William of Tyre discovers Baldwin's first symptoms of leprosy (MS of L'Estoire d'Eracles (French translation of William of Tyre's Historia), painted in France, 1250s. British Library, London.)

Baldwin IV of Jerusalem (1161 – 1185), called the Leper or the Leprous, the son of Amalric I of Jerusalem and his first wife, Agnes of Courtenay, was king of Jerusalem from 1174 to 1185. His full sister was Queen Sibylla of Jerusalem and his nephew through this sister (who succeeded him) was the child-king Baldwin V. He had a half sister through his father's second marriage, the princess Isabella of Jerusalem, and a younger brother who was the child of both his parents but who died in infancy. British Library main building, London The British Library (BL) is the national library of the United Kingdom. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Amalric I (also Amaury or Aimery) (1136 – July 11, 1174) was King of Jerusalem 1162–1174, and Count of Jaffa and Ascalon before his accession. ... Agnes of Courtenay (c. ... The kingdom of Jerusalem and the other Crusader states (in shades of green) in the context of the Near East in 1135. ... Top: Baldwin IV betrothes Sibylla to Guy; Bottom: Sibylla and Guy are married. ... Baldwin V (1177-1186) was the son of Sibylla of Jerusalem and her first husband, William of Montferrat. ... Isabella of Jerusalem (c. ...

Early life

Baldwin spent his youth in his father's court in Jerusalem, having little contact with his mother, Agnes of Courtenay, Countess of Jaffa and Ascalon, and later Lady of Sidon, whom his father had been forced to divorce. Baldwin IV was educated by the historian William of Tyre (later Archbishop of Tyre and Chancellor of the kingdom), who made a disturbing discovery about the prince: he and his friends were playing one day, attempting to injure each other by pinching their arms, but Baldwin felt no pain. William immediately recognized this as a sign of serious illness, but it was not conclusively identified as leprosy until a few years later: the onset of puberty accelerated his disease, in its most serious lepromatous form. For other uses, see Jerusalem (disambiguation). ... The double County of Jaffa and Ascalon was one of the four major seigneuries of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, according to 13th-century commentator John of Ibelin. ... The Lordship of Sidon was one of the four major seigneuries of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, according to the 13th-century writer John of Ibelin. ... William of Tyre (c. ... For the malady found in the Hebrew Bible, see Tzaraath. ...

Baldwin's father died in 1174 and the boy was crowned at the age of thirteen, on 15 July that year. In his minority the kingdom was ruled by two successive regents, first Miles of Plancy, though unofficially, and then Raymond III of Tripoli, his father's cousin. In 1175, Raymond III, the acting king of Jerusalem, made a treaty with Saladin. is the 196th day of the year (197th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Miles of Plancy (died 1174), also known as Milon or Milo, was a noble in the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem. ... Raymond III of Tripoli (1140 – 1187) was Count of Tripoli from 1152 to 1187 and Prince of Galilee and Tiberias in right of his wife Eschiva. ... Saladin, properly known as Salah al-Dīn Yusuf ibn Ayyub (Arabic: , Kurdish: ) (c. ...

As a leper, Baldwin was not expected to reign long or produce an heir, and courtiers and lords positioned themselves for influence over Baldwin's heirs, his sister Princess Sibylla and his half-sister Princess Isabella. Sibylla was being raised by her great-aunt Ioveta in the convent of Bethany, while Isabella was at the court of her mother, the dowager queen Maria Comnena, in Nablus. Top: Baldwin IV betrothes Sibylla to Guy; Bottom: Sibylla and Guy are married. ... Isabella of Jerusalem (c. ... Ioveta (1120-c. ... Bethany was a village on the southeastern slope of the Mount of Olives, less than two miles (3 km) from Jerusalem, remembered by Christians as the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus in the New Testament. ... A Queen Dowager or Dowager Queen is a title or status generally held by the widow of a reigning king. ... Maria Comnena (c. ... Map of the West Bank, with Nablus in the center north. ...

Baldwin's rule

Top: Death of Amalric I; Bottom: Coronation of Baldwin IV. (MS of William of Tyre's Historia and Old French Continuation, painted in Acre, 13C. Bib. Nat. Française.)

