Battle of Harran
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Harran took place on May 7, 1104 between the Crusader states
of the Principality of Antioch
and the County of Edessa
, and the Seljuk Turks. It was the first major battle against the newfound Crusader states in the aftermath of the First Crusade
marking a key turning point against Frankish
expansion. The battle had a disastrous effect on the Principality of Antioch
as the Turks regained territory earlier lost.
had attacked and besieged the city of Harran
. For his further support Baldwin sought help from Bohemond I of Antioch and Tancred, Prince of Galilee
. Bohemond and Tancred marched north from Antioch
to Edessa
to join with Baldwin and Joscelin of Courtenay
, accompanied by Bernard of Valence the Patriarch of Antioch
, Daimbert of Pisa the Patriarch of Jerusalem
, and Benedict the Archbishop of Edessa.
The Seljuks, under Jikirmish, governor of Mosul
, and Sokman, the Artuqid lord of Mardin
, gathered in the area of the Khabur, perhaps at Ra's al-'ain (Hellenistic Rhesaina). In May 1104 they attacked Edessa, perhaps to distract the crusaders from Harran, perhaps to take the city while the crusaders were elsewhere engaged.
, Tancred and Bohemund arrived at Edessa during the siege, but according to Chronicle of 1234
they arrived first at the gates of Harran. In any case, the Seljuks rode away from the crusaders, feigning a retreat and the crusaders followed.
The Seljuks feigned retreat in the preliminary skirmishes while the Crusaders continued their pursuit south. The contemporary chronicler Matthew of Edessa reports a pursuit of two days while Ralph of Caen reports three days. According to Ibn al-Athir, the main battle was fought twelve kilometres from Harran.
Most historians accept the accounts of Albert of Aachen and Fulcher of Chartres
, who located the battle on the plain (planitie) opposite the city of ar-Raqqah
, Ar-Raqqah being about two days away from Harran.
Baldwin and Joscelin commanded the Edessan left wing while Bohemond and Tancred commanded the Antiochene right. Ralph of Caen says that the crusaders were caught unawares when the Seljuks turned to fight, so much so that Baldwin and Bohemond fought without armor.
During the battle itself, Baldwin's troops were completely routed, with Baldwin and Joscelin captured by the Turks. The Antiochene troops along with Bohemond were able to escape to Edessa. However, Jikirmish had only taken a small amount of booty, so he purloined Baldwin from Sokman's camp. Although a ransom was paid, Joscelin and Baldwin were not released until sometime before 1108, and 1108 respectively.
. The Byzantine Empire
took advantage of the defeat to impose their claims on Antioch, and recaptured Latakia
and parts of Cilicia
. Many of the towns ruled by Antioch revolted and were re-occupied by Muslim forces from Aleppo. Armenia
n territories also revolted in favour of the Byzantines or Armenia. Furthermore, these events caused Bohemund to return to Italy to recruit more troops, leaving Tancred as regent of Antioch.
William of Tyre
wrote that there was no battle more disastrous than this. Although Antioch recovered by the next year, the Byzantine emperor Alexius I Comnenus imposed the Treaty of Devol
on Bohemond, which would have made Antioch a vassal
of the empire had Tancred agreed to it. Antioch was again crushed at the Battle of Ager Sanguinis
in 1119; Edessa never really recovered and survived until 1144 only because of divisions among the Muslims.
Crusader states
The Crusader states were a number of mostly 12th- and 13th-century feudal states created by Western European crusaders in Asia Minor, Greece and the Holy Land , and during the Northern Crusades in the eastern Baltic area...
of the Principality of Antioch
Principality of Antioch
The Principality of Antioch, including parts of modern-day Turkey and Syria, was one of the crusader states created during the First Crusade.-Foundation:...
and the County of Edessa
County of Edessa
The County of Edessa was one of the Crusader states in the 12th century, based around Edessa, a city with an ancient history and an early tradition of Christianity....
