The principality of Galilee was one of the four major

seigneuries ''Seigneur'' is an originally feudal title in France before the Revolution, in New France and British North America until 1854, and in the Channel Islands to this day. A seigneur refers to the person or collective who owned a ''seigneurie'' (o ...

of the

crusade The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were i ...

Kingdom of Jerusalem The Kingdom of Jerusalem ( la, Regnum Hierosolymitanum; fro, Roiaume de Jherusalem), officially known as the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem or the Frankish Kingdom of Palestine,Example (title of works): was a Crusader state that was establish ...

, according to 13th-century commentator John of Ibelin, grandson of Balian. The direct holdings of the principality centred around Tiberias, in Galilee proper, but with all its vassals, the lordship covered all Galilee (now

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

) and southern

Phoenicia Phoenicia () was an ancient thalassocratic civilization originating in the Levant region of the eastern Mediterranean, primarily located in modern Lebanon. The territory of the Phoenician city-states extended and shrank throughout their histor ...

(today

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...

). The independent

Lordship of Sidon The Lordship of Sidon (french: Saete/Sagette), (Later County of Sidon) was one of the four major fiefdoms of the Kingdom of Jerusalem,According to the 13th-century writer John of Ibelin one of the Crusader States. However, in reality, it appears ...

was located between Galilee's holdings. The principality also had its own vassals: the Lordships of

Beirut Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...

, Nazareth, and

Haifa Haifa ( he, חֵיפָה ' ; ar, حَيْفَا ') is the third-largest city in Israel—after Jerusalem and Tel Aviv—with a population of in . The city of Haifa forms part of the Haifa metropolitan area, the third-most populous metropol ...

. The principality was established, at least in name, in 1099 when

Tancred Tancred or Tankred is a masculine given name of Germanic origin that comes from ''thank-'' (thought) and ''-rath'' (counsel), meaning "well-thought advice". It was used in the High Middle Ages mainly by the Normans (see French Tancrède) and espe ...

was given

Tiberias Tiberias ( ; he, טְבֶרְיָה, ; ar, طبريا, Ṭabariyyā) is an Israeli city on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. A major Jewish center during Late Antiquity, it has been considered since the 16th century one of Judaism's F ...

, and

Bethsan Beit She'an ( he, בֵּית שְׁאָן '), also Beth-shean, formerly Beisan ( ar, بيسان ), is a town in the Northern District of Israel. The town lies at the Beit She'an Valley about 120 m (394 feet) below sea level. Beit She'an is be ...

Godfrey of Bouillon Godfrey of Bouillon (, , , ; 18 September 1060 – 18 July 1100) was a French nobleman and pre-eminent leader of the First Crusade. First ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem from 1099 to 1100, he avoided the title of king, preferring that of princ ...

. In 1101, Baldwin I limited Tancred's power by giving Haifa to Geldemar Carpenel, and Tancred was forced to give up the principality and become regent in

Antioch Antioch on the Orontes (; grc-gre, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου, ''Antiókheia hē epì Oróntou'', Learned ; also Syrian Antioch) grc-koi, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου; or Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπ� ...

. The principality became the fief of the families of St. Omer, Montfaucon (Falcomberques), and then Bures, and its main seat was in Tiberias; thus it was sometimes also called the Principality of Tiberias or the Tiberiad. The principality was destroyed by

Saladin Yusuf ibn Ayyub ibn Shadi () ( – 4 March 1193), commonly known by the epithet Saladin,, ; ku, سه‌لاحه‌دین, ; was the founder of the Ayyubid dynasty. Hailing from an ethnic Kurdish family, he was the first of both Egypt and ...

in 1187, although the title was used by relatives and younger sons of the

kings of Cyprus The Kingdom of Cyprus (french: Royaume de Chypre, la, Regnum Cypri) was a state that existed between 1192 and 1489. It was ruled by the French House of Lusignan. It comprised not only the island of Cyprus, but it also had a foothold on the Anat ...

(the titular kings of Jerusalem) afterwards, and some of its former holdings were briefly reclaimed by a treaty made during the Barons' Crusade.

List of the princes of Galilee

''Italicized names are of titular princes''. *

(1099–1101) *

Hugh of Fauquembergues Hugh of Fauquembergues, also known as Hugh of St Omer, Hugh of Falkenberg, or Hugh of Falchenberg ( la, Hugo de Falchenberch; died in 1105 or 1106) was Prince of Galilee from 1101 to his death. He was Lord of Fauquembergues before joining the ...