Raymond's regency ended on the second anniversary of Baldwin's coronation: the young king was now of age. He did not ratify Raymond's treaty with Saladin, but instead went raiding towards Damascus and around the Beqaa Valley. He appointed his maternal uncle, Joscelin III, the titular count of Edessa, seneschal after he was ransomed. Joscelin was his closest male relative who did not have a claim to the throne, so he was judged a reliable supporter: indeed, he proved his loyalty. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (415x602, 50 KB) Summary William of Tyres Historia and Continuation, 13C manuscript from Acre. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (415x602, 50 KB) Summary William of Tyres Historia and Continuation, 13C manuscript from Acre. ... For other uses, see Damascus (disambiguation). ... Beqaa Valley Beqaa (Arabic: البقاع, valley; also transliterated as Bekaa, Biqâ‘ or Becaa) is a fertile valley in east Lebanon. ... Joscelin III of Edessa (d. ... The County of Edessa was one of the Crusader states in the 12th century, based around a city with an ancient history and an early tradition of Christianity (see Edessa). ... There were six major officers of the Kingdom of Jerusalem: constable, marshal, seneschal, chamberlain, butler, and chancellor. ...

In his capacity as regent, Raymond of Tripoli had begun negotiations for the marriage of princess Sibylla to William of Montferrat, a first cousin of Louis VII of France and of Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor. William arrived in early October and became Count of Jaffa and Ascalon upon his marriage. It was hoped that he would be able to govern for the king when he became incapacitated, and succeed him with Sibylla. William of Montferrat (early 1140s-1177), also called William Longsword (modern Italian Guglielmo Lungaspada, originally Occitan Guilhem Longa-Espia), was the Count of Jaffa and Ascalon, the eldest son of William V, Marquess of Montferrat and Judith of Babenberg. ... Louis VII the Younger (French: Louis VII le Jeune) (1120 – September 18, 1180) was King of France from 1137 to 1180. ... Frederick Barbarossa in a 13th century chronicle. ... The double County of Jaffa and Ascalon was one of the four major seigneuries of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, according to 13th-century commentator John of Ibelin. ...

Meanwhile, Baldwin was planning an attack on Saladin's power-base in Egypt. He sent Raynald of Chatillon (the former prince of Antioch through marriage to Amalric I's cousin Constance of Antioch) to Constantinople as envoy to Manuel I Comnenus, to obtain Byzantine naval support. Raynald had recently been released from captivity in Aleppo: Manuel paid his ransom, since he was the stepfather of the Empress Maria of Antioch. Manuel sought the restoration of the Orthodox patriarchate in the kingdom, and arranged the marriage of Bohemond III of Antioch to his great-niece Theodora Comnena, sister of the queen-dowager Maria. Reynald returned early in 1177, and was rewarded with marriage to Stephanie of Milly, a widowed heiress. This made him lord of Kerak and Oultrejourdain. Baldwin tried to ensure that Reynald and William of Montferrat co-operated on the defence of the South. However, in June, William died at Ascalon after several weeks' illness, leaving the widowed Sibylla pregnant with the future Baldwin V. Raynald of Châtillon (also Reynaud, Renaud, Reynald, Reynold, Renald or Reginald of Chastillon) (c. ... The Principality of Antioch in the context of the other states of the Near East in 1135 AD. The Principality of Antioch, including parts of modern-day Turkey and Syria, was one of the crusader states created during the First Crusade. ... Constance of Antioch (1127-1163) was the ruler of the principality of Antioch (a crusader state) from 1130 to her death. ... This article is about the city before the Fall of Constantinople (1453). ... Manuel I Comnenus (Greek: Μανουήλ Α ο Κομνηνός; November 28, 1118 – September 24, 1180), was a Byzantine Emperor of the 12th century who reigned over a crucial turning point in the history of Byzantium and the Mediterranean. ... Aleppo (Arabic: ‎ [ħalab], ) is a city in northern Syria, capital of the Aleppo Governorate; the Governate extends around the city for over 16,000 km² and has a population of 4,393,000, making it the largest Governate in Syria (followed by Damascus). ... Maria of Antioch (1145-1182) was the daughter of Constance of Antioch and her first husband Raymond of Poitiers. ... The Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem is the head bishop of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem, ranking fourth of nine patriarchs in the Eastern Orthodox Church. ... Bohemund III of Antioch (1144–1201), also known as the Stammerer, was Prince of Antioch from 1163 to his death. ... Theodora Comnena (born c. ... Stephanie of Milly (died c. ... Kerak (also Karak) (Arabic: كرك) is a region in Jordan that contains a famous Crusader castle. ... The name Ascalon can refer to a number of possible topics: a middle-eastern city, more usually called Ashkelon the lance (or in some versions of the story, sword) that St George used to slay the dragon, named after the city Ashkelon the British WW2 aeroplane used by Winston Churchill... Top: Baldwin IV on his sickbed; Bottom: Baldwin V crowned. ...

