From ruling queens to diplomats and spies, read all about the women who played an astonishing and indispensable role in shaping their unique society.

In the mild climate of the Mediterranean, a rare blossom once bloomed: a prosperous, urbanised society inhabited by various ethnic and religious groups living harmoniously together for nearly two-hundred years. At the apex of this society, ruled a feudal elite notorious for its wealth and love of luxury. It was composed of politically savvy, diplomatically adept, well-educated and multilingual men – and women. 

These women played an astonishing and indispensable role in shaping the character of their unique society. They were ruling queens, independent barons, nuns and pilgrims. They were merchants and artisans, diplomats and spies. They were warriors defending besieged cities and the most pitiful victims of conflict as slaves after a defeat.

While many primary sources readily recorded specific and noteworthy actions taken by individual women, there is no comprehensive or systematic description of women’s contribution to the life and society of Outremer. All we have are fragments of a mosaic badly damaged by time. Yet even these remnants have largely been neglected due to the prevailing emphasis on the era’s military history. 

The Powerful Women of Outremer redresses that imbalance. In a chronological narrative, women’s contributions to the crusader states are highlighted. The book then explores women’s societal role in thematic chapters. Finally, a series of short biographies shine a light on the lives of individual women. By piecing together the scattered remnants of the historical mosaic, The Powerful Women of Outremer offers readers a clearer understanding of the importance of women to the history of the Near East and a richer picture of the women themselves.

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Introduction
• List of Illustrations
• Chronology
• Part I: A History of the Women of Outremer
  • Chapter 1 Women in the Era of the Crusades
    • Women in Western Europe
    • The Ancient World
    • The Impact of Christianity
    • The Impact of Feudalism
    • The Impact of Chivalry
    • Women in the Muslim World
    • Women in Outremer ’ A Unique Status?
  • Chapter 2 The First Crusade and the Establishment of the Crusader States
    • Casus Belli: Jerusalem
    • A New Kind of War: The Combination of ‘Just War’ and Religious Pilgrimage
    • The People’s Crusade
    • The First Crusade
  • Chapter 3 The Crusader States, 1099–1190
    • Jerusalem Without A Queen
    • Godfrey de Bouillon, Protector of the Holy Sepulchre 1099–1100: The Bachelor
    • Baldwin I, 1100–1118: The Bigamist
    • Jerusalem’s First Queen: Morphia of Armenia
    • Jerusalem’s First Ruling Queen: Melisende
    • The Byzantine Brides
    • The Beautiful Queen Theodora
    • The Wise Queen Maria
    • The Queen Mother: Agnes de Courtenay
    • Jerusalem’s Most Disastrous Queen: Sibylla
  • Chapter 4 The Crusader States, 1190–1291
    • A Queen for All Seasons: Isabella I
    • The Bartered Brides
    • Maria de Montferrat
    • Isabella II (Yolande)
    • Jerusalem Again Without a Queen: The Absentee Kings
    • The Regent: Alice de Champagne in Cyprus and Jerusalem
• Part II: Crusading Women
  • Chapter 5 Crusading Women
    • Policies and Attitudes
    • Supporting Roles
    • Participation
• Part III: The Women of Outremer
  • Chapter 6 Mortar for a Multicultural Society
    • Putting Down Roots: Local Brides for Foreign Settlers
    • Eastern Brides for Frankish Lords
    • Western Consorts for Frankish Heiresses
    • Women at the Crossroads of History: Three Case Studies
    • Eschiva d’Ibelin: Founder of a Dynasty
    • Maria Comnena: The Key to Cyprus?
    • Marguerite d–Ibelin: Bridge Between Rebels
  • Chapter 7 The Legal Status of Women in the Crusader States
    • Feudal Lords
    • The Marriage of Heiresses
    • Wives and Widows: Rights of Property, Dower and Guardianship
    • Judicial Status Before the Courts
    • Hostages and Captives
  • Chapter 8 The Political Power of Women in the Crusader States
    • Direct Power: Feudal Lords
    • Queen Melisende
    • Queen Sibylla
    • Isabella d–Ibelin, Lady of Beirut
    • Delegated Power: Consorts and Regents
    • Alice of Antioch, Regent for Constance of Antioch
    • Beatrice of Edessa, Regent for Joscelyn III
    • Indirect Power: Dowagers
    • Agnes de Courtenay
    • Maria Comnena
    • Non-Feudal Forms of Power: Abbesses, Envoys and Spies
    • Abbesses
    • Envoys
    • Spies
  • Chapter 9 The Economic Position of Women in the Crusader States
    • The Role of Women in the Western Mediaeval Economy
    • Unique Economic Characteristics of the Latin East
    • Women as Patrons of the Arts and Church
  • Chapter 10 In Defence of the Holy Land: The Women of Outremer in Times of War
    • Contemporary Perceptions of Women Warriors
    • Women at War: Commoners
    • Women at War: Noblewomen
  • Chapter 11 Defeat and Captivity for the Women of Outremer
    • Female Slaves
    • Escaping Slavery
    • Women Post-Captivity
• Summary and Conclusions
• Biographies
  • Agnes de Courtenay, Queen Mother of Jerusalem
  • Alice of Antioch, Princess of Jerusalem and Antioch
  • Alice de Champagne, Princess of Jerusalem, Queen Consort of Cyprus and Regent of Cyprus and Jerusalem
  • Constance of Antioch, Ruling Princess of Antioch
  • Eschiva d–Ibelin, Lady of Cyprus
  • Eschiva de Montbéliard, Lady of Beirut
  • Isabella I, Ruling Queen of Jerusalem
  • Isabella II (Yolanda), Ruling Queen of Jerusalem
  • Iveta, Princess of Jerusalem, Abbess of St Lazarus at Bethany
  • Maria Comnena, Princess of Constantinople, Queen Consort of Jerusalem and Lady of Ibelin
  • Maria de Montferrat, Ruling Queen of Jerusalem
  • Melisende, Ruling Queen of Jerusalem
  • Sibylla, Ruling Queen of Jerusalem
• Notes
• Bibliography