(1101–1106) * Gervaise de Bazoches (1106–1108) *

, again (1109–1112) * Joscelin I of Courtenay (1112–1119) *

William I of Bures William of Bures (died before the spring of 1144, or around 1157) was Prince of Galilee from 1119 or 1120 to his death. He was descended from a French noble family which held estates near Paris. William and his brother, Godfrey, were listed among ...

(1120–1141) *

Elinand Elinand, also known as Elinard, was prince of Galilee from 1143 or 1144 to around 1149. His parentage is unknown. He succeeded William I of Bures who either had died, or been forced into exile. Elinand was one of the main supporters of Melisende ...

(1142–1148) *

William II of Bures William II of Bures (died 1158) was a Crusader lord of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. He was Prince of Galilee from 1148 to his death as successor of his brother Elinand. In late 1157, William was sent with Humphrey of Toron and Joscelin Pisellus, a ...

(1148–1158) * Gautier of Saint Omer (1159–1171), first husband of

Eschiva of Bures Eschiva of Bures, also known as Eschiva II (died in or after 1187), was Princess of Galilee in the Kingdom of Jerusalem from 1158 to 1187. Parentage Eschiva's parentage is uncertain. Historian Martin Rheinheimer proposes that she was the daughte ...

Raymond III of Tripoli Raymond III (1140 – September/October 1187) was count of Tripoli from 1152 to 1187. He was a minor when Assassins murdered his father, Raymond II of Tripoli. Baldwin III of Jerusalem, who was staying in Tripoli, made Raymond's mother, Hodierna ...

(1174–1187) with his wife Eschiva of Bures *''

Hugh II of Saint Omer Hugh II of Saint Omer (ca. 1150–1204) was a Crusader knight and titular Prince of Galilee and Tiberias. He was the eldest son of Walter of Saint Omer and Eschiva of Bures.Bernard Hamilton, ''The Leper King and His Heirs: Baldwin IV and the Cru ...

'' (1187–1204) *''

Raoul of Saint Omer Raoul of Saint Omer, Raoul of Tiberias or Ralph of Tiberias (died 1220) was briefly Prince of Galilee and twice Seneschal of Jerusalem of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. His father was Walter of Saint Omer, his mother Eschiva of Bures. She remarried Raym ...

'' (1204–1219) *''

Eschiva of Saint Omer Eschiva of Saint Omer (died 1265), was a Princess regnant suo jure of the Principality of Galilee The principality of Galilee was one of the four major seigneuries of the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem, according to 13th-century commentator Joh ...

'' (1219–after 1265) with her husband ''

Odo of Montbéliard Odo of Montbéliard (also known as Eudes) was a leading baron of the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem in the early 13th century. He often held the highest offices in the kingdom including ''bailli'' (viceroy) and constable (commander of the army). ...

'' (1219–1247); 1240–1247 as ruling Princes *''Balian d'Ibelin'' (?–1316), Prince of Galilee and Bethlehem, son of

Philip of Ibelin (died 1304) Philip of Ibelin (died 1304) was constable of Cyprus. He was son of Baldwin of Ibelin, Seneschal of Cyprus, and Alix, daughter of Walter III of Bethsan and Theodora Comnena-Lathoumnena. He married c. 1253 to Simone de Montbéliard, daughter of O ...

(?–1316) *''Bohemund of Lusignan'' (c. 1280) *''

Guy of Lusignan Guy of Lusignan (c. 1150 – 18 July 1194) was a French Poitevin knight, son of Hugh VIII of Lusignan and as such born of the House of Lusignan. He was king of Jerusalem from 1186 to 1192 by right of marriage to Sibylla of Jerusalem, and King ...

'' (c. 1320–1343), son of

Hugh IV of Cyprus Hugh IV (1293-1296 – 10 October 1359) was King of Cyprus from 31 March 1324 to his abdication, on 24 November 1358 and, nominally, King of Jerusalem, as Hugh II, until his death. The son of Guy, Constable of Cyprus (son of Hugh III of Cyprus), ...

*'' Hugh of Lusignan'' (1343–1386), son of Guy of Lusignan *'' John of Brie'' *''

Henry of Lusignan Henry of Lusignan or Henri de Lusignan (died 7 July 1426), Titular Prince of Galilee, a military leader in Egypt, killed in action at Battle of Khirokitia, Khirokitia or Chirokhitia. He was son of James I of Cyprus and his first wife Helvis of Brun ...

