Latin law and the pre-existing populations of the Latin East, 1099-1291

本项目试图回答的主要研究问题是：拉丁法律文本中对黎凡特群体的处理和表现在多大程度上挑战了对拉丁东方种族隔离、敌意和剥削的现代解释？这篇关于拉丁人和他们的黎凡特人之间的跨文化关系的新分析，旨在挑战人们对中世纪的误解，以及中世纪对黎凡特今天跨文化冲突的影响。在第一次十字军东征期间和之后（1095-1099），拉丁基督徒在黎凡特建立了四个政体。19世纪的欧洲历史学家受到当代殖民态度的影响，认为拉丁人与异质的黎凡特人之间的关系是互惠互利的（Rey, 1866;Madelin, 1918）。相反，20世纪中期的历史学家将其与当代以色列/巴勒斯坦冲突相提并论，将其描述为压迫、剥削和“种族隔离”的破坏（Smail,1956; Prawer, 1980）。这种对中世纪过去的看法影响了今天以色列、巴勒斯坦和阿拉伯的大众思想，导致了冲突，就像最近在阿斯卡清真寺发生的那样；同样，西方极端主义团体滥用十字军东征历史来促进民族主义、白人至上主义和反同性恋恐惧症（MacDonald, 2023; Esteve-Del Val, 2022; Roche, 2021）。东方主义和殖民主义，加上持续的地区冲突，因此鼓励了对历史跨文化关系的强大的、7 / 24的简化解释的扩散，这些解释推动了进一步的冲突（Young,2021; Ellenblum, 1998）。鉴于持续的紧张关系，需要从新的来源和方法中更深入地了解西方定居者和现有黎凡特人口之间跨文化关系的起源，以补充当代工作，寻求挑战那些代表过去的人。这项跨学科的研究通过对拉丁东方幸存的大量法律文本中黎凡特人口的处理和表现的分析，重新评估了中世纪的跨文化关系。在传统的西方和以精英为中心的十字军编年史中，黎凡特人通常被忽视或中伤，然而规范与黎凡特群体日常互动的法律文本却被忽视了（Jotischky, 2009; Mayer, 1978）。他们的研究采用了创新的法律史方法（批判法律史和比较法律史），为跨文化关系提供了一种情境化的观点，挑战了以往研究的笼统解释（Ibbetson, 2013;Sugarman, 2018）。该项目于2021年1月在南洋理工大学兼职开始。一篇案例研究文章启发了爱尔兰研究委员会新方法会议（2022年）的邀请论文，并出版了《诺丁汉中世纪研究》（2023年）。在十字军东征和拉丁东方研究学会（SSCLE）会议（2021年）上发表了进一步的论文；北方十字军研究网络（NNSC）讲习班（2022年）；南洋理工大学的法律、人权和宗教热点会议，2022年。第一章将于2023年在利兹国际中世纪大会上发表。积极的反馈表明，这个项目已经启发了其他学者利用新的资源和跨学科的方法。基督教、穆斯林和犹太信仰团体以及那些与黎凡特有关的文化遗产将对这些发现感兴趣。初步调查结果已通过南洋理工大学宗教与冲突研究中心（CSRC）的博客和Twitter发布给更广泛的受众。进一步的影响将通过开发学习资源、举办档案展览、播客和研讨会来实现。

The main research question this project seeks to answer is: to what extent does the treatment andrepresentation of Levantine groups in Latin legal texts challenge modern interpretations of segregation,hostility, and exploitation in the Latin East? This new analysis of cross-cultural relationships between theLatins and their Levantine subjects is intended to challenge misconceptions of the medieval past andtheir impact on cross-cultural conflict in the Levant today.Latin Christians founded four polities in the Levant during and after the First Crusade (1095-1099).Nineteenth century European historians, influenced by contemporary colonial attitudes, presented theLatins' relationships with their heterogeneous Levantine subjects as mutually beneficial (Rey, 1866;Madelin, 1918). Conversely, mid-twentieth century historians, drawing parallels with contemporaryIsraeli/Palestinian conflicts, presented them as oppressive, exploitative and marred by 'apartheid' (Smail,1956; Prawer, 1980). Such perceptions of the medieval past are influential in popular Israeli, Palestinianand Arab thought today, leading to conflict, as recently occurred at the Al-Asqa Mosque; likewise Westernextremist groups misappropriate Crusades history to promote nationalism, white supremacy andIslamophobia (MacDonald, 2023; Esteve-Del Val, 2022; Roche, 2021). Orientalism and Colonialism,combined with ongoing regional conflict, have therefore encouraged a proliferation of powerful,7 / 24simplified interpretations of historical cross-cultural relationships which drive further conflict (Young,2021; Ellenblum, 1998). Given continued tensions, a deeper understanding of the origins of cross-culturalrelationships between Western settlers and existing Levantine populations, drawn from novel sourcesand methodologies, is required to complement contemporary work seeking to challenge thosemisrepresenting the past.This interdisciplinary study reappraises medieval cross-cultural relationships through an analysis of thetreatment and representation of Levantine populations in the Latin East's large surviving corpus of legaltexts. Levantine populations were generally ignored or vilified in traditional Western and elite-focussedCrusades chronicles, yet legal texts regulating everyday interactions with Levantine groups have beenneglected (Jotischky, 2009; Mayer, 1978). Their study, using innovative approaches to legal history(Critical Legal History and Comparative Legal History) offers a contextualised view of cross-culturalrelationships which challenges broad-brush interpretations of previous studies (Ibbetson, 2013;Sugarman, 2018).This project commenced part-time at NTU in January 2021. A case-study article inspired an invited paperat the Irish Research Council's New Approaches Conference (2022) and resulted in a publication inNottingham Medieval Studies (2023). Further papers have been presented at the Society for the Study ofthe Crusades and the Latin East (SSCLE) conference (2021); Northern Network for the Study of theCrusades (NNSC) workshop (2022); and NTU's Law, Human Rights and Religion Flashpoints Conference,2022. Chapter 1 will be presented at Leeds International Medieval Congress, 2023. Positive feedbacksuggests this project has already inspired other scholars' utilisation of novel sources and interdisciplinarymethodologies.Findings will be of interest to Christian, Muslim and Jewish faith groups and those with cultural heritageconnected to the Levant. Preliminary findings have been published for wider audiences through NTU'sCentre for the Study of Religion and Conflict (CSRC)'s blog, and Twitter. Further impact will be achievedby developing learning resources, hosting archive exhibitions, podcasts, and workshops.