Founding In 1098,
Baldwin of Boulogne left the main Crusading army, which was travelling south towards
Antioch and
Jerusalem. He went first south into
Cilicia, then east to Edessa, where he convinced its lord,
Thoros, to adopt him as son and heir. He also married Thoros' daughter,
Arda of Armenia, who eventually became the first queen of Jerusalem. Thoros was a Christian of Armenian origin but of
Greek Orthodox religion and largely disliked by his
Armenian Apostolic subjects, which led to his removal from power in March 1098. Different sources claim he was
assassinated or abdicated, and it is debated whether Baldwin played a role in this. Nonetheless, Baldwin succeeded Thoros as ruler, taking the title of count (having been
Count of Verdun as a vassal of his brother in Europe). In 1100, Baldwin became King of Jerusalem when his brother,
Godfrey of Bouillon, died. The County of Edessa passed to his cousin
Baldwin of Bourcq. He was joined by
Joscelin of Courtenay, who became lord of the fortress of Turbessel on the Euphrates, an important outpost against the
Seljuk Turks. The Frankish lords formed a good rapport with their
Armenian subjects, and there were frequent intermarriages; the first three counts all married Armenians. Count Baldwin's wife had died in
Marash in 1097, and after he succeeded to Edessa he married
Arda, a granddaughter of the Armenian
Roupenid Prince
Constantine.
Baldwin of Bourcq married
Morphia, a daughter of
Gabriel of Melitene, and
Joscelin of Courtenay married a daughter of Constantine.
Conflicts with Muslim neighbours Baldwin II quickly became involved in the affairs of northern
Assyria and
Asia Minor. He helped secure the ransom of
Bohemond I of Antioch from the
Danishmends in 1103, and, with Antioch, attacked the Byzantine Empire in Cilicia in 1104. Later in 1104, Edessa was attacked by
Mosul, and both Baldwin and Joscelin were taken prisoner after their defeat at the
Battle of Harran. Bohemond's cousin
Tancred became regent in Edessa (although
Richard of Salerno actually governed the territory), until Baldwin and Joscelin were ransomed in 1108. Baldwin had to fight to regain control of the city; Tancred was eventually defeated, though Baldwin had to ally with some of the local Muslim rulers. Baldwin II became King of Jerusalem (also as Baldwin II) when Baldwin I died in 1118. Although
Eustace of Boulogne had a better claim as the late Baldwin's brother, he was in
France and did not want the title. Edessa was given to Joscelin in 1119. Joscelin was taken prisoner once again in 1122; when Baldwin came to rescue him, he too was captured, and Jerusalem was left without its king. Joscelin escaped in 1123, and obtained Baldwin's release the next year.
Fall of the county Joscelin was gravely injured during a siege in 1131 and was succeeded by his son
Joscelin II. By this time,
Zengi had united
Aleppo and
Mosul and began to threaten Edessa. Meanwhile, Joscelin II paid little attention to the security of his county, and argued with the
counts of Tripoli who then refused to come to his aid. Zengi
besieged the city in 1144, capturing it on 24 December that year. Joscelin continued to rule his lands west of the Euphrates, and he also managed to take advantage of the death of Zengi in September 1146 to regain and briefly hold his old capital. The city was
again lost in November, and Joscelin barely escaped. In 1150 he was captured by Zengi's son
Nur ad-Din, and was kept a prisoner in Aleppo until he died in 1159. His wife sold Turbessel and what was left of the county to the Byzantine Emperor
Manuel I Comnenus, but these lands were conquered by
Nur ad-Din and the Sultan of
Rum within a year. Edessa was the first Crusader state to be created, and also the first to be lost. == Population and demographics ==