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The Situation of Eastern Mediterranean D
The Situation of Eastern Mediterranean D
Title of Thesis : The Situation of Eastern Mediterranean During the First Crusade
At the beginning of this thesis, firstly the geographical position and boundaries of the
Mediterranean were tried to be explained. Then the conditions of the period were evaluated by
focusing on the political events in the Mediterranean during the Eastern and Western Roman
Empires. The power of the Byzantine Empire, which retained its supremacy in the
Mediterranean for a long time after the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, was
diminished by the start of the expedition of Islamic fleets. In addition, with the arrival of the
Islamic conquests to the Byzantine borders, information on the effects of the longstanding
Islam-Byzantine struggle on the Mediterranean was given.
In the first chapter of the thesis, at the beginning of the First Crusade, the political
history of the governments in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East was evaluated
and the general situation of the region was explained. During the period, the information of
the characteristics of the Eastern Mediterranean port cities, which are among the important
social, economic and commercial life centers, was examined in light of the information, and
the changing social structure in the region and the activities of the Latins in the region were
explained.
In the second chapter of the thesis; The Italian city states that provided the success
of the First Crusade, are told along with their historical development process and their
activities until the First Crusade. After that, the preparations for the voyage from Genoa,
Venice and Pisa, their fleets and the battles in the Eastern Mediterranean were explained. In
addition, the roles and crucifixions of the Italian mariners were assessed.
In the third chapter, it is examined how the institutions of the Crusader states came
into being after the establishment of the Jerusalem Crusader Kingdom. It was tried to give
information about the state system in the first years of the kingdom by evaluating the
properties and features of these institutions. The concessions from the Crusaders and the
colonial activities initiated by Genoa, Pisa and Venice in the Eastern Mediterranean were
examined and their effects on the formation of Latin community structure were investigated.
Finally, the relations of the Italian colonies in the port cities with the Kingdom of Jerusalem
were evaluated.
The main problem studied in the thesis is that the First Crusade believes that only
land armies play an important role. Tried to prove that this thought was not true.
• What was the political situation in the Mediterranean before the First Crusade? How
did the idea of the Italian city states take over the Eastern Mediterranean?
• What is the effect of the naval forces in the success of the First Crusade?
• Which states supported the naval forces formed during the First Crusade.
• How did the first Latin community appear in the Eastern Mediterranean?
• What is the effect of the Italian City states in the settlement of the Latin population in
the Eastern Mediterranean?
• What is the effect of the First Crusade in reducing the political power of Muslims in
the Mediterranean and European domination in the Mediterranean?
• What were the effects of the trade colonies established by the Italian City States on the
Middle East and European economies?
• Would the First Crusade be successful without the help of the navy?
• What are the effects of the changes on the social structure and in the Mediterranean
port cities of the Italian Maritime States?
Hypothesis
• Are there any sources of information about the existence of naval forces on their way
to Jerusalem to aid the Crusaders?
• How did the Crusaders provide food and weapons that they needed?
• In the Latin sources there is information about the Italian city states preparing the navy
to provide military and food assistance to the Crusaders.
• There is information about the Crusaders receiving help from the Italian navy in the
First Crusade sources.
• During the First Crusade the communication between the Crusader leaders and Europe
was provided with the help of Italian maritime states.
• Sharing the booty seized during the First Crusade with the Italians is the result of their
effort.
• The Italian Maritime Republics established the Latin trade colonies in Eastern
Mediterrranean lands, taking on important tasks in the success of the First Crusade
and the establishment of the Latin Kingdom.
• Logistical support provided by the Italian naval forces, as well as the reasons for
joining the sieges, had more economical than the religious influences.
• After the First Crusade, the political and economic power in the Mediterranean
emerged from the domination of Muslims and was under the control of the Italian
maritime states.
• The reason for the success of the First Crusade is the financial support of Venice,
Genoa and Pisa.
• The formation of a social class of latin origin in the Middle East has been thanks to the
support of the Italians.
Unlike the other studies, this thesis focus on sea force during the First Crusade.
While the other works focus on the Crusade land armies, this work approached them
with a different perspective. It also examines the administrative and social structure of
the Latin kingdom, which dominated the Middle East for hundreds of years.
Research questions
1- Which sources give an information about Italian navy?
