from the West that were needed if Frankish domination was to be
firmly established there; and Harran meant in the long run that the county of
Edessa was doomed and that Aleppo would never pass into Frankish hands. The
wedge that the Franks had intended to maintain between the three Moslem centres
of Anatolia, Iraq and Syria was insecurely driven in. And not only the Moslems
would benefit. The Emperor was watching angrily in Byzantium and was not sorry
to hear of the Frankish discomfiture.
1104: Bohemond
and Tancred leave Baldwin in Captivity
The immediate consequences were not as fatal as
might have been feared. The alliance between Soqman and Jekermish did not long
survive their victory. The former’s Turcoman troops had obtained most of the
prisoners and the booty; and the latter was jealous. His Seldjuk regiment
attacked Soqman’s tent and carried off Baldwin. The Turcomans were furious; but
Soqman showed sufficient self-control to restrain them from counter-attacking.
He reconciled himself to the loss of his valuable prisoner; but, after reducing
a few small Christian frontier-forts by the simple ruse of dressing up his
soldiers in their Frankish victims’ clothes, he retired to Mardin and took no
further part in the war. Jekermish fought on. First, to secure himself against
Soqman, he overwhelmed the Frankish castles in the Shahbaqtan, to the east of
Edessa, then marched on the capital. Frankish delay had saved Harran for Islam.
Now the Moslems’ delay saved Edessa for Christendom. Tancred had time to repair
the city’s defences and was able to resist Jekermish’s first attack, thanks
largely to the loyalty and valour of the local Armenians. But he was so hard
pressed that he sent urgently to Bohemond for help. Bohemond had his own
problems; but the threat to Edessa must be given precedence. He marched at once
to his nephew’s assistance; but the poor condition of the roads delayed him.
Tancred, in despair, ordered a sortie of his garrison to take place before
dawn. In the darkness his men fell upon the sleeping and confident Turks; and
their victory was completed by Bohemond’s arrival. Jekermish fled in panic,
abandoning the treasures of his camp. Harran was avenged, and Edessa was
preserved.
Amongst the prisoners that fell into Tancred’s
hands was a high-born Seldjuk princess from the Emir’s household. So highly did
Jekermish value this lady that he at once offered either to pay 15,000 besants
to ransom her or else to exchange Count Baldwin himself for her. News of the
offer reached Jerusalem; and King Baldwin hastened to write to Bohemond to beg
him not to lose this opportunity for obtaining the Count’s release. But
Bohemond and Tancred needed money, while Baldwin’s return would have thrown
Tancred out of his present post back on his uncle’s hands. They answered that
it would be undiplomatic to appear too eager to accept the offer; Jekermish
might raise his price if they hesitated. But meanwhile they arranged with the
emir to have the money payment; and Baldwin remained in captivity.
Having thus enriched themselves by sacrificing
their comrade, Bohemond and Tancred turned to meet the enemies that were
pressing round them. Jekermish did not again attempt to attack Edessa; and
Tancred was able to repair the city’s defences. But Bohemond had at once to
face an invasion by Ridwan of Aleppo into the eastern districts of his
principality. In June the Armenian inhabitants of Artah handed over their town
to the Moslems, delighted to escape from Antiochene tyranny. The towns of
Maarrat, Misrin and Sarman on the frontier followed suit; and the small
Frankish garrisons of Maarat an-Numan, Albara and Kafartab, who were thus
isolated, withdrew back to Antioch. Meanwhile Ridwan ravaged the principality
as far as the Iron Bridge. In the far north Bohemond’s garrison at Albistan
only maintained itself by imprisoning the leading local Armenians, who were
plotting with the Turks. The whole of Bohemond’s
firmly established there; and Harran meant in the long run that the county of
Edessa was doomed and that Aleppo would never pass into Frankish hands. The
wedge that the Franks had intended to maintain between the three Moslem centres
of Anatolia, Iraq and Syria was insecurely driven in. And not only the Moslems
would benefit. The Emperor was watching angrily in Byzantium and was not sorry
to hear of the Frankish discomfiture.
1104: Bohemond
and Tancred leave Baldwin in Captivity
The immediate consequences were not as fatal as
might have been feared. The alliance between Soqman and Jekermish did not long
survive their victory. The former’s Turcoman troops had obtained most of the
prisoners and the booty; and the latter was jealous. His Seldjuk regiment
attacked Soqman’s tent and carried off Baldwin. The Turcomans were furious; but
Soqman showed sufficient self-control to restrain them from counter-attacking.
He reconciled himself to the loss of his valuable prisoner; but, after reducing
a few small Christian frontier-forts by the simple ruse of dressing up his
soldiers in their Frankish victims’ clothes, he retired to Mardin and took no
further part in the war. Jekermish fought on. First, to secure himself against
Soqman, he overwhelmed the Frankish castles in the Shahbaqtan, to the east of
Edessa, then marched on the capital. Frankish delay had saved Harran for Islam.
Now the Moslems’ delay saved Edessa for Christendom. Tancred had time to repair
the city’s defences and was able to resist Jekermish’s first attack, thanks
largely to the loyalty and valour of the local Armenians. But he was so hard
pressed that he sent urgently to Bohemond for help. Bohemond had his own
problems; but the threat to Edessa must be given precedence. He marched at once
to his nephew’s assistance; but the poor condition of the roads delayed him.
Tancred, in despair, ordered a sortie of his garrison to take place before
dawn. In the darkness his men fell upon the sleeping and confident Turks; and
their victory was completed by Bohemond’s arrival. Jekermish fled in panic,
abandoning the treasures of his camp. Harran was avenged, and Edessa was
preserved.
Amongst the prisoners that fell into Tancred’s
hands was a high-born Seldjuk princess from the Emir’s household. So highly did
Jekermish value this lady that he at once offered either to pay 15,000 besants
to ransom her or else to exchange Count Baldwin himself for her. News of the
offer reached Jerusalem; and King Baldwin hastened to write to Bohemond to beg
him not to lose this opportunity for obtaining the Count’s release. But
Bohemond and Tancred needed money, while Baldwin’s return would have thrown
Tancred out of his present post back on his uncle’s hands. They answered that
it would be undiplomatic to appear too eager to accept the offer; Jekermish
might raise his price if they hesitated. But meanwhile they arranged with the
emir to have the money payment; and Baldwin remained in captivity.
Having thus enriched themselves by sacrificing
their comrade, Bohemond and Tancred turned to meet the enemies that were
pressing round them. Jekermish did not again attempt to attack Edessa; and
Tancred was able to repair the city’s defences. But Bohemond had at once to
face an invasion by Ridwan of Aleppo into the eastern districts of his
principality. In June the Armenian inhabitants of Artah handed over their town
to the Moslems, delighted to escape from Antiochene tyranny. The towns of
Maarrat, Misrin and Sarman on the frontier followed suit; and the small
Frankish garrisons of Maarat an-Numan, Albara and Kafartab, who were thus
isolated, withdrew back to Antioch. Meanwhile Ridwan ravaged the principality
as far as the Iron Bridge. In the far north Bohemond’s garrison at Albistan
only maintained itself by imprisoning the leading local Armenians, who were
plotting with the Turks. The whole of Bohemond’s
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