Principality of Galilee
Encyclopedia
The Principality of Galilee was one of the four major seigneuries of the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem
, according to 13th-century commentator John of Ibelin
. The direct holdings of the principality were around Tiberias, in Galilee proper, but with all its vassals, the lordship covered all Galilee and southern Phoenicia
(today Lebanon
). The lordship of Galilee had a disproportionate number of sub-vassals. The independent Sidon was located between Galilee's holdings. There are reasons to doubt Galilee's position as overlord of some of those.
The principality was established, at least in name, in 1099 when Tancred
was given Tiberias, Haifa
, and Bethsan by Godfrey of Bouillon
. In 1101 Baldwin I
limited Tancred's power by giving Haifa to Galdemar Carpenel, and Tancred was forced to give up the principality and become regent in Antioch
. The principality became the fief of the families of St. Omer, Montfaucon (Falcomberques), and then Bures, and its main seat was in Tiberias; thus it was sometimes also called the Principality of Tiberias or the Tiberiad. The Principality was destroyed by Saladin
in 1187, although the title was used as dignity by relatives and younger sons of the kings of Cyprus
(the titular kings of Jerusalem) afterwards.
The Principality also had its own vassals, the Lordships of Beirut
, Nazareth
, and Haifa, which often had their own sub-vassals. Their number and the big size and significance of some of those was disproportionate.
(Italicized names are of titular lords.)
The sub-vassals of Beirut were:
was given to Baldwin II
by the Assassins
in 1128. Baldwin gave it to Renier Brus, who also ruled the lordship of Assebebe, which was eventually merged with Banias. Renier's daughter married Humphrey II of Toron
, who became lord of Banias around 1148. He sold parts of Banias and Chastel Neuf to the Knights Hospitaller
in 1157. Banias was merged with Toron until it fell to Nur ad-Din Zangi in 1164, and when it was recovered it became part of the Seigneury of Joscelin III of Edessa (see below).
was built by Hugh of St. Omer, second prince of Galilee, to help capture Tyre. After Hugh's death it was made an independent seigneury, given to Humphrey I
in 1107. The lords of Toron tended to be very influential in the kingdom; Humphrey II was constable of Jerusalem. Humphrey IV
was married to Isabella
, Amalric I's daughter (Toron passed into the royal domain during their marriage, and was then captured by Saladin, but its title was returned to Humphrey IV after their divorce). It was also one of the few to have a straight hereditary succession in male line, at least for some generations. The lords of Toron were also connected to the Lordship of Oultrejordain by the marriage of Humphrey III and the maternal inheritance of Humphrey IV. Toron was later merged with the royal domain of Tyre which went to a branch of Antioch, then their heirs from Montfort. Toron was lost in 1266.
Toron had two vassals of its own, the Lordship of Castel Neuf and the Lordship of Toron Ahmud. Chastel Neuf was built by Hugh of St. Omer around 1105 but was later given to the Hospitallers, until it fell to Nur ad-Din in 1167. Toron Ahmud remained in the Lordship of Beirut until John of Ibelin sold it to the Teutonic Knights
in 1261.
For a fuller account of the lordship and the feudal family, see Toron
.
was partly an ecclesiastical domain ruled by the Archbishop of Nazareth
, and partly created from other lands in the Principality of Galilee.
Kingdom of Jerusalem
The Kingdom of Jerusalem was a Catholic kingdom established in the Levant in 1099 after the First Crusade. The kingdom lasted nearly two hundred years, from 1099 until 1291 when the last remaining possession, Acre, was destroyed by the Mamluks, but its history is divided into two distinct periods....
, according to 13th-century commentator John of Ibelin
John of Ibelin (jurist)
John of Ibelin , count of Jaffa and Ascalon, was a noted jurist and the author of the longest legal treatise from the Kingdom of Jerusalem. He was the son of Philip of Ibelin, bailli of the Kingdom of Cyprus, and Alice of Montbéliard, and was the nephew of John of Ibelin, the "Old Lord of Beirut"...
. The direct holdings of the principality were around Tiberias, in Galilee proper, but with all its vassals, the lordship covered all Galilee and southern Phoenicia
Phoenicia
Phoenicia , was an ancient civilization in Canaan which covered most of the western, coastal part of the Fertile Crescent. Several major Phoenician cities were built on the coastline of the Mediterranean. It was an enterprising maritime trading culture that spread across the Mediterranean from 1550...
(today Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
). The lordship of Galilee had a disproportionate number of sub-vassals. The independent Sidon was located between Galilee's holdings. There are reasons to doubt Galilee's position as overlord of some of those.
