BTW, does population numbers affect religious conversion? (As it should, no doubt.)

I sacked everything I conquered once I got my Danes on holy ground (took Jerusalem for the public order bonus and Antioch for extra cash) and then expanded painfully slowly due to massive army upkeep + high level of unrest and a slow rate of religious conversion...

In hindsight, I propably should have exterminated. And immideately gone for Cairo instead of Antioch, in order to weaken the Egyptians right of the bat.