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Crusade of 1129
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Crusade of 1129
The Crusade of 1129 or the Damascus Crusade was a military campaign of the Kingdom of Jerusalem with forces from the other Crusader states and from western Europe against the Emirate of Damascus. The brainchild of King Baldwin II of Jerusalem, the crusade failed to meet its military objectives. Its diplomatic preliminaries, however, secured the succession to the throne of Jerusalem and papal backing for the Knights Templar.
Baldwin II launched raids into Damascene territory in 1125 and 1126, culminating in the failed Battle of Marj al-Saffar. The raids convinced him that he needed outside support to take the city. For this purpose he sent three embassies to western Europe in 1127–1128. Historian Steven Runciman argues that the death of Ṭughtigin, emir of Damascus, on 11 February 1128 caused Baldwin to plan another attempt on Damascus, but the evidence that an embassy had already been sent in 1127 suggests that the decision had already been made. Baldwin did not campaign in 1127 or 1128, which further suggests that he was building up his forces rather than acting opportunistically.
In 1127, Baldwin dispatched Hugh of Payns to Europe to recruit powerful men to the cause of a campaign against Damascus. He also sought papal approval of his military order, the Templars. Baldwin also sent William of Bures and Guy Brisebarre to arrange the marriage of his heiress Melisende with Count Fulk V of Anjou. They left in the late summer or fall of 1127 and returned by May 1129. Fulk was a wealthy widower who had previously made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem in 1120. The third embassy, undertaken by Archbishop William I of Tyre and Bishop Roger of Ramla, was to secure the approval of Pope Honorius II for the marriage, since it would result in Fulk becoming king of Jerusalem upon Baldwin's death. In a letter of May 1128, Honorius confirmed Baldwin as the legitimate king of Jerusalem and approved Fulk as his heir.
It is not certain if Baldwin received a papal endorsement for his offensive action. Jonathan Phillips calls it "an early example of a crusade that was wholly aggressive in its purpose". In terms of protecting the Holy Places, it could be justified only as the removal of a nearby threat. Circumstantial evidence suggests that it may have received papal approval. Charters show prospective Crusaders taking their vows in exchange for the remission of sins, something only the church could have guaranteed. A papal legate, Bishop Gerard of Angoulême, was present when Fulk, having accepted the marriage proposal, made his vow at Le Mans in May 1128. Hugh did not personally meet the pope, however, but only a papal legate, Matthew of Albano, at the Council of Troyes in January 1129, where the rule of the Templars was approved. The absence of direct evidence of papal involvement may indicate "lack of clarity in how crusades should be started" at this early date.
The recruitment of the crusade was unique. It was undertaken entirely by Baldwin's agents, principally Hugh of Payns. There is no evidence of preaching. The only previous expedition recruited in this way was the Crusade of 1107, which was recruited in France by its leader Bohemond I of Antioch, who had papal approval. No subsequent crusade was recruited by men sent from the Crusader states but rather by European preachers.
It is unknown how many Crusaders Hugh recruited in Europe. Both Christian and Muslim sources agree that the army Fulk brought with him was a large one. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, "there went with [Hugh of Payns] and after him so large a number of people as never had done since the first expedition", i.e., the First Crusade of 1096–1099. The Gesta Ambaziensium dominorum records "innumerable knights and foot soldiers and many men of consular rank", i.e., counts. The recruits came mostly from Anjou, Champagne, Flanders, Normandy and Provence. There is some evidence that Hugh recruited in England and Scotland. He received a large sum of money from King Henry I of England. According to Orderic Vitalis, many of William Clito's followers joined the crusade after the assassination of their lord.
The army for the Damascus campaign was not raised entirely in Europe. The other Crusader states—the Principality of Antioch, the County of Edessa and the County of Tripoli—also sent forces led personally by their respective rulers—Bohemond II, Joscelin I and Pons. The contemporary Damascene chronicler Ibn al-Ḳalānisī places the total force raised by both Hugh and Fulk at 60,000 men, mostly infantry. Ibn al-Athīr, writing in the 13th century, gives the number of knights as 2,000 and the infantry as numerous. Thomas Asbridge estimates the size of the combined army (including the Crusader states' forces) at 2,000 knights and 10,000 infantry. Jamal Al-Zanki estimates the army at 30,000 with 2,000 knights.
Ibn al-Ḳalānisī says that Damascus had 8,000 mercenaries and volunteers drawn from the Bedouin and the Turcomans. This was in addition to the regular army, which was mostly composed of Turcomans and probably numbered about 7,000. The commander of the Bedouin auxiliares was Murra ibn Rabīʿa. According to Ibn al-Ḳalānisī, the Turcoman auxiliaries in the Damascene army looked forward to fighting infidels, an attitude that seems to presage the rise of jihadist politics among the Muslims.