In August the king's first cousin, Philip of Flanders, came to Jerusalem on crusade. Philip demanded to wed Baldwin's sisters to his vassals. Philip, as Baldwin's closest male kin on his paternal side (he was Fulk's grandson and thus Baldwin's first cousin; Raymond was Melisende's nephew and thus first cousin of Baldwin's father), claimed authority superseding Raymond's regency. The Haute Cour refused to agree to this, with Baldwin of Ibelin publicly insulting Philip. Offended, Philip left the kingdom, campaigning instead for the Principality of Antioch. The Ibelin family were patrons of the dowager queen Maria, and it is possible that Baldwin of Ibelin acted this way in hopes of marrying one of Baldwin's sisters himself. Philip of Alsace was count of Flanders from 1168 to 1191. ... This article is about the medieval crusades. ... The Haute Cour (High Court) was the feudal council of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. ... Baldwin of Ibelin, also known as Baldwin of Ramla (died c. ... The Principality of Antioch in the context of the other states of the Near East in 1135 AD. The Principality of Antioch, including parts of modern-day Turkey and Syria, was one of the crusader states created during the First Crusade. ...

In November, Baldwin and Raynald of Chatillon defeated Saladin with the help of the Knights Templar at the celebrated Battle of Montgisard. That same year, Baldwin allowed his stepmother the dowager-queen to marry Balian of Ibelin, a concilatory move to both, but it carried risks, given the Ibelins' ambitions. With Maria's patronage, the Ibelins tried to have the princesses Sibylla and Isabella married into their family as well. For other uses, see Knights Templar (disambiguation). ... Combatants Kingdom of Jerusalem Ayyubids Commanders Baldwin IV, Raynald of Chatillon, Knights Templar Saladin Strength 375 knights, 80 Templars, Several thousand infantry About 30,000 Casualties 1100 killed 750 wounded About 27,000 The Battle of Montgisard was fought between Saladin and the Kingdom of Jerusalem on November 25, 1177. ... Drawing of Balian of Ibelins seal, from The Crusades: The Story of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem, by T. A. Archer and Charles Lethbridge Kingsford (London & NY, 1894). ...

In 1179, the king met with some military setbacks in the north. On 10 April, he led a cattle-raid on Banias, but was surprised by Saladin's nephew Farrukh Shah. Baldwin's horse bolted, and in saving him, the much-respected constable of the kingdom, Humphrey II of Toron, was mortally wounded. On 10 June, in response to cavalry raids near Sidon, Baldwin took a force, with Raymond of Tripoli and the Grand Master of the Templars, Odo of St Amand, to Marj Uyun. They defeated the raiders fording the Litani River, but were caught by Saladin's main force. The king (unable to remount unaided) was unhorsed, and had to be carried off the field on the back of another knight as his guard cut their way out. Count Raymond fled to Tyre, and the king's stepfather Reginald of Sidon rescued a number of the fugitives, but the prisoners included the Grand Master, Baldwin of Ibelin, and Hugh of Tiberias, one of Raymond of Tripoli's stepsons. In August, the unfinished castle at Jacob's Ford fell to Saladin after a brief siege, with the slaughter of half its Templar garrison. is the 100th day of the year (101st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the city in northwestern Syria, see Baniyas For information on the processor formerly codenamed Banias, please see Pentium M The Banias Waterfall The remains of the city of Banias (Arabic pronunciation of Panias) are located at the foot of Mt. ... There were six major officers of the Kingdom of Jerusalem: constable, marshal, seneschal, chamberlain, butler, and chancellor. ... Humphrey II of Toron (1117-1179) was lord of Toron and constable of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. ... is the 161st day of the year (162nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Odo de St Amand (or Eudes or Odon) was Grand Master of the Knights Templar. ... The Litani River in red The Litani River (Arabic: نهر الليطاني; transliterated: Nahr al-Lytany) is an important waterway in southern Lebanon. ... Reginald Grenier (died 1202; also Reynald or Renaud) was Lord of Sidon and an important noble in the late-12th century crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem. ... Combatants Kingdom of Jerusalem Ayyubids Commanders Baldwin IV of Jerusalem Saladin Strength About 1500 unknown Casualties 700 killed, 800 captive unknown The Battle of Jacobs Ford was fought in 1179 between the Kingdom of Jerusalem and the forces of Saladin. ...

The popular Muslim attitude towards Baldwin was recorded by the traveller Ibn Jubair, who wrote that he was called al-khinzir ("the pig", regarded as an unclean animal), and his mother Agnes al-khinzira ("the sow").^[1] Ibn Jubayr (also Jabair, 1145-1217), Arabian geographer, was born in Valencia. ...

