About the Titles Used in The Crusader States (Outremer)

Abstract

The four major Crusader States (Outremer), founded in the East by the Latins due to the First Crusade, were called a kingdom, county or principality depending on their ruler's title. The first ruler of the Crusader Kingdom adopted the title of princeps instead of king. Officially, from the the year 1100, rulers of the Kingdom carried the title of king. In these Latin States with a feudal structure, the nobles who were vasals of the king were designated as lord, seigneur or baron. Also, high officers in the most important administrative units of the Outremer were called senesal, konnetabl, marsal, cemberlayn and sansolye in a hierarchical order. This paper examines the titles of sovereignty, nobility and office holder used in the Crusader States of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, the Principality of Antioch, the County of Edesa and the County of Tripoli.