Medieval Syria and the Onset of the Crusades by Wilson, James;

Rövid leírás:

Surveys a turbulent chapter of Syrian history from multiple perspectives, recalibrating the underlying power dynamics of the late eleventh and early twelfth centuries.

Hosszú leírás:

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.

Tartalomjegyzék:

List of Figures

Acknowledgements

Note on Names, Transliteration and Abbreviations

Abbreviations

Principal Historical Figures, Dynasties and Terminology

Bilad al-sham

Historiographical Overview

The Primary Sources

The Scope of this Book

Notes

Introduction: Part I

The System of Autonomous lordships in Syria

Byzantine, Fatimid and Seljuq Syria

Notes

1 The Byzantine Empire

Byzantine Bilad al-sham

The Antiochene–Aleppan Balance of Power

The Byzantine Political Footprint in the Face of Seljuq Incursions

Byzantine Interactions with Local Rulers in Bilad al-sham

Conclusion: the Break-up of Byzantine Bilad al-sham

Notes

2 The Fatimid Caliphate

Fatimid Bilad al-sham

442–463/1050–1071

The Fatimid Collapse in Southern Syria and Palestine

Fatimid Interactions with Local Rulers in Bilad al-sham

Conclusion: The Fatimids as ‘the Other’ in Bilad al-sham?

Notes

3 The Great Seljuq Sultanate

Seljuq Bilad al-sham

The Sultan in Bilad al-sham

Syrian Campaigns Instigated by Malik Shah

in Syria

Seljuq Bilad al-sham in the Sixth/Twelfth Century

The Türkmen in Syria

Conclusion: Reassessing Seljuq Bilad al-sham

Notes

Introduction: Part II

4 The Reactions of Seljuq, Fatimid and Syrian Elites

The ‘counter-Crusade’ and ‘la maqam’ Paradigms

The Seljuq counter-Crusade

The Fatimid counter-Crusade

Alliance Networks among Syrian Elites in the Early Crusading Era

Notes

5 The Notables and Frontiers of Aleppo

The Empowerment of Syrian Notables

Appeals for Assistance

The Frontiers of Bilad halab

Revisiting Baldwin II’s Siege of Aleppo

Conclusion: Aleppan Notables and the Threat of Frankish Rule

Conclusion: Situating the Crusades in Syrian History

Appendices

Bibliography

Index