Baldwin and Guy of Lusignan

In the summer of 1180, Baldwin IV married Sibylla to Guy of Lusignan, brother of the constable Amalric of Lusignan. Earlier historians claimed that Sibylla's second marriage was entirely due to the influence of the King's mother; however, Hamilton argues that this is to reflect uncritically the personal grievances of William of Tyre and of the Ibelins. A plan to marry Sibylla to Hugh III of Burgundy had broken down; Raymond of Tripoli seems to have been attempting to marry her to Baldwin of Ibelin to bolster his power-base. A foreign match was essential to the kingdom, bringing the possibility of external aid. With the new French king Philip II a minor, Guy's status as a vassal of the King's cousin Henry II of England - who owed the Pope a penitential pilgrimage - was useful in this respect. Baldwin also betrothed his 8-year-old half-sister Isabella to Humphrey IV of Toron, repaying a debt of honour to Humphrey's grandfather, who had given his life for him at Banias, and removing Isabella from the control of her mother and the Ibelin faction. (Her betrothed was Raynald of Chatillon's stepson.) Imaginary portrait of Guy of Lusignan by François-Edouard Picot, c. ... Amalric II of Jerusalem or Amalric I of Cyprus, Amalric or Amaury II & I de Lusignan (1145 – April 1, 1205), King of Jerusalem 1197–1205, was an older brother of Guy of Lusignan. ... The Ibelin coat of arms. ... Hugh III of Burgundy (1142–August 25, 1192, in Acre) was duke of Burgundy between 1162 and 1192. ... Philip II Augustus (French: Philippe Auguste) (21 August 1165 – 14 July 1223) was the King of France from 1180 until his death. ... Henry II of England (called Curtmantle; 25 March 1133 – 6 July 1189) ruled as King of England (1154–1189), Count of Anjou, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. ... Humphrey IV of Toron (c. ...

Guy had previously allied himself with Raynald, who was by now taking advantage of his position at Kerak to harass the trading caravans travelling between Egypt and Damascus. After Saladin retaliated for these attacks in the campaign and Battle of Belvoir Castle in 1182, Baldwin, now blind and unable to walk, appointed Guy regent of the kingdom. A camel train is a series of camels carrying goods or passengers in a group as part of a regular or semi-regular service between two points. ... For other uses, see Damascus (disambiguation). ...

Nevertheless, in 1183, Baldwin had become offended by Guy's actions as regent. Guy attended the wedding festivities for Isabella (now about 11) and Humphrey, held in Kerak; however, the festivities were interrupted by Saladin, who besieged the fortress with the wedding guests inside. Baldwin marshalled what strength he had and lifted the siege, but Guy refused to fight Saladin and Saladin's troops simply went home. Baldwin could not tolerate this and deposed Guy as regent. In disgrace, Guy retired to Ascalon, taking his wife the princess Sibylla with him. Saladin, properly known as Salah al-DÄ«n Yusuf ibn Ayyub (Arabic: , Kurdish: ) (c. ... Combatants Kingdom of Jerusalem Ayyubids Commanders Raynald of Chatillon, King Baldwin IV of Jerusalem Saladin Strength 8,000 22,000 Casualties Unknown Unknown The Siege of Kerak took place in 1183 between the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem and Saladin at Kerak Castle, stronghold of Raynald of Chatillon. ...

Joint kingship with Baldwin V, and death

Although Baldwin seems to have held no ill-will towards his sister, Baldwin appointed his 5-year-old nephew Baldwin of Montferrat as his heir and successor, with the support of Agnes and her husband Reginald of Sidon, Raymond, and many of the other barons, excluding Sibylla from the succession. Raymond was to act as guardian of the infant heir, and later as regent if Baldwin IV was to expire, but Baldwin IV himself would continue to rule. The child was crowned co-king as Baldwin V on 20 November, 1183. For other uses, see inheritance (disambiguation). ... Baldwin V (1177-1186) was the son of Sibylla of Jerusalem and her first husband, William of Montferrat. ... is the 324th day of the year (325th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

In the early months of 1184 Baldwin attempted to have the marriage between Sibylla and Guy annulled. The couple had foiled this attempt by holding fast in Ascalon, not attending the annulment proceedings. The military expedition to relieve Kerak and the dynastic struggle had weakened Baldwin considerably. He died in Jerusalem in spring 1185, a few months after the death of his mother Agnes in Acre late in 1184. Though often suffering from the effects of leprosy and ruling with regency governments, Baldwin was able to maintain himself as king for much longer than otherwise might have been expected. As had been decided, Baldwin V succeeded his uncle, with Raymond of Tripoli as regent. The Old City of Akko in the 19th or early 20th century, looking south-west from atop the Land Wall Promenade, the open space now a parking lot. ... For the malady found in the Hebrew Bible, see Tzaraath. ... Baldwin V (1177-1186) was the son of Sibylla of Jerusalem and her first husband, William of Montferrat. ...

