What were the consequences of the Field of Blood? Flashcards
what were the 3 main consequences of the field of blood?
- Growing Muslim threat
- Preoccupation with Antioch
- Increased External Support for Outremer
why did Il-Ghazi (new ruler of Aleppo) launch an aggressive push west to threaten Antioch in 1119?
In response to expansion of Christian settlements near Aleppo
where did Il-Ghazi surround the army of Prince Roger of Antioch?
Sarmuda
how many knights and foot soldiers of the Frankish force at the Field of Blood were slain or captured?
nearly all 700 knights and 3000 foot soldiers
why could the Battle of the Field of Blood be seen to mark the first time that jihad imagery had been used with any frequency in the crusading period?
due to the Presence of an Aleppan preacher, Ibn al-Khashshab, to raise the morale of the army
give evidence that the victory at the Field of Blood inspired the development of the use of jihad as a catalyst for action against the Franks
jihad references become more explicitly evident in some of the evidence from inscriptions and tombs from this period
give an example of jihad references in inscriptions and tombs from the period following the field of blood
The memorials of the Muslim leaders Tughtegin and Balak both noted their role in the defence of Islam
how did Balak (nephew and successor of Il-Ghazi) build upon some of the mythos that had developed around his uncle after the Field of Blood?
- 1124: on Balak’s death, he was described as the ‘sword of those who fight the holy war’
1124: on Balak’s death, he was described as the ‘sword of those who fight the holy war’
what was Balak’s crowning achievement in the name of jihad?
Autumn 1122: captured Joscelin of Edessa and, with Antioch leaderless after Roger’s death, Baldwin II had little choice than to march north and defend his own territory where he, too, was captured
what are some limitations to the theory that the growing Muslim threat was the main consequence of the Field of Blood?
- Il-Ghazi’s position was not as strong as it first appears
- Balak’s death highlights the limitations of Muslim unity
- Balak’s successor in Aleppo, his cousin Timurtash, showed no interest in war against the Franks
- The rise of Zengi from 1127 onwards provoked much opposition within the Muslim world
why was Il-Ghazi’s position not as strong as it first appears?
- His son rapidly revolted against him
- 1121: He was decisively defeated by George IV, King of Georgia, after his unsuccessful invasion of Georgia
how did Il-Ghazi’s death cause disunity among Muslims?
1122: Il-Ghazi died and his sons divided up his domains between them
how does Balak’s death highlight the limitations of Muslim unity?
he was killed whilst besieging the fortress of a rebel vassal which prevented him from marching, as he had planned, to the defence of Tyre, which then fell to the Franks
why did Balak’s successor in Aleppo, his cousin Timurtash, show no interest in war against the Franks?
he was more concerned with taking over territories of his deceased brother Suleiman, around Mardin, far east of Outremer
what event emphasises how little Timurtash was interested in war against the Franks?
when Baldwin II (once released) tried to press home to advantage by besieging Aleppo, the city’s deliverance actually came from Mosul, whose governor al-Bursuqi forced Baldwin to retreat
what are some limitations to the theory that a preoccupation with antioch was the main consequence of the field of blood?
- 1126: The arrival of Bohemond II reduced this
- Fulk’s later regency was a result of Bohemond II’s death which was only indirectly related to the military weakness of Antioch from the Field of Blood.
what are some limitations to the theory that increased external support for outremer was the main consequence of the field of blood?
- 1120-24 Venetian Crusade did not go to help/support Antioch which is important considering that it was a consequence of the Field of Blood.
- The additional ‘crusade’ to attack Damascus in 1129 was a fiasco and achieved little.
- The number of minor crusades in this period was still very small. There was little crusading activity 1130-44.
- Relations with Byzantium remained very poor so possible help did not come from there until the late 1130s.
why did a preoccupation with antioch develop in the aftermath of the field of blood?
- Destruction of much of the Norman Antiochene nobility at the Field of Blood had a profound impact upon the Franks of Northern Syria as co-operation with the Kingdom of Jerusalem was now a necessity.
- There was an increased threat to Antioch from the Byzantines and the Turks because of the Principality’s new and increasing weakness.
how did the people of Jerusalem react to Baldwin II’s absences from the city?
During Baldwin II’s reign there appears to have been a growing resentment among the Jerusalem nobility at the need to protect the increasingly vulnerable principality of Antioch.
what heightened the growing resentment among the Jerusalem nobility at the need to protect the increasingly vulnerable principality of Antioch?
Antioch offered Jerusalem no assistance in the siege of Tyre (1124), during Baldwin’s captivity.
what evidence is there that support from Jerusalem was necessary to Antioch in the aftermath of the field of blood?
- June 1119-December 1126: Baldwin spent less than 40% of his time in the kingdom of Jerusalem due to problems in Antioch (or his captivity).
- August-December 1122: Baldwin II took his chancellor, Pagan, with him to Antioch, depriving the kingdom of its chancellor and obliging those needing documentation from the king to travel to Antioch.
- Baldwin II took the True Cross and Royal Seal with him to Antioch which caused more opposition to the king’s frequent absences.
what evidence is there that There was an increased threat to Antioch from the Byzantines and the Turks because of the Principality’s new and increasing weakness.?
- on 15 occasions 1110-37 the kings of Jerusalem assisted Antioch, and for 13 of those years the king acted as regent in the principality.
- June 1120: Il-Ghazi threatened Antiochene territory; as regent, Baldwin II was obliged to help
why did Baldwin II help Antioch so much?
it was unwise to allow Antioch to become too weak.
in what ways did the field of blood increase external support for outremer?
- Establishment of Military Orders
- Help from Venice
- King Baldwin II used the field of blood to rally another ‘crusade’ for a projected attack on Damascus in 1129.
what were the 2 key drivers in the establishment of the Templars.?
Defeat at the Field of Blood was, along with a massacre of 300 pilgrims near the River Jordan at Easter 1119
how did the field of blood influence the council of nablus?
- January 1120: at Council of Nablus the crisis facing the crusader states was discussed.
- This resulted in the first direct appeal to Pope Calixtus II for a new crusade to the Holy Land and a further entreaty for help to Venice.
what did the venetian crusade achieve?
1124: With Venetian help the Franks of Jerusalem captured the heavily fortified city of Tyre
