121-627: Baldwin IV (1161–1185), known as the Leper King , was the king of Jerusalem from 1174 until his death in 1185. He was admired by his contemporaries and later historians for his willpower and dedication to the Latin Kingdom in the face of his debilitating leprosy . Choosing competent advisers, Baldwin ruled a thriving crusader state and succeeded in protecting it from the Muslim ruler Saladin . Baldwin developed
242-768: A "just judgement of God ", but another school of thought encouraged the faithful to see Christ in the affected. Baldwin's reign may have led to a lesser stigmatization of the illness in the 13th-century Kingdom of Jerusalem. His subjects' acceptance of his illness confounded some Muslims. Muslim historian Imad al-Din al-Isfahani wrote: In spite of illness the Franks were loyal to him, they gave him every encouragement ... being satisfied to have him as their ruler; they exalted him ... they were anxious to keep him in office, but they paid no attention to his leprosy. Baldwin's public image may have been aided by his chastity, seen as evidence of extraordinary sanctity, and his success against Saladin
363-543: A church and land at Bethany , near Jerusalem, in 1138. The Convent of Saint Lazarus was erected there over the following six years. Melisende lavishly endowed Bethany with estates, gold, silver, precious stones, and silk, making it wealthier than any other monastery or church in the kingdom. Ioveta quickly joined the new community. Because Ioveta was only about 18 in 1138, Melisende appointed an elderly abbess, Matilda, intending that Ioveta should succeed her. By 1144, Matilda had died and Ioveta had become abbess of one of
484-566: A diplomatic mission to seek aid for the kingdom. He informed them by letter that Saladin was once more besieging Kerak. Again, Saladin abandoned the siege when the litter-bound king approached with his army. Once in Kerak, Baldwin ordered and financed the reparations of the damaged castle. In late 1184 Baldwin was shocked to learn about Guy's massacre of the Bedouin of the royal fief of Darum , who were under royal protection and who provided information about
605-505: A division already at the beginning of Baldwin's reign between the cautious, diplomatic native barons and the Hospitallers on one side and the "aggressive, militantly Christian" newcomers from Western Europe and Templars on the other. This view, though common in older historiography, is rejected by modern authors such as Bernard Hamilton and Peter Edbury. Hamilton posits that the factions arose only after Sibylla's marriage to Guy and centered on
726-516: A litter to lift Saladin's Siege of Kerak . Baldwin failed to have Sibylla's marriage to Guy annulled and Guy's fief of Ascalon confiscated. In early 1185, he arranged for Raymond to rule as regent for Sibylla's son and died before 16 May. Baldwin was born in mid-1161. His parents were Amalric , then the count of Jaffa and Ascalon , and Agnes of Courtenay . Baldwin's godfather was his paternal uncle, King Baldwin III , who joked that his christening present
847-407: A lot of time at a young age, such as a family member, a wet nurse , or another servant, and who did not exhibit easily visible symptoms. Puberty may have accelerated the development of the lepromatous form of the illness. His condition worsened rapidly. Most severely affected were his limbs and face, which made his subjects uneasy when they approached him. Yet, contrary to the common practice, and to
968-654: A major war offensive. The king entrusted the government and military command to Raynald, snubbing the count of Tripoli. Baldwin's first cousin Count Philip I of Flanders arrived in the East in September. He brought to Baldwin financial aid from another cousin, King Henry II of England . Henry was invested because he and Baldwin both belonged to the Angevin family . Still in sickbed in Ascalon,
1089-420: A monastery life, citing Ioveta's failure to request prayers for Melisende from the nuns at Fontevraud, an argument Jordan finds "less than convincing ... in light of the plethora of evidence that suggests otherwise". Further deaths, of Countesses Hodierna and Sibylla in c. 1164 and 1165 respectively, left the abbess as the senior member of the royal family. On 10 February 1163, King Baldwin III died too, and
1210-580: A nominal position, held by a European ruler who never actually lived in Acre. When young Conrad III was king and living in Southern Germany, his father's second cousin, Hugh of Brienne , claimed the regency of the Kingdom of Jerusalem and, indirectly, his place in the succession. The claim was made in 1264 as senior descendant and rightful heir of Alice of Champagne , second daughter of Queen Isabella I, Hugh being
