Editing Theodore I Laskaris (section)

=== Resistance ===
[[File:Empire of Nicaea.png|thumb|right|alt=Map of early-13th-century Asia Minor.|Theodore's realm 1205.]]
By the time of Theodore's arrival, Asia Minor had been a centre of uprisings against the imperial government for decades.{{sfn|Angelov|2019|pp=23–25}} A rebellious magnate, [[Theodore Mangaphas]], held [[Alaşehir|Philadelphia]]; another aristocrat, [[Sabas Asidenos]], ruled [[Priene|Sampson]]; and [[Nikephoros Kontostephanos]] controlled the lands on the upper course of the [[Büyük Menderes River|Maeander River]].{{sfn|Korobeinikov|2017|p=718}} Theodore appeared as his father-in-law's representative and secured the [[Bithynia]]n towns' loyalty in Alexios{{nbsp}}III's name until the end of 1204.{{sfn|Angold|2017|p=734}}{{sfn|Korobeinikov|2017|p=718}}{{sfn|Van Tricht|2011|p=352}} The local Greeks acknowledged him as the ''[[strategos]]'' (or military leader) of Bithynia.{{sfn|Angold|2011|p=70}} He established his seat in [[Bursa]],{{sfn|Fine|1994|p=81}} but he made frequent journeys to attend assemblies and dinners, encouraging the local Greeks' resistance against the "[[Latins (Middle Ages)|Latins]]", as the crusaders were universally called. He also took control of state revenues, and he could offer money to the [[Seljuq dynasty|Seljuq]] [[Sultanate of Rum|Sultan of Rum]], [[Suleiman II (Rûm)|Rukn al-Din Suleiman&nbsp;II]], in return for his assistance against the Latins.{{sfn|Angelov|2019|p=25}} Suleiman{{nbsp}}II died and his underage son, [[Kilij Arslan III|Izz al-Din Kilij Arslan&nbsp;III]], succeeded him in June 1204.{{sfn|Korobeinikov|2017|p=718}}

The crusaders set up a commission to [[Partitio Romaniae|distribute the Byzantine territories]] among them in September.{{sfn|Nicol|1988|p=149}} In Asia Minor, the "duchy of Nicaea" was granted to [[Louis&nbsp;I, Count of Blois]], and the "duchy of Philadelphia" to [[Stephen du Perche (died 1205)|Stephen of Perche]], although the Latins had not conquered these lands.{{sfn|Angelov|2019|p=25}} The [[Republic of Venice|Venetians]] seized the port of [[Lampsacus]] on the Asian side of the Hellespont and a French knight, [[Peter of Bracieux]], captured the nearby [[Pegai]].{{sfn|Angelov|2019|p=25}} Emperor Alexios{{nbsp}}I of Trebizond's brother and co-emperor, [[David Komnenos]], launched a military campaign into Paphlagonia and occupied the towns along the Black Sea coast.{{sfn|Treadgold|1997|p=713}} His conquest facilitated Bracieux's invasion of Bithynia. He routed Theodore at [[Poemanenum]] on 6{{nbsp}}December and his victory enabled him to seize Bythinian forts.{{sfn|Treadgold|1997|p=713}}{{sfn|Angelov|2019|p=26}}

The Latins captured and publicly executed Alexios{{nbsp}}V in Constantinople. They also arrested Alexios{{nbsp}}III in [[Thessaly]], forcing him to cede the imperial insignia to them early in 1205. A grandson of Emperor [[Manuel&nbsp;I Komnenos]] ({{reign|1143|1180}}), [[Manuel Maurozomes]], and Maurozomes's son-in-law, the deposed Sultan of Rum, [[Kaykhusraw I|Ghiyāth al-Dīn Kaykhusraw&nbsp;I]], came to Nicaea.{{sfn|Angelov|2019|p=26}} Theodore detained them,{{sfn|Angelov|2019|p=26}} but they soon came to terms.{{sfn|Korobeinikov|2017|p=718}} He lent money to Kaykhusraw to regain his throne in return for his promise of military support.{{sfn|Korobeinikov|2017|p=718}} Kaykhusraw and Maurozomes hurried to [[Konya]], the capital of Rum. They dethroned the underage Kilij Arslan in Kaykhusraw's favor in March 1205.{{sfn|Korobeinikov|2017|p=718}}{{sfn|Angelov|2019|p=26}}

By the end of 1204, the Latins had captured Thrace, Thessaly and northern Greece.{{sfn|Treadgold|1997|pp=711–713}} Emperor Alexios{{nbsp}}III's cousin, [[Michael I Komnenos Doukas|Michael Doukas]], who organised the Greeks' resistance in [[Despotate of Epirus|Epirus]], was forced to swear fealty to [[Pope Innocent&nbsp;III]] to secure his protection. Emperor Baldwin dispatched his brother, [[Henry of Flanders|Henry]], to conquer Asia Minor early in 1205.{{sfn|Treadgold|1997|p=713}} Henry defeated Theodore Mangaphas and Theodore Laskaris' brother, Constantine, in the [[Battle of Adramyttion (1205)|Battle of Adramyttion]] on 19{{nbsp}}March 1205.{{sfn|Angelov|2019|p=26}} The Latins could not follow up their victory, because Tzar [[Kaloyan of Bulgaria]] stirred up a rebellion in Thrace and invaded the province.{{sfn|Fine|1994|p=81}}{{sfn|Nicol|1988|p=151}} Kaloyan's invasion forced Emperor Baldwin to withdraw his knights from Anatolia.{{sfn|Fine|1994|p=81}}{{sfn|Angelov|2019|p=26}} Kaloyan inflicted a crushing defeat on the Latin army in the [[Battle of Adrianople (1205)|Battle of Adrianople]] on 14&nbsp;April 1205.{{sfn|Angelov|2019|p=26}} Louis of Blois and Stephen of Perche perished in the battlefield.{{sfn|Angelov|2019|p=26}} Baldwin was captured and died in captivity in [[Second Bulgarian Empire|Bulgaria]].{{sfn|Angold|2017|p=731}}{{sfn|Fine|1994|pp=81–82}}

Theodore emerged as the main beneficiary of Kaloyan's victory.{{sfn|Treadgold|1997|p=713}}{{sfn|Nicol|1988|p=161}} The Latins' defeat revealed the fragility of their rule,{{sfn|Angold|2017|p=731}} and secured Theodore's position.{{sfn|Fine|1994|p=83}} Taking advantage of the moment, he expelled the Latin garrisons from most Anatolian fortresses,{{sfn|Fine|1994|p=90}} and transferred his capital from Bursa to Nicaea.{{sfn|Nicol|1988|p=161}} Greeks were swarming to his realm from the European territories under Latin rule.{{sfn|Fine|1994|p=90}} Mangaphas ceded Philadelphia to Theodore, and Asidenos's lands were also absorbed into Theodore's realm.<ref group="note">Historian Dimiter Angelov says Theodore seized Philadelphia peacefully, but [[Warren Treadgold]] writes that Theodore imprisoned Mangaphas.</ref>{{sfn|Angelov|2019|p=27}}{{sfn|Treadgold|1997|p=713}} The local aristocrats supported Theodore against the rebellious magnates, and he awarded them with court titles.{{sfn|Angold|2011|p=71}} Theodore extracted an oath of fealty from Michael&nbsp;I of Epirus's brother, [[Theodore Komnenos Doukas]], who had settled in Asia Minor, before allowing him to leave for Epirus.{{sfn|Fine|1994|p=68}}