Baldwin in art, fiction, and film

Thirteenth- and fourteenth-century manuscript illustrations to the histories of William of Tyre and Ernoul give little indication of Baldwin's illness. He figures in a Romantic depiction of the battle of Montgisard by Charles-Philippe Larivière in the Salles des Croisades at Versailles. This work, which dates from c. 1842, depicts him being carried into battle on a litter, his face uncovered and unscarred, his sword in his right hand. In fact, at Montgisard, he was still able to fight on horseback, and he used his sword with his left hand, since his right hand and arm had been the first affected by his illness. Romantics redirects here. ... This article is about the city of Versailles. ...

Baldwin appears, with varying degrees of historical fidelity, in a number of novels. These include Zofia Kossak-Szczucka's Król trędowaty (The Leper King), Manuel Mujica Lainez's fantasy El unicornio (The Wandering Unicorn), Cecelia Holland's Jerusalem, Judith Tarr's historical fantasies The Alamut and The Dagger and the Cross, and Nikos Kazantzakis's Saint Francis. He is generally depicted as a sympathetic character. A recent American children's novel about him, Crusader King by Susan Peek, sacrifices accuracy to religious proselytising and extremely anachronistic dialogue. Baldwin has also featured in bandes dessinées: Serge Dalens's L'Etoile de Pourpre (also published as Baudouin IV de Jérusalem) and Michel Bom and Thierry Cayman's Sylvain de Rochefort series. Dalens's work was originally illustrated by Pierre Joubert, whose pictures of Baldwin are associated with his image as a role-model in the French Scout movement. Zofia Kossak-Szczucka (1890 - 1968), Polish author and resistance fighter, is best known for her wartime efforts to help the Polish Jews. ... Manuel Mujica Laínez, Argentine fiction writer and art critic, was born in Buenos Aires on 11 September 1910 and died at Cruz Chica, Córdoba Province on 21 April 1984. ... Cecelia Anastasia Holland is an American historical novelist. ... Judith Tarr, (1955 - ) has a B.A. in Latin and English from Mount Holyoke College, an M.A. in Classics from Cambridge University, and an M.A. and Ph. ... Nikos Kazantzakis (Greek: Νίκος Καζαντζάκης) (February 18, 1883, Heraklion, Crete, Greece - October 26, 1957, Freiburg, Germany), author of poems, novels, essays, plays, and travel books, was arguably the most important and most translated Greek writer and philosopher of the 20th century. ... Tintin, one of the most famous Belgian comics Franco-Belgian comics are comics written in Belgium and France. ... Pierre Joubert was a French illustrator born in Paris, June 27, 1910 and dying January of 2002. ... The Fédération du Scoutisme Français is an umbrella organization that combines the efforts of the several scouting associations in France and also represents the scouting movement in French Guiana, Martinique, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, New Caledonia, Réunion, Wallis and Futuna and Guadeloupe. ...

A fictionalised version of Baldwin is played by Edward Norton in the 2005 movie Kingdom of Heaven. This portrayal succeeds in conveying his physical courage and dedication to his kingdom, although it reduces the severity of his disabilities (in the last years of his life he was blind and unable to walk) and depicts him as essentially peace-loving, rather than as a tough young warrior-king. The mask he wears in the film is an invention of the scriptwriter William Monahan, and has no basis in contemporary accounts. Ed Norton redirects here. ... The year 2005 in film involved some significant events. ... There is another article about the theological concept of the Kingdom of Heaven. ... William Monahan (IPA pronunciation: )[1] (born November 3, 1960) is an American novelist and screenwriter. ...

No fictional representations have as yet taken on board the most up-to-date historical research.

References

Sources

• William of Tyre, A History of Deeds Done Beyond the Sea. E. A. Babcock and A. C. Krey, trans. Columbia University Press, 1943.
• Steven Runciman, A History of the Crusades, vol. II: The Kingdom of Jerusalem. Cambridge University Press, 1952.
• Bernard Hamilton, "Women in the Crusader States: The Queens of Jerusalem", in Medieval Women, edited by Derek Baker. Ecclesiastical History Society, 1978
• Bernard Hamilton, The Leper King and his Heirs: Baldwin IV and the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem. Cambridge University Press, 2000.