CHAPTER 125: CHAPTER 125 – THE STEWARDSHIP OF SYRIA

Damascus, August 20th, 1180

Morning sunlight filtered through the repaired lattice of the eastern tower, casting warm patterns of light on the newly polished tiles of the royal audience chamber. King Baldwin IV—cloaked in the white and gold of his royal robes—sat beneath a crimson canopy adorned with the lion of Judah and the cross of Jerusalem.

He looked weary, the strain of months of campaigning visible in his gaunt cheeks and hollowed eyes. Yet his hands were steady as he reached for the parchment scrolls before him. Around him stood his most trusted men: Balian of Ibelin, Raymond of Oultrejordain, the marshal Gerard of Ridefort, and Hugh de Tiberias, among others.

The door shut with a solid thunk. A scribe dipped his quill in ink, ready to record decisions that would shape a kingdom reborn.

"With the war’s end," Baldwin said, his voice quiet but clear, "we now hold the richest valleys of Syria. Aleppo. Homs. Baalbek. And Damascus itself. But conquest is only the beginning. It must be governed, or it will be lost."

A murmur of agreement passed through the hall.

Settling the Crusaders

"We will not keep all of the army here," Baldwin continued. "They must begin to return home—Frenchmen, Germans, Lombards, the Spanish knights. Let them go back in glory, carrying with them tales of victory. But for those who wish to stay, there must be land."

"Many would stay if land were offered," said Balian. "Especially the lesser knights and footmen. Even some sergeants. They’ve seen the richness of the Orontes and Barada Valleys."

"We will grant them plots in the countryside—around Homs, Baalbek, and between Aleppo and Maʿarat. They will form a new class of settler-lords. Not barons, not high nobility, but pillars of this new kingdom."

Gerard of Ridefort leaned forward. "Some of the land around Baalbek is still empty from the flight during the siege. Ideal for settlement. And the marshals of Homs have identified areas along the Orontes for vineyards and olive cultivation."

"Good," Baldwin nodded. "Send word to the army camps. Begin drawing up rolls of those willing to swear fealty and stay. All will be given land, in exchange for oaths of defense."

Muslim Peasantry and Taxation

Balian raised a thorny issue next: "And the peasants still in these lands? Especially the Muslim villagers in the mountains and valleys. Most have not fled. Some have even aided our foragers out of necessity."

The king’s expression didn’t change, but his reply was measured.

"They may remain. Let it be known across Syria: any man who tills the land in peace, Christian or Saracen, will be protected. They may keep their homes and practice their faith—within reason. But just as Christians once paid the jizya under Muslim rule, now the Saracens will do the same."

"A fair exchange," said Hugh of Tiberias. "And an answer to those who fear we’ll empty the countryside."

"It will also generate revenue to pay for the rebuilding," Baldwin added. "Those who cannot pay in coin may pay in kind—grain, labor, stone."

Infrastructure and Agriculture

The king gestured to the growing stack of reports from engineers and monks alike.

"There are great works to begin," Baldwin said. "The fields of Syria are fertile, but neglected. We shall expand what worked in Jerusalem—crop rotation, irrigation canals, and water mills

. Dig new wells, dredge the old ones, and dam the tributaries of the Orontes and Barada to power our mills."

Raymond added, "We’ll need masons and engineers for that. Perhaps we send for them from Tyre, or even Genoa?"

"Yes," Baldwin agreed. "And we will grant charters to towns to encourage growth. Homs and Baalbek especially—let them become fortified centers of trade and authority."

He turned to Balian. "Begin assembling the men who have knowledge of grain production, carpentry, and irrigation. Send them with the garrisons. And commission monks to record the fertility of the lands for future harvest assessments."

Remembering Bohemond

A brief silence fell before Baldwin added somberly, "We lost a good man. Bohemond, for all his faults, was a warrior to the end. We owe him much for his ride south to catch the Saracens off guard."

Several bowed their heads. Balian murmured, "May the Lord receive him with honor."

"He left Antioch without a strong heir," Baldwin said. "Raymond is still a boy. But that matter we’ll revisit once he arrives."

The Garrison and the Final Withdrawals

By week’s end, the march began. Thousands of crusaders began their return journeys—those with homes in France, the Rhineland, or the Italian republics began the long trek back to the ports of Acre and Tyre.

Behind them remained the heart of Baldwin’s new Syrian frontier: a professional core of garrisons, sworn knights, and settler-soldiers. Roads were patrolled. Forts reinforced. And border outposts in the Anti-Lebanon mountains were already being fortified against the Emirate of Salkhad and any resurgent danger from the east.

Looking Ahead

That evening, Baldwin stood on the northern balcony of the Citadel of Damascus. Below him, in the city’s deepening shadows, the call to prayer mingled with the bells of the Church of St. Mary.

Balian approached silently. "You’ve secured more land in two years than our fathers did in fifty."

Baldwin didn’t answer right away. His gaze lingered on the moon rising over the Qasyun Mountains.

"It’s not enough to conquer. It must endure," he said at last. "What we build here must last generations... or it will all burn again."

And with that, he turned back to the map table lit by oil lamps, ready to shape the new realm of Jerusalem in Syria—not merely with swords, but with laws, soil, and stone.