the timely arrival of some English ships carrying pilgrims, and jealousy between the Egyptian commanders provides Tancred with an easy victory. He marches on to Jerusalem. Meeting with Evremar and the other leaders, it is decided that Tancred will become regent for Palestine until Bohemond can be rescued. The death of Duqaq of Damascus in 1104 [2] leads to a succession crisis in the east, giving the Christians just enough time to get their house in order. Tancred doesn't overstep the mark as regent, and refuses to be acknowledged as Defender of the Holy Sepulchre, instead remaining Prince of Galilee and 'servant of God'. His rulership is less popular than Bohemond's however, and he has continuing troubles with the minor barons of Palestine. He also uses his position to concentrate the Christian efforts to the north of the country, where conquered lands become his own personal possessions, and not those of Bohemond through the regency. By 1110 Tyre, Sidon and Beirut have all fallen, and the huge castle of Toron is built on the road between Tyre and Damascus as Tancred's centre of operations. A truce is signed with Toghtekin, the atabeg of Damascus. The rich trade routes begin to flow again, with Tancred taking his share before the Italian merchants get their hands on the goodies in the ports they helped conquer. In Palestine, however, Bedouin caravans end up evading Christian tolls altogether, and pirates and robbers operate from Mount Carmel with impunity. Bohemond is well treated in Cairo, and is mightily impressed by the Egyptians' wealth. In 1107 he is ransomed by the Emperor. Alexius offers mercy to Bohemond, but insists that he show contrition for the seizure of Antioch. Bohemond has moved on, and apologises totally (words mean little to this guy). He returns to Jerusalem, and publicly thanks Tancred, who hands over power correctly. But Bohemond has seen the wealth and power of Egypt, and knows that while Ascalon stands, Palestine is not secure. He is also greedy for the riches of Cairo. He knows a new crusade is needed, as the limited manpower available is only just enough to hold the Principality (as the domain of the Advocate is known). He decides to return to his home lands in Apulia, and then on to Europe to try and raise support. Tancred becomes regent once again. So by 1110 the situation is subtly different from OTL. In OTL there were two powerful crusader territories, the Kingdom of Jerusalem and the Principality of Antioch. Between them was the weaker County of Tripoli, and off to the side the borderlands of the County of Edessa. Here there are four far more equal territories on the coast, the Principalities of Palestine, Galilee, Lebanon and Antioch. The Emperor's power has reduced that of Antioch, and though Galilee is nominally a fief of Palestine, for much of the decade the Prince of Galilee has been regent over Palestine. His particularism has enriched the former at the expense of the latter. The power of the church and the confused government of Jerusalem has also weakened the southern state. Edessa remains a vulnerable interior marcher County. Meanwhile Bohemond returns to Europe, where the death of Robert of
Normandy in the first battle of Ascalon has had some interesting ripple
effects...
[1] - Something very much like this happened to Baldwin in OTL, but he
had managed to escape through a trivial and unlikely to be repeated set
of circumstances.
[2] - as in OTL
The PoD doesn't cause quite enough butterflies to prevent the death of
William II in a hunting accident, and Henry I takes the throne of
England and Normandy on August 5 1100, as the only surviving son of
William the Conqueror. He marries Queen Matilda to try and keep the
Scots and Anglo-Saxons onside, and reinstates Anselm, the noted
theologian who his brother had expelled, as Archbishop of Canterbury.
Henry skilfully manages his Barons in Normandy, bribing some,
threatening others, playing them off against their neighbours and
occasionally fighting. Over the next two decades Henry recreates the
united cross channel kingdom of his father, and establishes the
beginnings of the beaurocratic administration that sets him apart from
the earlier Norman Kings.
All this brings him into conflict with Louis VI and Fulk of Anjou, but
the French King is on much shakier ground, as Robert's early demise in
the Holy Land means William Clito is never born, and Henry's claims to
Normandy are good. All these struggles occur between 1100-1120.
Fulk (V) of Anjou (son of Fulk the Surly - what a name! - and Bertrada,
lover of Philip I) is one of the more powerful figures in France of this
period, and his son Geoffrey the Fair plays an important role in our
story. Fulk eventually pays homage to Henry for Maine, and sees more
value in an alliance with the more distant English than with Louis.
By 1120 the day to day event of the English court are so utterly
different that the white ship catastrophe never occurs. William Aethling
survives as heir, and is given enough time to grow a little wise before
taking on the throne. In addition this means that his half-brother
Richard also survives, with ambitions of his own.
1107-10
Bohemond first travels to Apulia, to put a few things in order, before
visiting Pope Paschal II. He proposes a plan for a joint invasion of
Egypt. Both men hate and fear the Byzantines, but in this ATL Alexius's
strength is more readily apparent, and neither dare move in open war.
OTOH Egypt is seen as weak and rich, and the only remaining obstacle to
security in Palestine (at this moment Tancred seems to have countered
the power of Damascus). It would be a great prize: wealth and the
recovery of the Patriarchy of Alexendria. Paschal is keen, but is
seriously tied up with his own problems. They both travel to France, as
the Pope is concerned with the growing problems in Germany, and has
rescheduled his European tour. In France Bohemond make a great
impression, securing the hand of Constance, Countess of Champagne, for
himself and the hand of Cecilia, Philip's daughter through adultery with
Bertrada, for Tancred.
Adela also introduces Bohemond to Henry I. The two men get on well
together, and while Henry cannot presently assist Bohemond, the memory
of the visit and the nobility of the Norman Crusaders lasts in the
English court.
On his return to Sicily Bohemond has more luck. Without naval support an
attack on Egypt would be futile. But his fame and his new royal marriage
alliance help persuade the Venetians, though they insist on a stupendous
repayment; a quarter in every captured town, direct payment from the
Advocate's treasury, and to be excused from all tolls in Palestine and
Galilee. Bohemond knows the price is steep, but is forced to accept.
Plans are drawn up for a comprehensive campaign against Egypt.
Meanwhile the investiture controversy is going at full tilt. Paschal II
negotiates with Emperor Henry V and King Henry I, but neither really get
anywhere. Henry I eventually comes to a compromise; he renounces the
right to investiture, but insists that churchmen pay homage for their
temporal holdings. Anselm of Canterbury reluctantly agrees, and in
England at least the issue dies down for a while. In Germany and Italy
OTOH it blows up, just as in OTL. Henry V is married to Matilda
(William's sister) and the capture of Paschal is little different.
Bohemond returns to Jerusalem in 1111, bringing Cecilia with him.
Constance remains in Italy, where she gives birth to Bohemond II. The
Advocate returns just in time, as the relative quiet of the last
few years is soon to end.
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