Final answer:
The Crusaders appointed military governors to oversee conquered territories, utilizing pre-existing administrative practices and allowing Islamic and Jewish communities to retain their institutions. Significant control remained with royal officials through a non-democratic, militaristic governance structure.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Crusaders governed their newly acquired territories by appointing military governors and establishing ruling systems that had similarities to existing practices. Rather than creating serfdoms, conquered people were often allowed to continue with their agricultural production, paying taxes in cash or goods. The crusader states utilized forms of taxation and administration that were already in place, with reliance on Muslim scribes and interpreters due to the linguistic diversity of the region. This adaptive approach to governance can be seen in different sectors, where Islamic and Jewish communities were permitted to maintain their schools and legal institutions.
In regard to the civil structure, the provinces were usually under the control of royal officials, which included governors known as corregidores, captains general, and alcaldes mayores. These officials held political and judicial power, rather than establishing democratic systems or forming advisory councils. The initial governors were often the conquistadores, a system that evolved within a decade. Towns had cabildos or town councils, but these did not represent democracy in the way modern parlance would suggest.
Overarching these local arrangements were the military orders and the building of imposing fortresses, meant to secure the crusader states with a smaller number of soldiers given the lack of European settlers. While the Christian presence exerted influence, native populations, including different Christian sects living under Muslim rule for centuries, generally continued with their own cultural practices and governance.