The principality was established, at least in name, in 1099 when Tancred
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...
was given Tiberias, Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
, and Bethsan by Godfrey of Bouillon
Godfrey of Bouillon
Godfrey of Bouillon was a medieval Frankish knight who was one of the leaders of the First Crusade from 1096 until his death. He was the Lord of Bouillon, from which he took his byname, from 1076 and the Duke of Lower Lorraine from 1087...
. In 1101 Baldwin I
Baldwin I of Jerusalem
Baldwin I of Jerusalem, formerly Baldwin I of Edessa, born Baldwin of Boulogne , 1058? – 2 April 1118, was one of the leaders of the First Crusade, who became the first Count of Edessa and then the second ruler and first titled King of Jerusalem...
limited Tancred's power by giving Haifa to Galdemar Carpenel, and Tancred was forced to give up the principality and become regent in 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:...
. The principality became the fief of the families of St. Omer, Montfaucon (Falcomberques), and then Bures, and its main seat was in Tiberias; thus it was sometimes also called the Principality of Tiberias or the Tiberiad. The Principality was destroyed by Saladin
Saladin
Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb , better known in the Western world as Saladin, was an Arabized Kurdish Muslim, who became the first Sultan of Egypt and Syria, and founded the Ayyubid dynasty. He led Muslim and Arab opposition to the Franks and other European Crusaders in the Levant...
in 1187, although the title was used as dignity by relatives and younger sons of the kings of Cyprus
Kingdom of Cyprus
The Kingdom of Cyprus was a Crusader kingdom on the island of Cyprus in the high and late Middle Ages, between 1192 and 1489. It was ruled by the French House of Lusignan.-History:...
(the titular kings of Jerusalem) afterwards.
Princes of Galilee
Italicized names are of titular princes.- TancredTancred, Prince of GalileeTancred was a Norman leader of the First Crusade who later became Prince of Galilee and regent of the Principality of Antioch...
(1099 – 1101) - Hugh of Saint OmerHugh of Saint OmerHugh of Saint Omer was the Prince of Galilee and Lord of Tiberias from 1101 to his death. Fauquembergues and Saint Omer are both situated near each other...
(1101 – 1106) - Gervaise de Bazoches (1106 – 1108)
- TancredTancred, Prince of GalileeTancred was a Norman leader of the First Crusade who later became Prince of Galilee and regent of the Principality of Antioch...
, again (1109 – 1112) - Joscelin I of Courtenay (1112 – 1119)
- William I of BuresWilliam I of BuresWilliam of Bures was a French crusader from Bures-sur-Yvette, Ile-de-France.He arrived in the Kingdom of Jerusalem before 1115, with his brother Geoffrey. They were vassals of Joscelin I of Edessa....
(1120 – 1141) - Elinard of Bures (1142 – 1148)
- William II of BuresWilliam II of BuresWilliam II of Bures was a Crusader lord of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. He was Prince of Galilee from 1148 to his death as successor of his brother Elinard.William is a poorly known figure...
(1148 – 1158) - Gautier of Saint Omer (1159 – 1171) first husband Eschiva of Bures, Elinardo sister and William II of Bures
- Raymond III of TripoliRaymond III of TripoliRaymond III of Tripoli was Count of Tripoli from 1152 to 1187 and Prince of Galilee and Tiberias in right of his wife Eschiva.-Early life:...
(1174–1187) and his wife Eschiva de Bures - WilliamWilliam, Lord of TiberiasWilliam was the Lord of Tiberias and titular Prince of Galilee from 1187 until his death at an unknown date. He supported Guy of Lusignan over Conrad of Montferrat for the Kingdom of Jerusalem and joined Guy in besieing Acre in April 1189....
- Fulk
- Odo of Montbéliard
- Philip of Ibelin
- Balian II of Ibelin (?–1316)
- Bohemund of Lusignan (c. 1280)
- Guy of Lusignan (c. 1320–1343), son of Hugh IV of CyprusHugh IV of CyprusHugh IV of Cyprus was King of Cyprus from 31 March 1324 to his abdication, on 24 November 1358 and, nominally, King of Jerusalem, as Hugh II, until his death...
- Hugh of Lusignan (1343–1386), son of Guy of Lusignan
- John of Brie
- Henry of LusignanHenry of LusignanHenry of Lusignan or Henri de Lusignan , Titular Prince of Galilee, a military leader in Egypt, killed in action at Khirokitia or Chirokhitia, married ca 1406 his cousin Eleonore de Lusignan Henry of Lusignan or Henri de Lusignan (died 7 July 1427), Titular Prince of Galilee, a military leader in...
