Raymond III of Tripoli: Encyclopedia II - Raymond III of Tripoli - Raymond and the nobles' party

Raymond III of Tripoli - Raymond and the nobles' party

Raymond also was drawn into the developing strife in the kingdom. Economically, the opposing sides were the established barons who drew regular income from their holdings, and the new crusaders, who wanted war spoils. Socially, these were arranged as a baronial party and a court party, the royal court being the best source of favour, military commands and other opportunities to become rich. The baronial party appreciated more peaceful relations, trade, and at least peaceful enjoyment of their agricultural incomes. Dynastically, Dowager Queen Maria Comnena was drawn to the baronial party, mostly because she was Amalric I's second wife and had a child with him, Isabella. The court party consisted of the royal family, led by Amalric I's first wife and Baldwin IV's mother Agnes of Courtenay, as well as relative newcomers to the kingdom such as Raynald of Chatillon and Guy of Lusignan.

As the great-grandson of Raymond I, Raymond III represented the long-established families who had arrived during the First Crusade, and who had since adapted to the land and its customs. He preferred a policy of good relations with the Muslims, with whom he had become friendly during his captivity, but he frequently came into conflict with the newer crusaders, as well as members of the military orders of the Knights Hospitaller and the Knights Templar, who had arrived more recently and wished to fight the Muslims wherever and whenever possible.

In 1180 Agnes and Baldwin supported the marriage of Guy to Baldwin's sister Sibylla, although Raymond was opposed to this. Raymond, in Tripoli at the time, attempted to march to Jerusalem with Bohemund III to intervene, but Baldwin IV thought (or was compelled to think by Agnes) that they were coming to overthrow him; to avoid a possible war, Raymond returned home without entering the kingdom. Baldwin IV was by now incapacitated by his leprosy, and Guy was named regent in 1182. Raymond contested this and when Guy fell out of favour with Baldwin he was re-appointed regent and was given possession of Beirut. In 1183 Raymond and the Haute Cour succeeded in altering the succession, which would normally have passed to Sibylla and Guy once Baldwin IV died, so that it would pass instead to Sibylla and William's son Baldwin V. Baldwin V was even crowned co-king in 1183 in a ceremony presided by Raymond. However, Raymond then passed control of the regency to Joscelin III of Edessa, the king's maternal uncle. Baldwin IV died in 1185, and the child Baldwin V died soon after in 1186. Joscelin, influenced by the court party, had Sibylla named as her brother's successor, although to appease the nobles' faction Sibylla first had to divorce Guy, with the guarantee that she would be allowed to choose a new consort. Once crowned, she immediately re-married Guy. Raymond wanted instead to have Humphrey IV of Toron crowned king, as the husband of Amalric and Maria's daughter Isabella, but Humphrey deserted to Guy's side. Instead of arguing and possibly causing a civil war, Raymond returned to Tripoli.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Raymond and the nobles' party", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki