Transcript Lecture 9 - cda college

COLLEGE - LIMASSOL
BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
History of Cyprus
Lecture 9
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The Frankish Period 1192-1489.
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The Feudalism in Cyprus.
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The new system of administration.
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Guy de Lusignan organized the system of
administration once and for all.
He divided the fiefdoms into two categories:
Those with an annual income of 400
Byzants, which he divided among his senior
knights who were obliged to follow him in
war;
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To those with an annual income of 300
Byzants which were divided among the
nobles and people of lower rank.
Among these, there were also those who
responded to his invitation and came to
settle in Cyprus from Syria, Palestine and
Armenia who, by coming also strengthened
the island’s defense forces.
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Fiefs could not be expropriated and were
passed on only to legal heirs or through
marriage.
If the owner died without heirs then the fief
went back to the king.
If Cypriots left the island, and there were
many who fled the Frankish oppression,
then their land went to the king who
organized new fiefdoms.
The church fiefs were formed after church
property was taken over.
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The king was the supreme political and
military chief but his authority could be
limited by the nobles.
He was described as the grand noble of the
order of the sword.
Knights had the duty to defend
Christendom and fight its enemies and to
protect the Sepulcher of the Lord.
Minting of coins was the exclusive privilege
of the king himself.
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The Upper House met the king and his
representative and it was made up of knights and
feudal lords who were at least 25 years old.
It had great powers, including executive, legislative
and judicial powers and it approved the ascention
of the king to the throne, even though succession
was hereditary. It could also appoint a regent if the
legal king was under 15 years of age.
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The upper house dealt with all the domestic
and foreign affairs and made decisions on
peace or war.
It had the power to judge all cases brought
before it by the nobles, with the exception
of those dealing with religious violations
which were dealt with by the Low or Nether
House.
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This house was made up of citizens who
were appointed by the king.
It met under a viscount (knight) and its
authority was judicial in cases not involving
nobles.
The Low House also dealt with disputes or
differences between nobles and people of a
lower class, or religious infractions.
The officials were chosen from among the
citizens:
 Seneschal : a senior official, master of the
royal palace who administered and
organized court ceremonies. He was also in
charge of the maintenance of the forts, and
generally he did represent the king in his
absence in judiciary and military matters.
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Constable: chief in the army in time of war
and handle the affairs of mercenaries.
One general was also appointed by the king
to be under constable’s orders.
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A chamberlain stood by the king at
ceremonies.
The viscount who he held the post of
governor and chief of police in towns and
chaired the meetings of the Lower Houses.
The positions of admiral, chancellor and
Constables were considered interior.
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Nobles: knight and feudal lords.
The class of citizens, made up of industrial
magnates and the merchants.
The subordinates, the Vassals who paid an
annual tax of 48 Byzants, as well as the one
third of their produce. They were obligated
to work for free on the land of their master
twice a week. They were slaves with no
privileges at all.
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The Knights Templars and the Knights of
Saint John gained great power and very
great influence because of their military
orders.
The Knights had also granted them many
privileges. They had the right to maintain
their own Castles as their contribution to
the island’s security and for their assistance
in war operations off the island.
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The two orders had castles at Chirokitia and
at Gastria and their holdings included lands
in Paphos, Limassol, and Nicosia as well as
in other parts of the island.
Distribution of justice was based on what
was known as the Assizes.
 Originally these were the laws enacted and
applied to the Kingdom of Jerusalem.
 After the Lusignan acquired Cyprus, they
amended these laws into a strong legal
code for Cyprus.
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The amendment was carried out on the
basis of local customs as well as on the
Byzantine laws in force until that time, that
is, they were based on Roman Law.
Their final form was drafted by a legal
expert, John d’ Ibeline, under King Hugh the
Second.
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Guy de Lusignan was only interested in two
things: to overcome the mistrust of the
Cypriots towards foreigners, and to repair
the castles in the town and to build other
defensive works.
He feared that the emperor of Byzantium
would try to the expansion and adornment
of the town of Limassol where a large
number of European merchants had settled.
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He granted to these merchants a number of
privileges.
Guy de Lusignan died childless, before he
was crowned king.
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The Upper House proclaimed Guy’s younger
brother Aimery as his successor.
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Aimery sought to expand and strengthen
his power and authority.
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In the face of the German Emperor Henry
the Sixth, he found an ally and a supporter.
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Henry sought the support of Cyprus for a
new Crusade that he was preparing.
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Aimery’s coronation took place in Nicosia in
the presence of a representative of the ally
emperor in 1197 A.D.
The domination of the Franks was
established on this date, and it continued
up to their end.
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A decision by king Aimery to set up the Latin
Church in Cyprus proved to be a very serious
development as a result of after effects.
At Aimery’s request, Pope Celestinus the Third did
issue a papal Bull on 20 February 1196 thus
establishing a Latin Archbishop of Cyprus with his
see in Nicosia.
He was to be assisted by three Bishops appointed
for Paphos, Limassol, and Famagusta.
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The Upper House then furnished financial
assistance to these three Bishop’s thrones
by usurping lands and properties of the
Orthodox Church.
It also established the Dekati, a special tax
on produce, under which one tenth of
produce was paid as a tax.
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Aimery married the widowed Queen of Jerusalem
one year after his coronation.
He was crowned the King of Jerusalem at Ptolemais.
He had to shoulder new obligations.
He had to liberate Jerusalem from the Turks.
His participation in the Third Crusade, in an effort
to liberate Jerusalem, and his absence from Cyprus,
offered the opportunity to Emperor of Byzantium
Alexios the Third, to try and retake the island but
he failed.
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Aimery died one year later leaving his
underage son Hugh as successor.
Upon his death the Crowns of Cyprus and
Jerusalem were separated.
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According to the Assizes the Upper House
had to appoint a Regent until the king came
of age.
It appointed the husband of Guy’s older
sister, Gautier de Mopmeliard.
His first act was to put into effect an old
agreement between Aimery and Henry of
Champagne under which 14-year old Guy
was married to Henry’s daughter Alice.
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Knights had the right to marry at that early
age.
Two years later, Guy was crowned the King
of Cyprus in 1210 A.D.
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Guy proved to be a very active king.
He took part in the Fifth Crusade, leading
his army to Ptolemais and to Tripoli, where
in the 1218 A.D. he suddenly died.
It was during his reign that Latin
Archbishop Albert laid the foundation stone
for the Saint Sophia Cathedal in Nicosia.
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It remained one of the most representative
examples of Gothic architecture in Cyprus.
With the capture of the island by the Turks
in 1571 A.D. it was converted into a
mosque and remains as such up to this day.
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Henry’s uncle Philip Ibeline ruled the state.
He granted large scale privileges to the Genoese
who were masters of a strong and large fleet.
He wanted to gain their alliance to liberate the Holy
Land.
These privileges included:
exemption from taxes on all their goods;
they were given their own judges, except in cases
of murder, theft and treason;
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Certain town quarters in the towns of
Limassol and Famagusta.
On becoming of age the king ratified these
privileges and signed an alliance with the
Genoese in 1233 A.D.
Georgiades, C. P., History of Cyprus, 2nd
Edition 1993.