Figure 1.-- Baldwin IV (1161-1185) was called The Leper King. The prince was educated by the historian William of Tyre. He discovered that the boy had become a leper. While leporsy had a horiopic reputation, it cn take years to develop into a seevere afliction. Baldwin became king (1174). Source: Miniature from a French code of L'Estoire d'Eracles 1250s, British Library, London.

Byzantine Emperor Alexius I Comnenus after suffering disaterous defeats at the hands of the Seljuk Turks plleaded for support from Western Chrisendom which had emerged from the Dark Ages. Pope Urban II was not all that interested in assisting the Schismatic Orthodox Byzantines, but was interested in retaking the Holy Lands after 459 years of Islamic assaults on Christendom. He thus called on Western Christendom to 'take the cross' launching the Crusades. The First Crusade (1095) would go overland, first to Constantinople and then on to Jerusalem. The Crusaders enabled Alexius to recover western Anatolia from the Seljuks. The Crusaders went on to take Jerusalem after an extended seige. Godfrey of Boulogne (Bouillon) led the First Crusade. He famously declared that there could be only one King in Jerusalem -- Jesus Christ. Crusader knights had different ideas. The Crusader kindom was not a unified state, but a feudal state. Jerusalem from the beginning was the primary objective. The Kingdom of Jerusalem included three significant feudal dependencies: the County of Edessa (1098-1144), the Principality of Antioch (1098-1268), and the County of Tripoli (1109-1289) which largely became independent kingsoms. The Kingdom proper covered what is today Israel, southern Lebanon, and southwestern Jordan. Antioch and Edessa despite the location close to the Byzantine Empire declared loyalty to the Roman Catholic Church and Papacy. This was part of the agreement between the Crusaders and Byzantine Empire. The fall of Edessa to the Seljuk Turks set off the Second Crusade (1147-49). The city had been an important commercial center, never recovered from the conflict..

Godfrey (1099-1100)

Godfrey of Bouillon (1060—1109) was the duke of Lower Lorraine (as Godfrey IV) but is most notable as a leader of the First Crusade. Godfrey was a fair-haired descendant of Charlemagne and as tall and good looking, hevwas an impsingn figure. He is, however generally seen as a weakm leader. Despite his in adequacies, he became idolized in song an verse as the "perfect Christian knight, the peerless hero of the whole crusading epic". His parents were Count Eustace II of Boulogne and Ida, daughter of Duke Godfrey II of Lower Lorraine, a ruch fiefdom. his uncle designated him heir to the duchy of Lower Lorraine (1076). Holy Roman emperor Henry IV intervened and turned Loraine over to his own son, keping it in the family. Godfrey was left with the mich less imposing lordship of Bouillon, in the Ardennes, a much poorer oprize. Godfrey was, however, able to gain back his duchy after assiting the Emoror in a war with the Saxons (1089). Godfrey and his brothers Eustace and Baldwin, were seizing with religious zeal of the age and joined the First Crusade (1096). After the Crusaders seized Jerusalem, Raymond of Toulouse declined the offer to be king of Jerusalem. Godfrey accepted the offer, declined the title of king. Godfrey thus became the first Latin ruler in Palestine, first ruler of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem. after the Crusadrs suceeded in capturing Jerusalem from the Muslims (July 1099). Godfrey was elected Baron and Defender of the Holy Sepulcher (Advocatus Sancti Sepulchri). TheCrusafers solififued their rule by defeatinbg an Egyptian army at Ascalon (1099). Godfrey showed diplomatic sj=kills by negotiating truces with the Muslim maritime cities of Acre, Ascalon, and Caesarea. Godfrey also acknowledged himself as a vassal of Daimbert, patriarch of Jerusalem. This was a matter in the struggle between church and state rahing at the time. It plsyed out in the struggles on a smaller scale between lay and ecclesiastical vying to ciontrol the kingsdom. Godfrey did not reign long. He died (1100). Accounts duiffere. Arab sources suggest death in battle. Christian sources report an unidentified illness. He was suceeded by his brother Baldwin.

