Lordship of Marash

One of the lesser Crusader states, it played a major role in the defence of the northern frontier in the 1130s and 1140s under Lords Geoffrey and Baldwin.

Thus, the history of the lordship must be reconstructed almost entirely from Christian narrative sources in Armenian, Syriac, Greek and Latin.

They did not attempt to impose their own rule, but their presence allowed the Byzantines to appoint a governor, an Armenian named Thathoul.

In 1097, one of the leaders of the First Crusade, Count Baldwin I of Edessa, married as his second wife an Armenian named Arda, who may have been the daughter of Thathoul.

[4] The first crusaders to seize control of Marash were Prince Bohemond I of Antioch and Richard of the Principate, who invaded the territory and briefly occupied the city in 1100, according to Matthew of Edessa.

When the latter was recalled, Thathoul returned to power and handed the city over to Joscelin of Courteny, lord of Turbessel in the County of Edessa.

[5] From the writings of Ibn al-Furat, it appears that one of Joscelin's vassals was give control of Marash during his lord's imprisonment.

There is no documentary evidence of Richard's title as lord of Marash, but Albert of Aachen calls him a prefect (praefectus).

In 1114–1115, according to both Bar Hebraeus and Ibn al-Athir, the city was ruled by the unnamed widow of Kogh Vasil, the Armenian ruler of Kesoun.

[10] In 1122, Baldwin II, now king, appointed Geoffrey the Monk as regent of the county of Edessa for the captured Joscelin of Courtenay.

[7] On the other hand, Michael the Syrian seems to imply that he was granted lordship over Marash, Kesoun, Araban and Behesni by Baldwin II in 1122.

[7] Both Matthew of Edessa and Orderic Vitalis call Geoffrey a count, but scholarship is divided as to whether this represents a real change in status.

[14] He confirmed the document with a seal and "is the only nobleman of the nonhern Syria region aside from the [rulers] of Edessa and Antioch known to have used one, a further mark of his high standing.

"[15] Baldwin was succeeded by his brother Reynald, who was married to Agnes of Courtenay, daughter of Count Joscelin II.