'' (?–1427), son of James I of Cyprus *'' Philippe of Lusignan'' (?–ca 1466), son of Henry of Lusignan

Lordship of Beirut

Beirut was captured in 1110 and given to

Fulk of Guînes Fulk of Guînes () (died bef. 1125) was the first Lordship of Beirut, Lord of Beirut (1110–''c''.1117) following its conquest in the wake of the First Crusade. He was from Guînes in the Boulonnais (land area), Boulonnais, the second son of Count ...

. It was one of the longest-lived seigneuries, surviving until the final collapse of the kingdom in 1291, although only as a tiny strip on the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...

coast surrounding Beirut. It was important for trade with Europe, and had its own sub-vassals. ''Italicized names are of titular lords.'' *

(1110–?) *Peter *Walter I Brisebarre (1125?–1166) * Andronicus I Comnenus (1166–?) *Walter II ? *Walter III ? * John of Ibelin (c. 1200–1236) * Balian III d'Ibelin (1236–1247), Lord of Beirut, Constable of Cyprus, Bailiff of Jerusalem; son of

John of Ibelin, the Old Lord of Beirut John of Ibelin (c. 1179 – 1236), called the Old Lord of Beirut, was a powerful crusader noble in the 13th century, one of the best known representatives of the influential Ibelin family. The son of Balian of Ibelin and the dowager queen Ma ...

*John of Ibelin (1247–1264) * Isabella of Ibelin (1264–1282) m1.(or only engaged)

Hugh II of Cyprus Hugh II of Cyprus (or Hugues II de Lusignan) (June–August, 1252 or 1253 – November or December 5, 1267) was king of Cyprus and, from the age of 5 years, also Regent of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Biography On January 18, 1253, at the age of tw ...

m2. Hamo LeStrange m3. Nicolas l'Aleman m4. Guillaume Barlais * Eschiva of Ibelin (1282–1291, titular 1291–1312) m1. Humphrey of Montfort m2. Guy of Lusignan *''

Rupen of Montfort Rupen of Montfort (died 8 September 1313) was a Cyprus, Cypriot nobleman, the second surviving son of Humphrey of Montfort (died 1284), Humphrey of Montfort and Eschive d'Ibelin (1253-1312), Eschive d'Ibelin. In 1299, Rupen married Marie d'Ibelin ...

'' (1312–1313) *''Guy of Ibelin'' (c. 1330) *''John of Lusignan'' (1384–?) *''John of Lusignan'' (?–c. 1456)

Sub-vassals of Beirut

Lordship of Banias

Banias Banias or Banyas ( ar, بانياس الحولة; he, בניאס, label=Modern Hebrew; Judeo-Aramaic, Medieval Hebrew: פמייס, etc.; grc, Πανεάς) is a site in the Golan Heights near a natural spring, once associated with the Greek g ...

was given to the Franks by the

Assassins An assassin is a person who commits targeted murder. Assassin may also refer to: Origin of term * Someone belonging to the medieval Persian Ismaili order of Assassins Animals and insects * Assassin bugs, a genus in the family ''Reduviida ...

in 1129. Baldwin gave it to Renier Brus, who also ruled the lordship of Assebebe, which was eventually merged with Banias. Renier's daughter married

Humphrey II of Toron Humphrey II of Toron (1117 – 22 April 1179) was lord of Toron and constable of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. He was the son of Humphrey I of Toron. Humphrey had become lord of Toron sometime before 1140 when he married the daughter of Renier Brus ...

, who became lord of Banias around 1148. He sold parts of Banias and Chastel Neuf to the

Knights Hospitaller The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Fratrum Hospitalis Sancti Ioannis Hierosolymitani), commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), was a medieval and early modern Catholic Church, Catholic Military ord ...

in 1157. Banias was merged with Toron until it fell to

Nur ad-Din Zangi Nūr al-Dīn Maḥmūd Zengī (; February 1118 – 15 May 1174), commonly known as Nur ad-Din (lit. "Light of the Faith" in Arabic), was a member of the Zengid dynasty, which ruled the Syrian province (''Shām'') of the Seljuk Empire. He reig ...

in 1164, and when it was recovered it became part of the Seigneury of Joscelin III of Edessa (see below). *Renier Brus (1128–1148) *

(1148–1164) *

Joscelin III of Edessa Joscelin III of Edessa (1139 – after 1190) was the titular Count of Edessa, who during his lifetime managed to amass enough land to establish the '' Seigneurie of Joscelin.'' Early life He was the son of Joscelin II and his wife Beatrice ...