Guglielmo Embriaco

Guglielmo Embriaco does not have the more impressive ruling names-- William the Drunkard He was born in Genoa (c1038). At the time, much of the Europeam trade with the East (India abd China) went thriugh Italy, making the port cities very rich. Guglielmo was an important merchant and military figure. He first comes to the attention of historians when he and his brother came to the assistance of the Crusaders attemoting to seize Jerusalem.during the First Crusade. Without his aid Godfrey may not have taken Jerusalem. Embriaco who survived the Crusades is one of the most important figures founding what would become the Republic of Genoa. Guglielmo and his brother Primo di Castello ammassed the funds for a expedituonm, arrivig in Jaffa at acrucial moment (June 1099). They had ammassed a squadron of galleys, although historians fiffer on the number. They initially marched south towards Ascalon, but an Egyptian army moving on Godfrey who had Jerusalem under seige convinced them to change plans. They dismantled their ships and built siege towers which helped to finally take th city (July 15). It was there that Guglielmo acquired a more positive sobriquet Caputmallei/Testadimaglio -- 'mallet head'. He worked wth Balwin and returned for asecind campaign with a larger force (1109). This was not seen as the secind succeed hand is geberally just considered to be a part of the First Crusade.

Baldwin I (1100-18)

The first king of Jerusalem was Baldwin I (1100–18). He took over after a long Crusader seige. He then captured coastal towns and building new fortifications to safeguard the interior and the northern territories. The Crusades which gave birth to the Kingdom were bloody affairs. There were terrible massacres. Even so, an amazingly multi-cultural world developed in Jeruslem. Here Templar knights, Muslim peasants, Jewish merchants, Turkish capliphs, and Christians who continued to live in the Levant lived together. It was unlike anywhee in Europe, except Andalus (Spain) before the completion of the Reconquista. and a woman played an important role, Queen Melisenbde of the Crusder Kingdom of Jerusalem. [Newman] >

Baldwin II (1118–31)

Baldwin II continued the process of building a secure kingdom.

Subsequent Kings

Subsequent kings tried to expand the Kingdom to the south. This abandones the initial policy of focusing on the north and mainting contacts with the Byzantine Empire. This eventually resulted in he Seljuk capture of Edessa (1144). This was a major turning point in the strategic position of the Kingdom. The Second Crusade failed to retake Edessa.

Melisende (1131-53)

Princess Melisende was the eldest daughter of King Baldwin II of Jerusalem and the Armenian princess Morphia of Melitene. Melisende was Queen of Jerusalem (1131-53). She served as regent for her son (1153-61) while he was on campaign.

Baldwin IV (1174-85)

Baldwin IV (1161-1185) was known as The Leper King. The prince was educated by the historian William of Tyre. William discovered that the boy had become a leper. He became king of Jerusalem (1174). Baldwin was crowned 4 days after his father died. He was only 13 years old, too young to rule. His kinsman Raymond III, count of Tripoli, acted as his regent until 1176. His reign eas notable for the rise of factionalism among the Latin nobility. This weakened the kingdom at a time that the Kingdom's great adversary, the Muslim leader Saladin, was extending his leadership from Egypt to Syria. Baldwin’s health steadily deteriorated. There were periodic appointment of other regents. This contributed to power struggles among the nobility and the rise of fractionalism. Saladin marched from Egypt to attack the Christian city of Ascalon (1177). Baldwin rushed to the aid of the city. For a time he was trapped within its fortifications. He broke out and defeated Saladin near Mont Gisard. A 2-year truce was arranged in 1180, but, soon after it expired, Saladin captured Aleppo (1183). This left Jerusalem ecircled. Baldwin wanted to retain the succession to the throne within his family> The childless Baldwin crowned his nephew King Baldwin V (1183). He named Raymond of Tripoli and Jocelin III of Courtenay the boy’s guardians.

Amalric I (1163–74)

King Amalric I struck toward Egypt. Amalric failures played a role in the rise of Saladin.

Saladin (1169–93)

Saladin managed to uniting the divided Islamic world in a massive attack on the Christian Holy Land. Saladin’s armies overran the city of Jerusalem (1187). The Third Crusade (late-12th century) made some territorial gains, but failed to retake Jerusalem. the city remained in Muslim hands. After Jerusalem fell, the kings of Jerusalem, made the coastal city of Acre their capital. But from Acre the subsequent kings could only watch the slow erosion of their kingdom (throughout the 13th century). This occurred despite additional European Crusades.

Cyprus

Muslim forces finally drove the Crusaders from the Holyland (1291). The ruling Lusignan dynasty retreated to the island of Cyprus where the arab firces could not follow. The Lusignan dynasty ruled until the Ottoman conquest (late-15th century). The Lusignans continued to cl.aiming the title King of Jerusalem.

Sources

Newman, Sharan. Defending the City of God: A Mdieval Queen, the First Crusades andthe Quest for Peace in Jerusalem (2014), 272p.

Created: 11:17 AM 7/12/2017
Last updated: 5:06 AM 7/16/2024