1331-436: A nun out of concern that Ioveta's status as purple-born might jeopardize Melisende's claim to the throne, but concedes that there is no way to know whether the decision was Ioveta's or Melisende's. In any case, this was a common path for the younger children of royal and noble parents; it demonstrated the family's piety and connected them to religious leaders, who exhibited significant influence. Ioveta's sister Queen Melisende
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#17330849113441452-502: A slight on her moral character: "car telle n'est que roine doie iestre di si haute cite comme de Jherusalem" ("there should not be such a queen for so holy a city as Jerusalem"). Nevertheless, consanguinity was enough for the opposition. Amalric agreed and ascended the throne without a wife, although Agnes continued to hold the title Countess of Jaffa and Ascalon and received a pension from that fief's income. The church ruled that Agnes's children were legitimate and preserved their place in
1573-550: A strong position to succeed her brother, but Maria's daughter Isabella had the support of her stepfather's family, the Ibelins . In 1179, Baldwin began planning to marry Sibylla to Hugh III of Burgundy , but by spring 1180 this was still unresolved. Raymond III of Tripoli attempted a coup, and began to march on Jerusalem with Bohemund III, to force the king to marry his sister to a local candidate of his own choosing, probably Baldwin of Ibelin , Balian's older brother. To counter this,
1694-458: A while it became apparent to the tutor that Baldwin could not feel pain in his right arm. The king hired the Arab physician Abu Sulayman Dawud to treat Baldwin and another Arab, Abul'Khair, to teach Baldwin horse riding , an essential skill for a Frankish nobleman. Having sensation in only one hand, Baldwin needed to learn to control the horse in battle using solely his knees, and mastered riding despite
1815-581: A widower. His experience in the field would prove invaluable in a frontier state always in the grip of war. However, Fulk held out for better terms than mere consort of the Queen; he wanted to be king alongside Melisende. Baldwin II, reflecting on Fulk's fortune and military exploits, acquiesced. Fulk then resigned his titles to his son Geoffrey and sailed to become King of Jerusalem, where he married Melisende on 2 June 1129. Later Baldwin II bolstered Melisende's position in
1936-424: A younger nephew of Ioveta's, Amalric , succeeded him. King Amalric was forced to separate from his wife, Agnes of Courtenay , who soon remarried; shortly after he sent their daughter, Sibylla , to Bethany to be brought up by Ioveta. Sibylla stayed with her grandaunt for about ten years, awaiting marriage. Since Sibylla was then second in line to the throne, after the king's son, Baldwin , Jordan concludes that
2057-612: Is Advocate or Defender of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre . In 1100 Baldwin I , Godfrey's successor, was the first ruler crowned as king. The crusaders in Jerusalem were conquered in 1187 , but their Kingdom of Jerusalem survived, moving the capital to Acre in 1191. Crusaders re-captured the city of Jerusalem in the Sixth Crusade , during 1229–1239 and 1241–1244. The Kingdom of Jerusalem
2178-631: Is not fitting that a hand so weak as mine should hold power when fear of Arab aggression daily presses upon the Holy City and when my sickness increases the enemy's daring." During the Holy Week in 1180, the prince of Antioch and the count of Tripoli marched with their armies to Jerusalem. It is most likely that their intention was to force the king to have Sibylla marry Baldwin of Ibelin and to then abdicate. The king had never approved of Baldwin's ambition to marry his sister, and though he did wish to abdicate, he
2299-523: Is probably at this point that Ioveta was entrusted to the care of the nuns at the Convent of Saint Anne in Jerusalem . The girl may have been sent to Saint Anne's as a child oblate . After reaching an appropriate age in c. 1134, she took vows and became a nun herself. Historians offer different explanations for Ioveta's religious profession . Yvonne Friedman, relying on Ernoul's account, believes that
2420-450: The Convent of Saint Lazarus in Bethany , the richest abbey in the kingdom, from the late 1130s or early 1140s until her death. Ioveta was the youngest of the four daughters of King Baldwin II and Queen Morphia . After Baldwin's capture and release from Muslim captivity in 1124, the four-year-old princess was handed over by her family as a hostage in his place until he paid his ransom
2541-501: The 1160s onwards was located south of Jerusalem's citadel . The Kingdom of Jerusalem introduced French feudal structures to the Levant . The king personally held several fiefs incorporated into the royal domain , that varied from king to king. He was also responsible for leading the kingdom into battle, although this duty could be passed to a constable. While several contemporary European states were moving towards centralized monarchies,
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#17330849113442662-519: The 75th anniversary of the First Crusade 's seizure of Jerusalem . Until he reached the age of majority , which was 15 in the Kingdom of Jerusalem, Baldwin needed a regent to rule in his name. The government was initially assumed by the seneschal , Miles of Plancy . Shortly thereafter Count Raymond III of Tripoli arrived in Jerusalem and succeeded in claiming regency as the king's closest kinsman. Miles
2783-554: The Christian troops. In the winter of 1177–78 the king's widowed sister, Sibylla, gave birth to a son, Baldwin , named after the king. A year of official mourning for the child's father, William, concluded in June 1178 and it became appropriate to seek another husband for her. Baldwin of Ibelin 's suit was well known, but not entertained. In order to avoid antagonizing the Ibelins , however, King Baldwin had allowed Balian of Ibelin to marry
2904-505: The Egyptian conquest of Aleppo in June. The king then developed a life-threatening fever. He was attended by his mother and the new patriarch, Heraclius , at nearby Nazareth . Having summoned the High Court to his bedside, Baldwin entrusted the government to his brother-in-law, Guy, who was next in line to succeed him. Guy's appointment to regency was meant to be permanent. Baldwin retained only
3025-463: The Egyptians' movements. He soon developed a fever. When he returned to Jerusalem in late 1184 or early 1185, Baldwin bestowed regency on Raymond of Tripoli, the man whom he had never trusted, but to whom he could find no better alternative. At the time, he expected to survive the illness, having done so twice before, but within weeks it became apparent that it would be his last. On his deathbed he summoned
3146-522: The French Count Stephen I of Sancerre , who would rule the kingdom as regent on Baldwin's behalf if Amalric died early. When physicians informed him that Baldwin could develop leprosy, Amalric may have begun viewing Sibylla and Stephen as eventual monarchs instead of Baldwin, but the match fell through. In June 1174, the king came down with dysentery . He died on 11 July leaving an underage heir, as he had feared might happen. Upon Amalric's death,
3267-415: The High Court convened to discuss the succession. Though he had not yet been diagnosed, the High Court must have been aware of the royal physicians' suspicions that Baldwin had contracted leprosy. Yet there was no viable alternative. Baldwin was the king's only son; from his second marriage Amalric had two daughters, of which only Isabella survived infancy. Female succession was expressly allowed, but Sibylla
3388-506: The High Court to appoint a permanent regent for his nephew, Baldwin V, and Raymond was chosen. The dying king then ordered that homage be rendered to his nephew as king and to Raymond as regent, to be followed by a solemn crown-wearing ceremony at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Baldwin IV died, attended by his vassals, in March 1185 or before 16 May 1185 at the latest, when Baldwin V is recorded as
3509-458: The Ibelins. Raymond wanted instead to have her and her husband Humphrey IV of Toron crowned. However, Humphrey, whose stepfather Raynald of Châtillon was an ally of Guy, deserted him and swore allegiance to Guy and Sibylla. The frequent absence or minority of monarchs required regents to be appointed many times throughout the Kingdom's existence. Over the years, many European rulers claimed to be
3630-525: The Kingdom of Jerusalem. In July, Baldwin marched with his host to relieve the Muslims' siege of Bethsan , and his outnumbered army won the Battle of Le Forbelet . Historian Bernard Hamilton attributes the victory to the respect and loyalty commanded by Baldwin, who stayed on the battlefield despite his illness and intense heat. The defeated sultan took his host to besiege Beirut, while another army from Egypt attacked
3751-540: The Kings of England and France and Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor – and the Pope were able to adjudicate between the claims of Sibylla and Isabella. These "most rightful heirs" were not named. Baldwin IV died in spring 1185, and was succeeded by his nephew. Raymond was bailli , but he had passed Baldwin V's personal guardianship to Joscelin III of Edessa, his maternal great-uncle, claiming that he did not wish to attract suspicion if
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3872-513: The Latin East but as propaganda intended to spur Europeans to assist in the crusades for the Holy Land . Sultan Shah ibn Radwan, eager to maintain good relations with neighboring rulers, released Ioveta and the other children when Baldwin returned to Shaizar with his ransom in March 1125. In the late 1120s, King Baldwin started arranging the marriages of his daughters and settling the succession to
3993-629: The Latin East, pilgrims from Europe often supplemented their numbers. The most famous of these was Melisende's stepdaughter Countess Sibylla of Flanders , who arrived in 1157. Despite being her stepaunt, Ioveta was close to Sibylla in age. While her husband, Thierry , assisted Baldwin against Muslims, Sibylla stayed at Bethany and became so attached to Ioveta, the abbey, and the land that she decided to stay against her husband's wishes. That same year, Patriarch Fulcher died. Queen Melisende, Countess Sibylla, and one of King Baldwin III's aunts, either Countess Hodierna or Abbess Ioveta, intervened to secure
4114-614: The Muslim-held city of Hama . With the Frankish army in northern Syria, Saladin seized the opportunity to invade Baldwin's kingdom on 18 November. Though still recovering from malaria, Baldwin rode to meet the sultan, while the Knights Templar hurried to defend Gaza . The king took his humble host to Ascalon, where in desperation he issued an arrière-ban , summoning all able-bodied men. Saladin reached Ascalon on 22 November and Baldwin led
4235-724: The Valley of Jehosaphat's , as well as with the Knights Hospitaller . She maintained contact with foreign religious communities too, sending a piece of the True Cross to the Fontevraud Abbey in France. The authority she exercised was both spiritual and secular in nature, and Ioveta was one of the rare 12th-century women (especially in the East) to use her own seal ; her only contemporary to do so
4356-753: The Zengids, thereby expanding his realm, while Baldwin led an attack on Saladin's Damascene territory, then on Bosra , before finally laying siege and capturing Cave de Sueth . In the winter of 1182–1183, after agreeing on a strategy with his council, Baldwin attacked Damascus again. He threatened to destroy a mosque in Darayya , but local Christians convinced him not to for fear of losing their churches in retaliation. Baldwin could not walk unsupported or use his hands from 1183. Because of an inability to blink, his cornea dried and he became blind. He nevertheless had to summon his troops in response to Saladin's march south following
4477-419: The annulment. Baldwin grew up without a mother, as Agnes remarried soon after the annulment (firstly to Hugh of Ibelin and then to Reynald of Sidon ) and only saw Baldwin on public occasions. He also seldom saw his sister, Sibylla, who was raised in the Convent of Saint Lazarus by their grandaunt Ioveta . At the age of six Baldwin gained a stepmother, Maria Komnene , with whom he was not close. Queen Maria
4598-411: The appointment of Amalric of Nesle to the vacant post. In late 1160 or early 1161, Queen Melisende fell ill, likely having had a stroke . She suffered memory loss and was no longer able to participate in the administration of the kingdom. Hodierna and Ioveta nursed her until she died on 11 September 1161. Historian Hans Eberhard Mayer believes that Ioveta resented Melisende for committing her to
4719-452: The battlements and towers, the inhabitants witnessed the king ceremoniously raise his hand to knock on the gates and demand admission only for the gates to remain closed. The king was welcomed in Jaffa , however, where he installed a governor, thereby depriving Guy of half of his county. In Acre , Baldwin summoned his council, probably to gain support to seize Guy's fief on the grounds of refusal of
4840-567: The child, who does not seem to have been robust, were to die. Baldwin V died during the summer of 1186, at Acre . Neither side paid any heed to Baldwin IV's will. After the funeral, Joscelin had Sibylla named as her brother's successor, although she had to agree to divorce Guy, just as her father had divorced her mother, with the guarantee that she would be allowed to choose a new consort. Once crowned, she immediately crowned Guy. Meanwhile, Raymond had gone to Nablus , home of Balian and Maria, and summoned all those nobles loyal to Princess Isabella and
4961-526: The city as an ecclesiastical state were rejected. In 1099 Godfrey of Bouillon was elected as the first Latin ruler of Jerusalem and was inaugurated in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem . He took the title of prince and Advocatus Sancti Sepulchri , meaning Advocate of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This was probably in response to the opinion that only Christ could wear a crown in Jerusalem. Advocatus
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5082-436: The city was conquered in 1099 . Most of them were men, but there were also five queens regnant of Jerusalem , either reigning alone suo jure ("in her own right"), or as co-rulers of husbands who reigned as kings of Jerusalem jure uxoris ("by right of his wife"). Godfrey of Bouillon , the first ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, refused the title of king choosing instead the title Advocatus Sancti Sepulchri , that
5203-634: The construction, but the king refused. In 1178, Baldwin hosted the patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church , Michael the Syrian , in Jerusalem and won his lasting loyalty to Frankish cause. In April 1179, Baldwin intended to round up the sheep passing from Damascus to Banias . Saladin's nephew Farrukh Shah was sent to investigate the king's movement but suddenly ran into him, and a skirmish followed. The elderly but exceptionally able constable, Humphrey II of Toron , sustained fatal wounds while protecting
5324-489: The contemporary sources, including Baldwin's tutor, William of Tyre, are biased against her. Having grown up without her since the age of two, Baldwin had no memories of his mother, but she became devotedly kind to him and he developed a strong attachment to her. During the regency it became clear that the king was indeed affected by leprosy. It is not clear from whom he caught it; medical historian Piers Mitchell concludes that it must have been someone with whom Baldwin had spent
5445-506: The crusader states by conquering Muslim principalities in Syria. Baldwin did not ratify Raymond's peace treaty with Saladin, firmly agreeing with Joscelin that the sultan's power needed to be curbed. As soon as he took over the government, Baldwin began planning a full-scale attack on Egypt with his advisers. The king took advantage of Saladin's campaign in Aleppo to lead a raid around Damascus . This
5566-491: The emergence of an alternative claimant, Baldwin had his eight-year-old half-sister, Isabella, solemnly betrothed to the teenage lord of Toron , Humphrey IV , in October 1180. Isabella was then sent to live at Kerak Castle with the lady of Oultrejourdain, Humphrey's mother, as far as possible from her maternal kin and potential conspirators. By the terms of the marriage contract, Humphrey ceded Toron to Baldwin, who thus prevented
5687-399: The face of his illness. He took after his father in good looks, body shape, and manner of walking and expressing himself. Baldwin was a quick learner, but he stuttered. He enjoyed listening to stories and history lessons. His tutor, William, remarked on Baldwin's excellent memory, stating that he forgot neither kindness nor slights done to him by others. Amalric attempted to have Sibylla marry
5808-559: The first symptoms of leprosy as a child but was only diagnosed after he succeeded his father, King Amalric ( r. 1163–1174 ). Thereafter his hands and face became increasingly disfigured. Count Raymond III of Tripoli ruled the kingdom in Baldwin's name until the king reached the age of majority in 1176. As soon as he assumed government, Baldwin planned an invasion of Egypt, which fell through because of his vassals' uncooperativeness. Saladin in turn attacked Baldwin's kingdom in 1177, but
5929-521: The following year, he was re-appointed bailli and was given possession of Beirut . Baldwin came to an agreement with Raymond and the Haute Cour to make Baldwin of Montferrat, Sibylla's son by her first marriage, his heir, before Sibylla and Guy. The child was crowned co-king as Baldwin V in 1183 in a ceremony presided by Raymond. It was agreed that, should the boy die during his minority, the regency would pass to "the most rightful heirs" until his kinsmen –
6050-487: The following year. In the late 1120s she was sent to live at the Convent of Saint Anne in Jerusalem , and became a nun there in c. 1134. Her sister Queen Melisende had a new abbey constructed in Bethany so that Ioveta could be an abbess . As abbess, Ioveta dealt with other religious communities both within and outside the kingdom. She retained close links to her family, and was the guardian of her grandniece Sibylla when