, and the Seljuk Turks. It was the first major battle against the newfound Crusader states in the aftermath of the First Crusade
First Crusade
The First Crusade was a military expedition by Western Christianity to regain the Holy Lands taken in the Muslim conquest of the Levant, ultimately resulting in the recapture of Jerusalem...
marking a key turning point against Frankish
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
expansion. The battle had a disastrous effect on the Principality of Antioch
Principality of Antioch
The Principality of Antioch, including parts of modern-day Turkey and Syria, was one of the crusader states created during the First Crusade.-Foundation:...
as the Turks regained territory earlier lost.
Background
In 1104 Baldwin II of EdessaBaldwin II of Jerusalem
Baldwin II of Jerusalem , formerly Baldwin II of Edessa, also called Baldwin of Bourcq, born Baldwin of Rethel was the second count of Edessa from 1100 to 1118, and the third king of Jerusalem from 1118 until his death.-Ancestry:Baldwin was the son of Hugh, count of Rethel, and his wife Melisende,...
had attacked and besieged the city of Harran
Harran
Harran was a major ancient city in Upper Mesopotamia whose site is near the modern village of Altınbaşak, Turkey, 24 miles southeast of Şanlıurfa...
. For his further support Baldwin sought help from Bohemond I of Antioch and Tancred, Prince of Galilee
Tancred, Prince of Galilee
Tancred was a Norman leader of the First Crusade who later became Prince of Galilee and regent of the Principality of Antioch...
. Bohemond and Tancred marched north from Antioch
Antioch
Antioch on the Orontes was an ancient city on the eastern side of the Orontes River. It is near the modern city of Antakya, Turkey.Founded near the end of the 4th century BC by Seleucus I Nicator, one of Alexander the Great's generals, Antioch eventually rivaled Alexandria as the chief city of the...
to Edessa
Edessa, Mesopotamia
Edessa is the Greek name of an Aramaic town in northern Mesopotamia, as refounded by Seleucus I Nicator. For the modern history of the city, see Şanlıurfa.-Names:...
to join with Baldwin and Joscelin of Courtenay
Joscelin I, Count of Edessa
Joscelin of Courtenay , Prince of Galilee and Lord of Turbessel and Count of Edessa , ruled over the County of Edessa during its zenith, from 1118 to 1131...
, accompanied by Bernard of Valence the Patriarch of Antioch
Latin Patriarch of Antioch
The Latin Patriarch of Antioch was an office created in 1098 by Bohemund, founder of the Principality of Antioch, one of the crusader states....
, Daimbert of Pisa the Patriarch of Jerusalem
Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem
The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem is the title possessed by the Latin Rite Catholic Archbishop of Jerusalem. The Archdiocese of Jerusalem has jurisdiction for all Latin Rite Catholics in Israel, the Palestinian Territories, Jordan and Cyprus...
, and Benedict the Archbishop of Edessa.
The Seljuks, under Jikirmish, governor of Mosul
Mosul
Mosul , is a city in northern Iraq and the capital of the Ninawa Governorate, some northwest of Baghdad. The original city stands on the west bank of the Tigris River, opposite the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh on the east bank, but the metropolitan area has now grown to encompass substantial...
, and Sokman, the Artuqid lord of Mardin
Mardin
Mardin is a city in southeastern Turkey. The capital of Mardin Province, it is known for its Arabic-like architecture, and for its strategic location on a rocky mountain overlooking the plains of northern Syria.-History:...
, gathered in the area of the Khabur, perhaps at Ra's al-'ain (Hellenistic Rhesaina). In May 1104 they attacked Edessa, perhaps to distract the crusaders from Harran, perhaps to take the city while the crusaders were elsewhere engaged.
The battle
According to Ibn al-QalanisiIbn al-Qalanisi
Hamza ibn Asad abu Ya'la ibn al-Qalanisi was an Arab politician and chronicler in Damascus in the 12th century.He descended from the Banu Tamim tribe, and was among the well-educated nobility of the city of Damascus...
, Tancred and Bohemund arrived at Edessa during the siege, but according to Chronicle of 1234
Chronicle of 1234
The Chronicle of 1234 is an anonymous West Syriac universal history from Creation until AD 1234. The unknown author was probably from Edessa. The Chronicle only survives in fragments, from which it is known to be divided into two parts: the first on ecclesiastical history, the second on secular...
they arrived first at the gates of Harran. In any case, the Seljuks rode away from the crusaders, feigning a retreat and the crusaders followed.
