Many women played significant roles in the Crusades, including women from Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Among them were influential queens, noblewomen, and even military leaders. Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen of France and later England, famously participated in the Second Crusade. The Queens of Jerusalem, such as Melisende and Isabella I, wielded considerable power in the Crusader states, shaping political landscapes and military strategies. These women often ruled in their own right, negotiated alliances, and managed the complex affairs of the Kingdom of Jerusalem during tumultuous times, demonstrating remarkable leadership and diplomatic skills in the East.

DELIVERY MODE

• Hybrid (Face-to-Face and Online simultaneously)

SUGGESTED READING

• Queens of Jerusalem: The Women Who Dared to Rule, Katherine Pangonis
• Eleanor of Aquitaine, Alison Weir
• Queens of the Crusades: Eleanor of Aquitaine and her Successors, Alison Weir
• Women and the Crusades, Helen J. Nicholson
• Women in the Crusader States: The Queens of Jerusalem, Bernard Hamilton
• The Crusader States, Malcolm Barber

COURSE OUTLINE

• Introduction to the Crusades and Women's Roles: Overview of the Crusades: causes, timeline, and major events; Traditional historiography and the overlooked roles of women; Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Second Crusade; Other notable European women involved in crusading efforts
• Queens of Jerusalem: The establishment of the Crusader States; Key figures: Melisende, Sibylla, and Isabella of Jerusalem; Daily life for women in the Crusader States
• Powerful women in the Muslim world: Shajar al-Durr and Zumurrud Khatun; The impact of the Crusades on local women; Women as diplomats and negotiators between cultures
• Women from the East: Byzantine Women's Perspectives; Byzantine women's experiences during the Crusader occupation of Constantinople; Empress Irene Ducaena, Theodora Comnena, Anna Comnena, Maria Comnena; The role of Byzantine women in diplomacy between the Empire and the Crusaders

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

1. Analyse the diverse roles women played during the Crusades, including political, religious, economic, and military involvement.

 
2. Evaluate the contributions of key female figures from Europe, the Byzantine Empire, the Crusader States, and the Muslim world during the Crusades period. 
3. Compare and contrast the experiences of women from different cultural backgrounds (Western European, Byzantine, Middle Eastern) during the Crusades.
4. Identify and explain the various motivations that led women to participate in or support the Crusades.