(?–1427), son of James I of CyprusJames I of CyprusJames I of Cyprus was Regent of Cyprus for his infant nephew Peter from 1369. When Peter died in 1382, James became King of Cyprus that year... - Philippe of LusignanHenry of LusignanHenry of Lusignan or Henri de Lusignan , Titular Prince of Galilee, a military leader in Egypt, killed in action at Khirokitia or Chirokhitia, married ca 1406 his cousin Eleonore de Lusignan Henry of Lusignan or Henri de Lusignan (died 7 July 1427), Titular Prince of Galilee, a military leader in...
(?–ca 1466), son of Henry of Lusignan
The Principality also had its own vassals, the Lordships of Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
, Nazareth
Nazareth
Nazareth is the largest city in the North District of Israel. Known as "the Arab capital of Israel," the population is made up predominantly of Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel...
, and Haifa, which often had their own sub-vassals. Their number and the big size and significance of some of those was disproportionate.
Lordship of Beirut
Beirut was captured in 1110 and given to Fulk of Guînes. It was one of the longest-lived seigneuries, surviving until the final collapse of the kingdom in 1291, although only as a tiny strip on the Mediterranean coast surrounding Beirut. It was important for trade with Europe, and had its own sub-vassals.(Italicized names are of titular lords.)
- Fulk of Guînes (1110–?)
- Peter
- Walter I Brisebarre (1125?–1166)
- Andronicus I Comnenus (1166–?)
- Walter II ?
- Walter III ?
- Balian of IbelinBalian of IbelinBalian of Ibelin was an important noble in the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem in the 12th century.-Early life:Balian was the youngest son of Barisan of Ibelin, and brother of Hugh and Baldwin. His father, a knight in the County of Jaffa, had been rewarded with the lordship of Ibelin after the...
(d. c. 1200) - John of IbelinJohn of Ibelin, the Old Lord of BeirutJohn of Ibelin , called the Old Lord of Beirut, was a powerful crusader noble in the 13th century, one of the best known representatives of the influential Ibelin family...
(c. 1200–1236) - Balian of Ibelin (1236–1247)
- John of Ibelin (1247–1264)
- Isabella of Ibelin (1264–1282) m1.(or only engaged) Hugh II of CyprusHugh II of CyprusHugh II of Cyprus was king of Cyprus and, from the age of 5 years, also Regent of the Kingdom of Jerusalem....
m2. Hamo LeStrange m3. Nicolas l'Aleman m4. Guillaume Barlais - Eschiva of Ibelin (1282–1291, titular 1291–1312) m1. Humphrey of Montfort m2. Guy of Lusignan
- Rupen of MontfortRupen of MontfortRupen of Montfort was a Cypriot nobleman, the second surviving son of Humphrey of Montfort and Eschive d'Ibelin.In 1299, Rupen married Marie d'Ibelin , daughter of Balian of Ibelin, Seneschal of Cyprus...
(1312–1313) - Guy of Ibelin (c. 1330)
- John of Lusignan (1384–?)
- John of Lusignan (?–c. 1456)
The sub-vassals of Beirut were:
Lordship of Banias
BaniasBanias
Banias is an archaeological site by the ancient city of Caesarea Philippi, located at the foot of Mount Hermon in the Golan Heights...
was given to Baldwin II
Baldwin 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,...
by the Assassins
Hashshashin
The Assassins were an order of Nizari Ismailis, particularly those of Persia that existed from around 1092 to 1265...
in 1128. Baldwin gave it to Renier Brus, who also ruled the lordship of Assebebe, which was eventually merged with Banias. Renier's daughter married Humphrey II of Toron
Humphrey II of Toron
Humphrey II of Toron was lord of Toron and constable of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.Humphrey had become lord of Toron sometime before 1140, when he married the daughter of Renier Brus, lord of Banias . Through this marriage Banias was added to Toron...
, who became lord of Banias around 1148. He sold parts of Banias and Chastel Neuf to the Knights Hospitaller
Knights Hospitaller
The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta , also known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta , Order of Malta or Knights of Malta, is a Roman Catholic lay religious order, traditionally of military, chivalrous, noble nature. It is the world's...
in 1157. Banias was merged with Toron until it fell to Nur ad-Din Zangi in 1164, and when it was recovered it became part of the Seigneury of Joscelin III of Edessa (see below).
- Renier Brus (1128–1148)
- Humphrey II of ToronHumphrey II of ToronHumphrey II of Toron was lord of Toron and constable of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.Humphrey had become lord of Toron sometime before 1140, when he married the daughter of Renier Brus, lord of Banias . Through this marriage Banias was added to Toron...
(1148–1164) - Joscelin III of EdessaJoscelin III of EdessaJoscelin III of Edessa was the titular Count of Edessa 1159 – after 1190. He was the son of Joscelin II of Edessa and his wife Beatrice...
