Medieval Syria and the Onset of the Crusades

James Wilson is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Zukunftskolleg and Department of History and Sociology at the University of Konstanz. He has published one book, Medieval Syria and the Onset of the Crusades: The Political World of Bilad al-Sham 1050-1128 (EUP, 2023), and journal articles in Crusades, Transmediterranean History, Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society and Al-Masāq: Journal of the Medieval Mediterranean.

This book is a skilful and lucid survey of Syria in the turbulent period of the Seljuq and crusader conquests of the eleventh and twelfth centuries, and an important work of transnational history. Drawing on a wide range of important sources, James Wilson writes with a clarity and coherence that light a path through a complex historical landscape.

• List of Figures Acknowledgements Note on Names, Transliteration and Abbreviations Abbreviations Principal Historical Figures, Dynasties and Terminology Introduction: Defining and Exploring the Political World ofBilad al-sham Historiographical Overview The Primary Sources The Scope of this Book Notes Part I Historical Sketch of Bilad al-shamIntroduction: Part I The System of Autonomous lordships in Syria Byzantine, Fatimid and Seljuq Syria Notes 1 The Byzantine Empire Byzantine Bilad al-sham The Antiochene–Aleppan Balance of Power The Byzantine Political Footprint in the Face of Seljuq IncursionsByzantine Interactions with Local Rulers in Bilad al-sham Conclusion: the Break-up of Byzantine Bilad al-sham Notes 2 The Fatimid Caliphate Fatimid Bilad al-sham The Fatimid Political Footprint in Northern Syria:442–463/1050–1071 The Fatimid Collapse in Southern Syria and Palestine Fatimid Interactions with Local Rulers in Bilad al-sham Conclusion: The Fatimids as ‘the Other’ in Bilad al-sham? Notes 3 The Great Seljuq Sultanate Seljuq Bilad al-sham The Sultan in Bilad al-sham Syrian Campaigns Instigated by Malik Shah The Seljuq Perpetuation of the System of Autonomous Lordshipsin Syria Seljuq Bilad al-sham in the Sixth/Twelfth Century The Türkmen in Syria Conclusion: Reassessing Seljuq Bilad al-sham Notes 　Part II Countering the Crusades?Introduction: Part II 4 The Reactions of Seljuq, Fatimid and Syrian Elites The ‘counter-Crusade’ and ‘la maqam’ Paradigms The Seljuq counter-Crusade The Fatimid counter-Crusade Alliance Networks among Syrian Elites in the Early Crusading Era Notes 5 The Notables and Frontiers of Aleppo The Empowerment of Syrian Notables Appeals for Assistance The Frontiers of Bilad halab Revisiting Baldwin II’s Siege of Aleppo Conclusion: Aleppan Notables and the Threat of Frankish Rule Conclusion: Situating the Crusades in Syrian History Appendices Bibliography Index