Lordship of Toron

The castle of

Toron Toron, now Tibnin or Tebnine in southern Lebanon, was a major Crusader castle, built in the Lebanon mountains on the road from Tyre to Damascus. The castle was the centre of the Lordship of Toron, a seigneury within the Kingdom of Jerusalem ...

was built by Hugh of St. Omer, second prince of Galilee, to help capture Tyre. After Hugh's death it was made an independent seigneury, given to Humphrey I in 1107. The lords of Toron tended to be very influential in the kingdom; Humphrey II was constable of Jerusalem. Humphrey IV was married to

Isabella of Jerusalem Isabella I (1172 – 5 April 1205) was reigning Queen of Jerusalem from 1190 to her death. She was the daughter of Amalric I of Jerusalem and his second wife Maria Comnena, a Byzantine princess. Her half-brother, Baldwin IV of Jerusalem, engag ...

, Amalric I's daughter (Toron passed into the ''royal domain'' during their marriage, and was then captured by Saladin, but its title was returned to Humphrey IV after their divorce). It was also one of the few to have a straight hereditary succession in male line, at least for some generations. The lords of Toron were also connected to the Lordship of Oultrejordain by the marriage of Humphrey III and the maternal inheritance of Humphrey IV. Toron was later merged with the royal domain of Tyre which went to a branch of Antioch, then their heirs from Montfort. Toron was lost in 1266. Toron had two vassals of its own, the Lordship of Castel Neuf and the Lordship of Toron Ahmud. Chastel Neuf was built by Hugh of St. Omer around 1105 but was later given to the Hospitallers, until it fell to Nur ad-Din in 1167. Toron Ahmud remained in the Lordship of Beirut until John of Ibelin sold it to the

Teutonic Knights The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians o ...

in 1261. For a fuller account of the lordship and the feudal family, see

Lordship of Nazareth

Nazareth was the original site of the Latin Patriarch, established by Tancred. It was created as a seigneury in Galilee in 1115. A Martin of Nazareth, who probably acted as viscount of Nazareth, is documented in 1115 and in 1130/1131.Murray, Alan, ''The Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem: A Dynastic History 1099-1125'' (Unit for Prosopographical Research, Linacre College, Oxford, 2000) p. 217.

Lordship of Haifa

was partly an ecclesiastical domain ruled by the Archbishop of Nazareth, and partly created from other lands in the Principality of Galilee. * Geldemar Carpenel (1100–1101) *

(1101–1103) *Rorgius (1103–1107) *Pagan (1107–1112) *''royal domain (1112–1190'') *Vivian (c. 1140s) *Pagan (1190–?) *Rorgius II (?–1244?) *Helvis **García Álvarez (c. 1250) ** John of Valenciennes (1257–1265) *Gilles d'Estrain *Miles ? *Geoffrey *Gilles II

References

Sources

*John L. La Monte, ''Feudal Monarchy in the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem, 1100-1291''. The Medieval Academy of America, 1932. *

Jonathan Riley-Smith Jonathan Simon Christopher Riley-Smith (27 June 1938 – 13 September 2016) was a historian of the Crusades, and, between 1994 and 2005, Dixie Professor of Ecclesiastical History at Cambridge. He was a Fellow of Emmanuel College, Cambridge. ...

, ''The Feudal Nobility and the Kingdom of Jerusalem, 1174-1277''. The Macmillan Press, 1973. * *Steven Tibble, ''Monarchy and Lordships in the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem, 1099-1291''. Clarendon Press, 1989. {{DEFAULTSORT:Galilee, Principality of 12th century in the Kingdom of Jerusalem Lists of nobility of the Crusader states Titles of nobility of the Kingdom of Jerusalem 11th-century establishments in Asia States and territories established in 1099 States and territories disestablished in 1187 1180s disestablishments in Asia Former monarchies of Western Asia Principalities of the Crusader states 1090s establishments in the Kingdom of Jerusalem 1180s disestablishments in the Kingdom of Jerusalem