First Advisor

John Ott

Date of Publication

Spring 6-18-2013

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (M.A.) in History

Department

History

Language

English

Subjects

Baldwin I (King of Jerusalem -1118), Foucher de Chartres (1058?-approximately 1127), Joshua (Biblical figure), Crusades -- First, 1096-1099 -- Historiography

DOI

10.15760/etd.1029

Physical Description

1 online resource (iv, 122 pages)

Abstract

The reign of King Baldwin I (1100-1118) has thus far received little noteworthy attention by historians as the important pivotal period following the First Crusade conquest of Jerusalem in 1099. The two decades of his rule marked the extension of Latin conquests in the east, most notably by the conquest of the important coastal cities of Arsulf, Acre, Caesarea, Beirut and Sidon. These vital ports for the early Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem provided outlets to the sea for commerce, as well as safe harbors for incoming assistance from the west. Further, Baldwin led in the establishment of strong secular control over ecclesiastical authorities, and provided a model of administration for subsequent monarchs to follow until the loss of the kingdom in 1187.

Baldwin's contributions to these developments are presented here in a bibliographical framework to illustrate both his important place in crusader historiography, as well as to gauge the significance of his memory in contemporary literature as a second Joshua archetype. The conquest of Jerusalem and the decades that followed were extraordinarily perilous for the western "colonial" transplants, and thus a Biblical precedent was sought as an explanation to the success of the crusaders. This thesis argues that Fulcher of Chartres, the chaplain and primary contemporary biographer of Baldwin I, saw a parallel with the Biblical figure of Joshua as beneficial to posterity. By the establishment of Baldwin's memory in such a context, Fulcher of Chartres encouraged further western support for the Latin Kingdom, and reveals the important trials that faced Jerusalem's first Latin king.

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In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

Persistent Identifier

http://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/9900

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