?
Lordship of Toron
The castle of ToronToron
Toron, now Tibnin or Tebnine in southern Lebanon, was a major Crusader castle, built in the Lebanon mountains on the road from Tyre to Damascus....
was built by Hugh of St. Omer, second prince of Galilee, to help capture Tyre. After Hugh's death it was made an independent seigneury, given to Humphrey I
Humphrey I of Toron
Humphrey I of Toron , a Norman, appears initially in 1115 as a vassal of Josselin de Courtenay, prince of Tiberias; the castle at Toron having been built in the years after 1105, he most likely was its lord from that date, having taken part in the First Crusade.He was the father of Humphrey II of...
in 1107. The lords of Toron tended to be very influential in the kingdom; Humphrey II was constable of Jerusalem. Humphrey IV
Humphrey IV of Toron
Humphrey IV of Toron was the lord of Toron, Kerak, and Oultrejordain in the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem.-Biography:...
was married to Isabella
Isabella of Jerusalem
Isabella I was Queen regnant of Jerusalem from 1190/1192 until her death. By her four marriages, she was successively Lady of Toron, Marchioness of Montferrat, Countess of Champagne and Queen of Cyprus....
, Amalric I's daughter (Toron passed into the royal domain during their marriage, and was then captured by Saladin, but its title was returned to Humphrey IV after their divorce). It was also one of the few to have a straight hereditary succession in male line, at least for some generations. The lords of Toron were also connected to the Lordship of Oultrejordain by the marriage of Humphrey III and the maternal inheritance of Humphrey IV. Toron was later merged with the royal domain of Tyre which went to a branch of Antioch, then their heirs from Montfort. Toron was lost in 1266.
Toron had two vassals of its own, the Lordship of Castel Neuf and the Lordship of Toron Ahmud. Chastel Neuf was built by Hugh of St. Omer around 1105 but was later given to the Hospitallers, until it fell to Nur ad-Din in 1167. Toron Ahmud remained in the Lordship of Beirut until John of Ibelin sold it to the Teutonic Knights
Teutonic Knights
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem , commonly the Teutonic Order , is a German medieval military order, in modern times a purely religious Catholic order...
in 1261.
For a fuller account of the lordship and the feudal family, see Toron
Toron
Toron, now Tibnin or Tebnine in southern Lebanon, was a major Crusader castle, built in the Lebanon mountains on the road from Tyre to Damascus....
.
Lordship of Nazareth
Nazareth was the original site of the Latin Patriarch, established by Tancred. It was created as a seigneury in Galilee in 1115.Lordship of Haifa
HaifaHaifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
was partly an ecclesiastical domain ruled by the Archbishop of Nazareth
Archbishop of Nazareth
The Archbishop of Nazareth was one of the major suffragans of the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem during the crusades.The ancient diocese was located at Scythopolis, known as Bethsan to the crusaders. It was the metropolis of Palaestina Secunda. After Nazareth was captured following the First Crusade,...
, and partly created from other lands in the Principality of Galilee.
- Waldemar Carpenel
- Tancred
- Rorgius (?–1107)
- Pagan (1107–1112)
- royal domain (1112–1190)
- Vivian (c. 1140s)
- Pagan (1190–?)
- Rorgius II (?–1244?)
- Garsias Alvarez (c. 1250)
- Gilles d'Estrain (c. 1260)
- Miles ?
- Geoffrey
- Gilles II
- John of Valenciennes (c. 1310)
Sources
- John L. La Monte, Feudal Monarchy in the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem, 1100-1291. The Medieval Academy of America, 1932.
- Jonathan Riley-SmithJonathan Riley-SmithJonathan Simon Christopher Riley-Smith, K.St.J., Ph.D. MA, Litt.D., FRHistS is an historian of the Crusades, and a former Dixie Professor of Ecclesiastical History...
, The Feudal Nobility and the Kingdom of Jerusalem, 1174-1277. The Macmillan Press, 1973. - Steven RuncimanSteven RuncimanThe Hon. Sir James Cochran Stevenson Runciman CH — known as Steven Runciman — was a British historian known for his work on the Middle Ages...
, A History of the Crusades, Vol. II: The Kingdom of Jerusalem and the Frankish East, 1100-1187. Cambridge University PressCambridge University PressCambridge University Press is the publishing business of the University of Cambridge. Granted letters patent by Henry VIII in 1534, it is the world's oldest publishing house, and the second largest university press in the world...
, 1952. - Steven Tibble, Monarchy and Lordships in the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem, 1099-1291. Clarendon Press, 1989.