Excerpt from Kings of Eden by Dr. Louis Montaleux, Professor of History at the University of Jerusalem. (2010)
The reign of Baldwin VI began with a swift and decisive focus on continuing the internal improvements that had been started during his regency. These early moves were hampered however as the troubles of the Ottoman-Mamluk war spilled over into the Kingdom's borders. Despite the numerous uprisings of the previous years, Baldwin VI continued to ensure that travel between the two powers remained open and fairly free of obstruction. On the pragmatic side of the equation Jerusalem's Egyptian territories needed access to the port of Alexandria. The severe level of animosity prevented this was formally occurring and thus various Italian merchant families served as the intermediaries to shift goods and resources between Rashid and Alexandria. On the personal side of the equation, the locals still had large and distinct families living in Mamluk territory and blocking travel would only have antagonized the situation further.
With war declared however, tensions were rising in Rashid. For once the locals didn't see Jerusalem as their chief enemy but the Ottomans instead. This shift in focus is a turning point for modern Outremer culture as the people of Jerusalem, despite their varied differences, saw themselves as united against a common enemy in the Ottomans.
This amicable nature however was short lived. In October of 1537 the Haute Cour (High Court) was formed. The nobility of the kingdom had long been moving their political chess pieces to prevent another gross abuse like the one suffered at the hands of Fulk II. Rebellion was not imminent but Baldwin VI saw the trouble brewing over the horizon. He called to Jerusalem all of his direct vassals as well as representatives from the Italian merchant families operating with royal permission. In exchange for a unified oath of fealty in perpetuity to the crown the Haute Cour was formed. Each landed noble who was a direct vassal of the crown was granted a single vote and the merchants were granted permission to sit in on meetings but not vote. The Haute Cour could only be called by the crown to convene but had to be called within a year of each new monarch's coronation. The Haute Cour couldn't pass any binding legislation itself as that would have been affront to the crown's authority but it did issue petitions to the crown which served as highly suggested legislation.
Baldwin VI also abolished the official positions of the Conseil du Roi that had been instituted during its inception. In their stead he created several new ones that consolidated power.
Constable - In charge of all military matters including the hiring of mercenaries.
Seneschal - In charge of all royal finances and the crown's property/holdings.
Chancellor - In charge of all diplomatic matters.
Of these three new positions the position of Chancellor continued to hold the greatest weight and served as the de facto voice of the crown.
The first Haute Cour convened to conduct actual business in November of 1537 and from there it petitioned Baldwin VI to issue the Conventicle Act that prevented the meeting of non-Catholics in groups larger than five individuals. Baldwin VI approved on the condition that Muslims would still be permitted to conduct daily prayers but services could only be held in designated Mosques and Imams had to be approved by the crown. In addition, each service required the participants to pay a tax to the crown for attendance. This stipulation carried through to the other various faiths and their sects within the kingdom.
The timing of such a decision was ironic given that Europe itself was engulfed in religious divisions with both Protestant and Reformed movements spreading across the continent.
By 1540 the Europe that the ancestors of the many Outremer families in Jerusalem had left behind for conquest in the Levant was looking very different.
Back at home the Ottoman-Mamluk War was looking dire for the Mamluks. The Ottomans, knowing a stout defense of Alexandria would be made and wary of pushing its luck early on by marching through Jerusalem, had landed at the far western reaches of Mamluk territory and marched along the coast much like the Hospitallers had done when taking Jerusalem.
In March of 1542 the war ended in an Ottoman victory but not the one they had hoped for. The ensuing peace granted them several paltry provinces along the coast but not the coveted city of Alexandria or any of the major provinces along the crucial Nile river.
The kingdom held a collective sigh of relief with the conclusion of the Ottoman war but many knew that it was only a matter of time before they returned to take what they had been denied from the first war and then Jerusalem would be blocked in on two sides by a vastly superior enemy.
The reign of Baldwin VI began with a swift and decisive focus on continuing the internal improvements that had been started during his regency. These early moves were hampered however as the troubles of the Ottoman-Mamluk war spilled over into the Kingdom's borders. Despite the numerous uprisings of the previous years, Baldwin VI continued to ensure that travel between the two powers remained open and fairly free of obstruction. On the pragmatic side of the equation Jerusalem's Egyptian territories needed access to the port of Alexandria. The severe level of animosity prevented this was formally occurring and thus various Italian merchant families served as the intermediaries to shift goods and resources between Rashid and Alexandria. On the personal side of the equation, the locals still had large and distinct families living in Mamluk territory and blocking travel would only have antagonized the situation further.
With war declared however, tensions were rising in Rashid. For once the locals didn't see Jerusalem as their chief enemy but the Ottomans instead. This shift in focus is a turning point for modern Outremer culture as the people of Jerusalem, despite their varied differences, saw themselves as united against a common enemy in the Ottomans.
This amicable nature however was short lived. In October of 1537 the Haute Cour (High Court) was formed. The nobility of the kingdom had long been moving their political chess pieces to prevent another gross abuse like the one suffered at the hands of Fulk II. Rebellion was not imminent but Baldwin VI saw the trouble brewing over the horizon. He called to Jerusalem all of his direct vassals as well as representatives from the Italian merchant families operating with royal permission. In exchange for a unified oath of fealty in perpetuity to the crown the Haute Cour was formed. Each landed noble who was a direct vassal of the crown was granted a single vote and the merchants were granted permission to sit in on meetings but not vote. The Haute Cour could only be called by the crown to convene but had to be called within a year of each new monarch's coronation. The Haute Cour couldn't pass any binding legislation itself as that would have been affront to the crown's authority but it did issue petitions to the crown which served as highly suggested legislation.
Baldwin VI also abolished the official positions of the Conseil du Roi that had been instituted during its inception. In their stead he created several new ones that consolidated power.
Constable - In charge of all military matters including the hiring of mercenaries.
Seneschal - In charge of all royal finances and the crown's property/holdings.
Chancellor - In charge of all diplomatic matters.
Of these three new positions the position of Chancellor continued to hold the greatest weight and served as the de facto voice of the crown.
The first Haute Cour convened to conduct actual business in November of 1537 and from there it petitioned Baldwin VI to issue the Conventicle Act that prevented the meeting of non-Catholics in groups larger than five individuals. Baldwin VI approved on the condition that Muslims would still be permitted to conduct daily prayers but services could only be held in designated Mosques and Imams had to be approved by the crown. In addition, each service required the participants to pay a tax to the crown for attendance. This stipulation carried through to the other various faiths and their sects within the kingdom.
The timing of such a decision was ironic given that Europe itself was engulfed in religious divisions with both Protestant and Reformed movements spreading across the continent.
By 1540 the Europe that the ancestors of the many Outremer families in Jerusalem had left behind for conquest in the Levant was looking very different.
Back at home the Ottoman-Mamluk War was looking dire for the Mamluks. The Ottomans, knowing a stout defense of Alexandria would be made and wary of pushing its luck early on by marching through Jerusalem, had landed at the far western reaches of Mamluk territory and marched along the coast much like the Hospitallers had done when taking Jerusalem.
In March of 1542 the war ended in an Ottoman victory but not the one they had hoped for. The ensuing peace granted them several paltry provinces along the coast but not the coveted city of Alexandria or any of the major provinces along the crucial Nile river.
The kingdom held a collective sigh of relief with the conclusion of the Ottoman war but many knew that it was only a matter of time before they returned to take what they had been denied from the first war and then Jerusalem would be blocked in on two sides by a vastly superior enemy.
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