Crown and Baronage in the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem after the Battle of Hattin, 1187–1228

Despite the importance of the battle of Hattin on the history of the Latin East, prosopographical investigations into post-Hattin Frankish society are comparatively few. Hattin redefined the geography of the Latin East and had long-term consequences for the politics of the Frankish Levantine states. This paper explores the effects of the battle upon the crown and baronage of the Latin kingdom of Jerusalem in the decades that followed, assessing how both adapted to their new circumstances and the changes they made to the political hierarchy of the realm. In the years after Hattin, a core group of baronial families emerged and took control of the key lordships and offices of the kingdom. This ruling cadre of families first appeared as supporters of Conrad, marquis of Montferrat, during his contest with Guy de Lusignan for the leadership of the Latin kingdom (1187–92). This party of barons, and their descendants, remained in power throughout successive kings’ reigns, strengthening their political position and consolidating their grip on power. Through marriage and ties of kinship, these baronial families increasingly came to be oriented about the powerful Ibelin family. Challenges to baronial authority were effectively countered, and the continuation of this ruling circle contributed to the formation of a wider class identity