The Seljuks feigned retreat in the preliminary skirmishes while the Crusaders continued their pursuit south. The contemporary chronicler Matthew of Edessa reports a pursuit of two days while Ralph of Caen reports three days. According to Ibn al-Athir, the main battle was fought twelve kilometres from Harran.
Most historians accept the accounts of Albert of Aachen and Fulcher of Chartres
Fulcher of Chartres
Fulcher of Chartres was a chronicler of the First Crusade. He wrote in Latin.- Life :His appointment as chaplain of Baldwin of Boulogne in 1097 suggests that he had been trained as a priest, most likely at the school in Chartres...
, who located the battle on the plain (planitie) opposite the city of ar-Raqqah
Ar Raqqah
Ar-Raqqah , also spelled Rakka, is a city in north central Syria located on the north bank of the Euphrates, about 160 km east of Aleppo. It is the capital of the Ar-Raqqah Governorate and one of the main cities of the historical Diyār Muḍar, the western part of the Jazīra...
, Ar-Raqqah being about two days away from Harran.
Baldwin and Joscelin commanded the Edessan left wing while Bohemond and Tancred commanded the Antiochene right. Ralph of Caen says that the crusaders were caught unawares when the Seljuks turned to fight, so much so that Baldwin and Bohemond fought without armor.
During the battle itself, Baldwin's troops were completely routed, with Baldwin and Joscelin captured by the Turks. The Antiochene troops along with Bohemond were able to escape to Edessa. However, Jikirmish had only taken a small amount of booty, so he purloined Baldwin from Sokman's camp. Although a ransom was paid, Joscelin and Baldwin were not released until sometime before 1108, and 1108 respectively.
Significance
The battle was one of the first decisive Crusader defeats with severe consequences to the Principality of AntiochPrincipality of Antioch
The Principality of Antioch, including parts of modern-day Turkey and Syria, was one of the crusader states created during the First Crusade.-Foundation:...
. The Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
took advantage of the defeat to impose their claims on Antioch, and recaptured Latakia
Latakia
Latakia, or Latakiyah , is the principal port city of Syria, as well as the capital of the Latakia Governorate. In addition to serving as a port, the city is a manufacturing center for surrounding agricultural towns and villages...
and parts of Cilicia
Cilicia
In antiquity, Cilicia was the south coastal region of Asia Minor, south of the central Anatolian plateau. It existed as a political entity from Hittite times into the Byzantine empire...
. Many of the towns ruled by Antioch revolted and were re-occupied by Muslim forces from Aleppo. Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
n territories also revolted in favour of the Byzantines or Armenia. Furthermore, these events caused Bohemund to return to Italy to recruit more troops, leaving Tancred as regent of Antioch.
William of Tyre
William of Tyre
William of Tyre was a medieval prelate and chronicler. As archbishop of Tyre, he is sometimes known as William II to distinguish him from a predecessor, William of Malines...
wrote that there was no battle more disastrous than this. Although Antioch recovered by the next year, the Byzantine emperor Alexius I Comnenus imposed the Treaty of Devol
Treaty of Devol
The Treaty of Devol was an agreement made in 1108 between Bohemond I of Antioch and Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos, in the wake of the First Crusade. It is named after the Byzantine fortress of Devol in Macedonia...
on Bohemond, which would have made Antioch a vassal
Vassal
A vassal or feudatory is a person who has entered into a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. The obligations often included military support and mutual protection, in exchange for certain privileges, usually including the grant of land held...
of the empire had Tancred agreed to it. Antioch was again crushed at the Battle of Ager Sanguinis
Battle of Ager Sanguinis
In the Battle of Ager Sanguinis, also known as the Battle of the Field of Blood, the Battle of Sarmada, or the Battle of Balat, Roger of Salerno's Crusader army of the Principality of Antioch was annihilated by the army of Ilghazi of Mardin, the Artuqid ruler of Aleppo on June 28,...
in 1119; Edessa never really recovered and survived until 1144 only because of divisions among the Muslims.