The Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem 1099-1291

Brought into being by the First Crusade, the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem established a western presence in Palestine which, with the somewhat erratic assistance of further crusades, maintained itself against the Muslims, for nearly two centuries, before finally being destroyed by the Egyptian Mamluks. This course will examine the complex society that arose there of Latin princes, knights and lesser folk from Northwestern and Northern Europe, Military Religious Orders, Italians, Eastern Christians, Jews and Muslims. Although, focused on the Latin kingdom of Jerusalem itself, the course will also necessarily deal to some extent with the other crusader states of the Near East in this period, as well as the Muslim, Byzantine and Mongol states of the region.