Byzantine Empire under the Angelos dynasty

Byzantine Empire
1185–1204
The Byzantine Empire on the eve of the Sack of Constantinople, in 1204 AD.
The Byzantine Empire on the eve of the Sack of Constantinople, in 1204 AD.
CapitalConstantinople
Common languagesGreek, Old Albanian, Armenian, Aromanian, Old Bulgarian, Old Anatolian Turkish and other South Slavic languages
Religion
Greek Orthodox Church
GovernmentMonarchy
Emperor 
• 1185–1195; 1203–1204
Isaac II Angelos
• 1195–1203
Alexios III
• 1203–1204
Alexios IV
• 1204
Alexios V
• 1204
Constantine Laskaris
History 
• Deposition of Andronikos I
1185
1204
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Byzantine Empire under the Komnenos dynasty
Latin Empire
Empire of Nicaea
Empire of Trebizond
Despotate of Epirus
Kingdom of Thessalonica
Sultanate of Rum
Principality of Arbanon

The Byzantine Empire was ruled by emperors of the Angelos dynasty between 1185 and 1204 AD. The Angeloi rose to the throne following the deposition of Andronikos I Komnenos, the last male-line Komnenos to rise to the throne. The Angeloi were female-line descendants of the previous dynasty. While in power, the Angeloi were unable to stop the invasions of the Turks by the Sultanate of Rum, the uprising and resurrection of the Bulgarian Empire, and the loss of the Dalmatian coast and much of the Balkan areas won by Manuel I Komnenos to the Kingdom of Hungary.

Infighting among the elite saw Byzantium lose substantial financial capability and military power. The previous policies of openness with Western Europe, followed by the sudden massacre of Latins under Andronikos, had preceded the rule of the Angeloi making enemies among Western European states. The weakening of the empire under the Angeloi dynasty resulted in the partitioning of the Byzantine Empire when in 1204, soldiers of the Fourth Crusade overthrew the last Angeloi Emperor, Alexios V Doukas.