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Crusade of 1129
The Crusade of 1129 or the Damascus Crusade was a military campaign of the Kingdom of Jerusalem with forces from the other Crusader states and from western Europe against the Emirate of Damascus. The brainchild of King Baldwin II of Jerusalem, the crusade failed to meet its military objectives. Its diplomatic preliminaries, however, secured the succession to the throne of Jerusalem and papal backing for the Knights Templar.
Baldwin II launched raids into Damascene territory in 1125 and 1126, culminating in the failed Battle of Marj al-Saffar. The raids convinced him that he needed outside support to take the city. For this purpose he sent three embassies to western Europe in 1127–1128. Historian Steven Runciman argues that the death of Ṭughtigin, emir of Damascus, on 11 February 1128 caused Baldwin to plan another attempt on Damascus, but the evidence that an embassy had already been sent in 1127 suggests that the decision had already been made. Baldwin did not campaign in 1127 or 1128, which further suggests that he was building up his forces rather than acting opportunistically.
In 1127, Baldwin dispatched Hugh of Payns to Europe to recruit powerful men to the cause of a campaign against Damascus. He also sought papal approval of his military order, the Templars. Baldwin also sent William of Bures and Guy Brisebarre to arrange the marriage of his heiress Melisende with Count Fulk V of Anjou. They left in the late summer or fall of 1127 and returned by May 1129. Fulk was a wealthy widower who had previously made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem in 1120. The third embassy, undertaken by Archbishop William I of Tyre and Bishop Roger of Ramla, was to secure the approval of Pope Honorius II for the marriage, since it would result in Fulk becoming king of Jerusalem upon Baldwin's death. In a letter of May 1128, Honorius confirmed Baldwin as the legitimate king of Jerusalem and approved Fulk as his heir.
It is not certain if Baldwin received a papal endorsement for his offensive action. Jonathan Phillips calls it "an early example of a crusade that was wholly aggressive in its purpose". In terms of protecting the Holy Places, it could be justified only as the removal of a nearby threat. Circumstantial evidence suggests that it may have received papal approval. Charters show prospective Crusaders taking their vows in exchange for the remission of sins, something only the church could have guaranteed. A papal legate, Bishop Gerard of Angoulême, was present when Fulk, having accepted the marriage proposal, made his vow at Le Mans in May 1128. Hugh did not personally meet the pope, however, but only a papal legate, Matthew of Albano, at the Council of Troyes in January 1129, where the rule of the Templars was approved. The absence of direct evidence of papal involvement may indicate "lack of clarity in how crusades should be started" at this early date.
The recruitment of the crusade was unique. It was undertaken entirely by Baldwin's agents, principally Hugh of Payns. There is no evidence of preaching. The only previous expedition recruited in this way was the Crusade of 1107, which was recruited in France by its leader Bohemond I of Antioch, who had papal approval. No subsequent crusade was recruited by men sent from the Crusader states but rather by European preachers.
It is unknown how many Crusaders Hugh recruited in Europe. Both Christian and Muslim sources agree that the army Fulk brought with him was a large one. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, "there went with [Hugh of Payns] and after him so large a number of people as never had done since the first expedition", i.e., the First Crusade of 1096–1099. The Gesta Ambaziensium dominorum records "innumerable knights and foot soldiers and many men of consular rank", i.e., counts. The recruits came mostly from Anjou, Champagne, Flanders, Normandy and Provence. There is some evidence that Hugh recruited in England and Scotland. He received a large sum of money from King Henry I of England. According to Orderic Vitalis, many of William Clito's followers joined the crusade after the assassination of their lord.
The army for the Damascus campaign was not raised entirely in Europe. The other Crusader states—the Principality of Antioch, the County of Edessa and the County of Tripoli—also sent forces led personally by their respective rulers—Bohemond II, Joscelin I and Pons. The contemporary Damascene chronicler Ibn al-Ḳalānisī places the total force raised by both Hugh and Fulk at 60,000 men, mostly infantry. Ibn al-Athīr, writing in the 13th century, gives the number of knights as 2,000 and the infantry as numerous. Thomas Asbridge estimates the size of the combined army (including the Crusader states' forces) at 2,000 knights and 10,000 infantry. Jamal Al-Zanki estimates the army at 30,000 with 2,000 knights.
Ibn al-Ḳalānisī says that Damascus had 8,000 mercenaries and volunteers drawn from the Bedouin and the Turcomans. This was in addition to the regular army, which was mostly composed of Turcomans and probably numbered about 7,000. The commander of the Bedouin auxiliares was Murra ibn Rabīʿa. According to Ibn al-Ḳalānisī, the Turcoman auxiliaries in the Damascene army looked forward to fighting infidels, an attitude that seems to presage the rise of jihadist politics among the Muslims.