Essentially, if we throw a PoD in that John Komnenos doesn't poison himself, what if the King of Jerusalem was rightfully afraid of invasion, and the next campaign was to take Aleppo, and then all the Crusader States - followed by a campaign against the Zengids and ad-Din to take Damascus and the Euphrates Frontier in Syria, but in order to maintain control and stability within the new territories, rather than typical themes, he creates special themes where

1) Each theme is assigned to either Latin or Muslim religious freedom depending on their prominent group. Complete equality of religious practice within that Theme for the specified faith. This is in exchange for loyalty as part of Roman Themata.
2) All members of the Roman Themata, and their immediate family (wife, children), have freedom of practice throughout the Empire, as long as they have proof of their membership of the Themata.
3) Churches/Mosques within the Theme, of the faith granted privileges in that them, are run by an Archbishop/Grand Imam that is selected by the Patriarch in charge of that territory (Antioch, or Jerusalem, etc).

Could this have ensured the loyalty of these populations and their service in the Thematic system?
Could this have strengthened the Empires forces and finances in the long term?
Could this have survived Manuel? (The other heir has died by this point I think)
What would the reaction of the Muslim and Catholic worlds be?
 
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Essentially, if we throw a PoD in that John Komnenos doesn't poison himself, what if the King of Jerusalem was rightfully afraid of invasion, and the next campaign was to take Aleppo, and then all the Crusader States - followed by a campaign against the Zengids and ad-Din to take Damascus and the Euphrates Frontier in Syria, but in order to maintain control and stability within the new territories, rather than typical themes, he creates special themes where

1) Each theme is assigned to either Latin or Muslim religious freedom depending on their prominent group. Complete equality of religious practice within that Theme for the specified faith. This is in exchange for loyalty as part of Roman Themata.
2) All members of the Roman Themata, and their immediate family (wife, children), have freedom of practice throughout the Empire, as long as they have proof of their member of the Themata.
3) Churches/Mosques within the Theme, of the faith granted privileges in that them, are run by an Archbishop/Grand Imam that is selected by the Patriarch in charge of that territory (Antioch, or Jerusalem, etc).

Could this have ensured the loyalty of these populations and their service in the Thematic system?
Could this have strengthened the Empires forces and finances in the long term?
Could this have survived Manuel? (The other heir has died by this point I think)
What would the reaction of the Muslim and Catholic worlds be?
Is there ERE even in a position to take over the entirety of the Crusader States?It's true that the crusader states are parasites of the ERE and are extremely weak,but I suspect they are still powerful enough to resist the ERE.I think any attempt to invade the Crusader States would be met with resistance from Latin states including the Italian city states who were granted trading rights in exchange for providing naval support.The ERE's main route to Levant isn't that secure either.The Armenians of Cilicia frequently rebelled against the ERE.I suspect that the ones who will benefit most would be the Muslim powers.
 
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Is there ERE even in a position to take over the entirety of the Crusader States?It's true that the crusader states are parasites of the ERE and are extremely weak,but I suspect they are still powerful enough to resist the ERE.I think any attempt to invade the Crusader States would be met with resistance from Latin states including the Italian city states who were granted trading rights in exchange for providing naval support.The ERE's main route to Levant isn't that secure either.The Armenians of Cilicia frequently rebelled against the ERE.I suspect that the ones who will benefit most would be the Muslim powers.

Well, Antioch had just been given an ultimatum prior to the death of John II, and King Fulk feared John II coming on pilgrimage with his full army. Plus, with the Zengids doing their thing, Edessa has issues, as well as other parts of the Seljuk Empire, and Mu'in ad-Din Unur of Damascus was allying with Fulk against Zengi. So it seems that the region is pretty ripe.
 
Well, Antioch had just been given an ultimatum prior to the death of John II, and King Fulk feared John II coming on pilgrimage with his full army. Plus, with the Zengids doing their thing, Edessa has issues, as well as other parts of the Seljuk Empire, and Mu'in ad-Din Unur of Damascus was allying with Fulk against Zengi. So it seems that the region is pretty ripe.
Antioch and Edessa most certainly are vulnerable,but the Kingdom of Jerusalem itself has too much connections with the West and is too far for the ERE to penetrate effectively.At any rate,of course the Jerusalemites would have feared the emperor coming with his full army,just as the ERE itself feared the Crusaders when they parked their army outside of Constantinople during the First,Second,Third and Fourth Crusade.
 
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