2- What was the political situation in the Mediterranean before the First Crusade?
3- When did the policy of the Italian city states reach the Eastern Mediterranean?
4- What is the effect of the naval forces in the success of the First Crusade?
5- Which states supported the naval forces formed during the First Crusade? How
was the financial resources of these fleets?
6- How was the first Latin community formed in the Eastern Mediterranean?
7- What was the political and military situation in the Mediterranean as a result of
the First Crusade?
8- What are the effects of İtalian trade colonies on the Middle East and European
economic life?
9- Did the influence of the Italian Maritime States change the social structure of the
Mediterranean port cities?
10- What are the characteristics of ships used by Italian seafarers?
Limitations
• This study includes the activities of the Crusaders between 1099 and 1110.
• The information given about the expression of similar events between Islamic sources
and Latin sources seems to be different. For this reason, all events that occurred during
the period were carefully studied.
• As there was not enough work on the this thesis topic and period, a rigorous and long
study was carried out in the process of obtaining the information.
Method
Qualitative (theoretical) method was used in the thesis. Latin and Islamic sources
that describe the political, social, economic and cultural events of the period were
compared. After the use of the main sources, research on the First Crusade and the Eastern
Mediterranean was put together by sorting the research pieces and prepared for the study.
In addition, during work on the subject local and foreign scientists and historians were
interviewed to check the accuracy and reliability of the information.
Conclusion
The influence of geography on the human and physical environment has been one of
the major factors determining the political life of nations throughout history. The Italian
maritime states Venice, Pisa and Genoa completed their political union in the wake of long
struggles under difficult geographical conditions. Having strong economic ties with the
Mediterranean, these city governments began to struggle for dominance at sea after having
provided political unity, which caused the competition to last for many years.
The Italians, who saw the call of the First Crusade as an opportunity and wanted to
evaluate this situation, gave great support to the success of the campaign. After the successful
conclusion of the campaign, the Italians realized the concessions they had obtained from the
Crusaders, building their colonies by protecting their economic independence
The Italians who set up independent Latin colonies in the Eastern Mediterranean soon
managed to become one of the important forces of continued trade in the Mediterranean. After
this period, the connection between the east and the west continued under the control of the
Italians. Italian city states supported the establishment of the political structures of the
Principality of Antioch, the Kingdom of Jerusalem and the County of Tripoli.
In this context it is possible to evaluate the consequences of the First Crusade in the
short and long term. In short evaluations, the Crusader armies succeeded with the help of the
navy. In the long run; The change in the economic and social structure of Europe was seen as
a result of the fact that the Crusaders had the ports of the Eastern Mediterranean under
control. The Europeans who lived in the land for a long time were reoriented as a result of the
efforts of the Italian city states. The control of the trade routes that were under the control of
the Muslims for a long time passed to the control of the Europeans.
One of the important consequences of the First Crusade in the long run were the
geographical discoveries and the foundations of the Renaissance that would begin in Europe.
As a matter of fact, the Italian trade fleet contributed to the development of European
societies from the cultural side as well as the shipment of goods between east and west. As a
result of the First Crusade, Europe had the opportunity to get to know the Islamic civilization
closely. The Latins, who had taken over the Eastern Mediterranean, were to reach the Far East
trade, which they regarded as their next target as a source of wealth.
Main Sources
Caffaro di Rustico da Caschifellone, Annal’s, trc. Martin Hall and Jonathan Phillips,
Genoa and the Twelfh-Century Crusades,
University of London, Ashgate, London 2013.
Ahmed, Usame Seyyid Ali, “es- Sâhilü’ş- Şâmi fi’l Karni’sâni aşer- es
sedis el hicri, (Basılmamış Yüksek Lisans Tezi),
Aynü’ş- Şems Üniversitesi, Mısır 1992.
Bulland, Marcus-Norman
Byrne, Eugene H., Genoase Trade with Syria in the Twelft Century,
The American Historical Review, vol. 25,
Oxford Universty Press, Haziran 1920.
Byrne, Eugene H., “Easterns in Genoa”, Journal of the American
Oriental Society, vol.38, 1938.
Epstein, Steven A., Genoa & the Genoase 958-1528, The University
of North Carolina Press, USA 1996.
Merrills, Andrew,
Queller-,Donald E,