Quantifying the early Templars in the East (c.1119–1200)

Counting the Templars is an exercise in archival triangulation because, as we know, the Templars did not keep membership lists; certainly none have survived. From a handful of founding knights in the 1120s to a pan-European order by the later thirteenth century, estimates vary widely. This blog synthesises peer-reviewed scholarship and trial-catalogues to give the best evidence-based picture of membership and rank composition of the Templar Order during its first century of existence.

The Order of the Temple began small. Contemporary tradition, such as voiced by William of Tyre (ca. 1180), names Hugues de Payens from Burgundy and eight companions only as founders (c.1119–1120). Michael the Syrian (ca 1180) mentions that "there came from Rome to Jerusalem on pilgrimage a prince named Godfrey (de Saint Omer?, TN) along with thirty horsemen. He had vowed that he would never leave. After a year he became a monk and the thirty horsemen with him also changed their garb and lived in holiness and prayer."  

Walter Map (ca. 1190) identifies "a knight called Payens (Pagan)" as initiator but does not mention the number of companions. Around 1220 Jacques de Vitry mentions Hugues de Payens and Geoffrey de St Omer as initiators, the whole group adding up to only nine. In view of these near contemporary sources, it is most plausible that the group of proto-Templars consisted of about 9 knights with their personal squires and other servants, in total about 30 people. 

Growth accelerated, especially in the West, after ecclesiastical recognition (Council of Troyes, January 1129), the development of European commandery networks, and recruitment driven by crusading zeal and landed endowments. In the Latin East their numbers remained limited in the 12th century, growing to only about 300 Templar Knights and some 1.000 sergeant brothers in the 1180s. 

It was a small army that, together with the Hospitallers and the royal troops, had to withstand Saladin's advance after 1185. Hostilities had erupted between the two parties when a crusader knight, Reynald of Chatillon, attacked a Muslim trade caravan in defiance of the peace pact of 1185 CE put forward by his side. Soon the first casualties fell. Barber’s research provides casualty figures for the Battle of Cresson (1 May 1187), a related prelude to the major Battle of Hattin. According to the Grand Commander’s report, about 60 Templar brothers of the about 300 present were lost in that first clash, which was documented in contemporary correspondence, remaining about 240 knights. A similar loss of sergeants would have reduced their numbers to 800.

The complete defeat of the crusader armies occurred at Hattin (July 4, 1187). According to tradition (so probably exagerated) the Christian army there numbered about 20.000 men, of whom 1.200 knights, drawn from Jerusalem and Tripoli and the military Orders, together with 50 knights from Antioch. They stood opposite Saladin's army of 30.000 men of whom 12.000 were regular cavalry, again traditional numbers, so probably exagerated. The battle crushed the Christian army, severely reducing the number of crusaders, including the Templar and Hospitaller Orders, perhaps even all but annihilating them. These Orders were considered by Saladin a special threat, not only because of their military strength but also because of their absolute spiritual devotion to their cause. Reason for him to execute all captured Templar and Hospitaller knights. Estimates suggest that about 230 (of the estimated total of about 240 Templar brethren brought in the field) were killed, so at maximum a few dozen of the knights survived both Cresson and Hattin. If we extend a total loss percentage of 90% to the 1.000 sergeant brothers, 100 sergeants survided. So in all only about 100-150 Templar fighters, knights and sergeants, remained after Cresson and Hattin in the Latin East. 

That number probably did not decrease sugnificantly during the defense and fall of Jerusalem (October 2, 1187). The reason is that the city capitulated and most defenders were ransomed, including the Templars, as part of the capitulation deal. Probably all ransomed people from Jersualem withdrew to Acre and other seaside fortresses.

An uncertain factor is that the Templars, as all the armies of the time, made use of mercenaries (stipenarii). During the Crusades, turcopoles (from the Greek: τουρκόπουλοι, literally "sons of Turks") were mounted archers and light cavalry, recruited locally. They were employed by the Byzantine Empire as well as the Crusader states. A leader of these auxiliaries was designated as Turcopolier, a title subsequently given to a senior officer in the Knights Templar and the Knights Hospitaller. Also the army of the Kingdom of Jerusalem employed king's Turcoples under the direction of a Grand Turcopolier.

At the Battle of Hattin in 1187, the Regni Ierosolimitani brevis hystoria records 4.000 turcopoles as being part of the defeated Christian army. The historian Steven Runciman considers this number exaggerated. An indication of a more reasonable approximation of the number of Turcopoles available to the military orders may be a pledge made by the Hospitallers in 1186, when an invasion of Egypt was being planned. Of a total Hospitaller contingent of 1000 men, half were to be Turcopoles. If the same rule would apply to the Turcopole continguent to the Templar army before Cresson and Hattin, this would mean about 1.300 Templar turcopole mercenaries. The Turcopoles captured at Hattin were, as perceived renegades, probably all executed at Saladin's order. 

To conclude, obviously the numbers do not add up and probably are exagerated. At the same time they give an impression of the very limited number of Templars, knights and sergeants, that retreated after 1187 to the coastal castles in Outremer. This moght not have exceeded a few hunderd, of which only a few dozen knights, plus an unknown but small number of turcopole mercenaries. 

This blog draws freely from the paper by Gawainsmum (2016) How many Templars were there?, occasionally quoting small sections under the rules of Fair Use. Additional information from: Malcolm Barber (1994), The New Knighthood: A History of the Order of the Temple (Cambridge University Press); Jonathan Riley‑Smith (2005), The Crusades: A History (Yale University Press); Turcopole, Wikipedia (consulted January 31, 2026). The illustration shows a 12th century turcopole, historical re-enactment, Cvikla - Own work, source Wikipedia CC BY-SA 3.0.  

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