War of the Antiochene Succession
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The War of the Antiochene Succession was a series of armed conflicts in northern Syria between 1201 and 1219 over the contested succession to Bohemond III of Antioch. The Principality of Antioch, the leading Christian power in the region during the late 12th century, faced a challenge to its dominance from the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia. The capture of the key Syrian fortress Bagras by Leo II of Cilician Armenia sparked a prolonged conflict in the early 1190s. Leo attempted to seize Antioch, but the Greek and Latin burghers formed a commune that prevented the Armenians from taking control of the city. Bohemond III's eldest son, Raymond, died in 1197, leaving an infant son, Raymond-Roupen, whose mother, Alice, was Leo's niece and heir presumptive. Although Bohemond III and the Antiochene nobility recognised Raymond-Roupen's claim, the commune favoured Bohemond III's younger son, Bohemond, who already held the County of Tripoli.
Upon Bohemond III's death in April 1201, Bohemond of Tripoli took control of Antioch without resistance, prompting many Antiochene nobles to seek refuge in Cilician Armenia. Between 1201 and 1208, Leo launched several invasions against Antioch, but was repeatedly forced to withdraw owing to incursions into Cilicia by two neighbouring Muslim powers: the Seljuks of Rum and the Ayyubids of Aleppo. Though initially backed by Pope Innocent III, Leo was excommunicated in 1208 following his dispute with the Knights Templar over Bagras. Despite this, Leo captured new fortresses in Syria, but abandoned them in 1213 to mend ties with the Holy See. In 1216, exploiting Bohemond IV's political isolation, Leo entered Antioch and helped install Raymond-Roupen as prince. However, Leo soon abandoned Bagras and lost the Armenian strongholds north of the Taurus Mountains to the Seljuks. Raymond-Roupen's unpopular tax increases eroded his support in Antioch, and his deteriorating relationship with Leo weakened his position, enabling Bohemond IV to reclaim the principality in 1219. The war ultimately weakened the Christian states of northern Syria.