On this day in 1149, Raymond of Poitiers, the Prince of Antioch, died after losing the Battle of Inab. I could talk about many aspects related to this event, for example Raymond's interesting family history full of intrigue, but for me the most significant question is: How did a French nobleman end up being the prince of a city state located in the southernmost province of modern day Turkey?

To answer this question, we must first look at an important event that happened in 1099, the year that Raymond was born. In 1099 the First Crusade ended with a huge success as the Crusaders captured Jerusalem. Three years earlier Pope Urban II had called upon European knights to (re)capture the Holy land as Christian pilgrims were facing hardship. Many knights, foot soldiers and even commoners enthusiastically answered this call. After a failed people's crusade and problems along the road, the Crusaders (miraculously) succeeded in conquering the Holy Land.

After this glorious victory it was crucial to maintain control of the Holy Land and the leaders of the Crusade created four Crusader states. The principality of Antioch was one of them and Raymond of Poitiers eventually became its heir and prince. An interesting situation was created with Western noblemen ruling states in the Arabic world with a culturally mixed population, society and controlling an economy in a vital region. 

The Crusades are often framed as a series of bloody religious conflict between Christians and Muslims, which was certainly the case, but for me the Crusader states, the cultural exchange and economic growth are more significant. Ancient texts, previously lost, were translated from Arabic and made its way back to Europe. The economy boomed as trade with Western cities, most notably Venice and Genoa, and the Crusader states increased. Both these developments were fundamental for the Renaissance and Europe's growth in the Late Middle Ages. Marco Polo's travels were also made possible because of the increase in knowledge and the connected trade networks. 

Originally posted on Instagram on June 29, 2021