Joscelin I, Count of Edessa
| Joscelin I | |
|---|---|
Joscelin II of Edessa Stephanie of Courtenay | |
| House | Courtenay |
| Father | Joscelin I of Courtenay |
| Mother | Elizabeth of Montlhéry |
Joscelin I (died 1131) was a
count of Edessa (1118–1131). The County of Edessa reached its zenith during his rule. Captured twice, Joscelin continued to expand his county, even participating in the Battle of Azaz in 1125. Gravely injured during the collapse of a sapper mine, Joscelin marched his army to relieve the besieged fortress of Kaysun
, and died soon after.
Early career
Joscelin was the son of
army of Stephen of Blois. In 1104, he was captured at the Battle of Harran.[3] After passing into the hands of Ilghazi, ruler of Mardin, Joscelin was ransomed for 20,000 dinars in 1107.[4]
By 1113, Joscelin had carved out a semi-autonomous state around
prince of Galilee.[6]
Countship
In 1118, Joscelin's cousin Baldwin II succeeded
Joscelin was taken prisoner along with
Artuqid force and it was decided that Joscelin should seek assistance.[11] Baldwin stayed in the fortress and after some time it was reclaimed by the Artuqids.[10]
After returning to Edessa Joscelin was able to enlarge the territory of the county, and in 1125 he participated in the Battle of Azaz, a Crusader victory against the atabeg of Mosul, who were led by Aq-Sunqur il-Bursuqi.[12]
In 1131, during the siege of a small castle north-east of
Joscelin II, refused to attack Gazi, he commanded that his own army should march to Kaysun.[12] Joscelin was borne on a litter, and when Gazi heard that Joscelin's army was approaching, he lifted the siege and retreated.[12] Joscelin won his final battle and died soon after.[12]
Marriage and issue
Joscelin married an Armenian noblewoman named Beatrice,Joscelin II of Edessa. She died in 1119.[1]
In 1122, Joscelin married Maria, daughter of Richard of Salerno and sister of Roger, regent of the Principality of Antioch. They had a daughter, Stephanie.[16]
References
- ^ a b La Monte 1942, p. 100-101.
- ^ Runciman 1951, p. 37-38.
- ^ Fink 1969, p. 389.
- ^ Runciman 1951, p. 111.
- ^ Runciman 1951, p. 124.
- ^ MacEvitt 2008, p. 153.
- ^ Runciman 1951, p. 143.
- ^ Runciman 1951, p. 144.
- ^ Nicholson 1969, p. 418.
- ^ a b Nicholson 1969, p. 419.
- ^ a b c Runciman 1951, p. 163.
- ^ a b c d e MacEvitt 2019, p. 682.
- ^ Elisseeff 1991, p. 380.
- ^ Runciman 1951, p. 190.
- ^ Morton 2020, p. 86.
- ^ Runciman 1951, p. 126.
Sources
- Elisseeff, N. (1991). "Manbidj". In ISBN 978-90-04-08112-3.
- Fink, Harold S. (1969) [1955]. "The Foundation of the Latin States, 1099-1118". In ISBN 0-299-04834-9.
- La Monte, John L. (January 1942). "The Lords of Le Puiset on the Crusades". S2CID 225089973.
- MacEvitt, Christopher (2008). The Crusades and the Christian World of the East: Rough Tolerance. University of Pennsylvania Press.
- MacEvitt, Christopher (2019). "Joscelin, Count of Edessa". Middle East Conflicts from Ancient Egypt to the 21st Century. ABC-CLIO.
- Morton, Nicholas (2020). The Crusader States and Their Neighbours: A Military History, 1099-1187. Oxford University Press.
- Nicholson, Robert L. (1969) [1955]. "The Growth of the Latin States, 1118-1144". In ISBN 0-299-04834-9.
- Runciman, Steven (1951) [1952]. A History of the Crusades, Volume II: The Kingdom of Jerusalem and the Frankish East. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.