6171-520: The garrison of Damascus, forcing Saladin to abandon his campaign. William of Montferrat married Baldwin's sister Sibylla, in November 1176 despite misgivings of the nobles who no longer trusted his cousin Emperor Frederick's ability to aid the kingdom. Baldwin offered to resign the throne to William, according to Sicard of Cremona ; if he did, William declined because he knew he lacked the support of
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#17330849113446292-453: The girl was thought likely to succeed to the throne. Despite the secular and spiritual authority she wielded, Ioveta remains an elusive figure in crusader scholarship. Ioveta was the fourth and youngest daughter of Baldwin II of Jerusalem and the Armenian noblewoman Morphia of Melitene . Her older sisters— Melisende , Alice , and Hodierna —were born while their father, a Frankish nobleman,
6413-641: The grand master of the Knights Hospitaller , Roger de Moulins . Saladin's power remained unchecked, and the Byzantine alliance collapsed. Despite the hostility of the Latin patriarch, Amalric of Nesle, Baldwin continued to court the Greek patriarch, Leontius, in hopes that the Byzantines would remain committed to his kingdom. Philip left the Kingdom of Jerusalem with his troops in late October 1177 to help Raymond of Tripoli attack
6534-411: The grand masters of the military orders refused to cooperate with Guy. Baldwin recovered unexpectedly and returned to Jerusalem. Having found that coastal climate suited his health, Baldwin offered Jerusalem to Guy in exchange for Tyre. Guy brusquely refused, possibly because Tyre was more lucrative, leaving Baldwin gravely insulted. The wedding of Baldwin's half-sister, Isabella, and Humphrey IV of Toron
6655-472: The handicap. Leprosy was suspected, but there were no visible symptoms yet and physicians hesitated to diagnose because of the stigma the boy would face. Had such a diagnosis been made when he was a child, Baldwin might have been required by law to enter the Order of St Lazarus , a military order composed of affected knights and serjeants . As an adolescent, Baldwin was precocious, determined, and optimistic in
6776-400: The king and the nobleman Raynald of Châtillon repelled him at Montgisard , earning Baldwin fame. The young king mastered horse riding despite gradually losing sensation in his extremities and was able to fight in battles until his last years. Leprosy prevented Baldwin from marrying. He hoped to abdicate when his sister, Sibylla , married William of Montferrat in 1176, but William died
6897-402: The king had himself taken back to Jerusalem in a litter and convened a general council, on the advice of which he offered regency to Philip. Philip declined, and Raynald retained his post. The Byzantines sent a war fleet in preparation of the invasion of Egypt but to Baldwin's regret they withdrew because of the uncooperativeness of Philip of Flanders, Bohemond of Antioch, Raymond of Tripoli, and
7018-711: The king hastily arranged her marriage to Guy of Lusignan , younger brother of Amalric , the constable of the kingdom. A foreign match was essential to bring the possibility of external military aid to the kingdom. With the new French king Philip II a minor, Guy's status as a vassal of the King and Sibylla's first cousin Henry II of England – who owed the Pope a penitential pilgrimage – was useful. By 1182, Baldwin IV, increasingly incapacitated by his leprosy, named Guy as bailli . Raymond contested this, but when Guy fell out of favour with Baldwin
7139-456: The king of Jerusalem was continually losing power to the strongest of his barons. This was partially due to the young age of many of the kings, and the frequency of regents from the ranks of the nobles. After the fall of Jerusalem in 1187, the capital of the kingdom was moved to Acre , where it remained until 1291, although coronations took place in Tyre . In this period the kingship was often simply
7260-445: The king's approach and concerned about having left Egypt unguarded, Saladin abandoned the siege on 4 December. Baldwin entered Kerak triumphantly. The question of regency for his nephew troubled Baldwin. The only way to ensure that Guy could not claim it was to have his marriage to Sibylla annulled. Baldwin discussed this with the patriarch, Heraclius. The king may have intended to claim that he had forced his sister to marry Guy and that
7381-428: The king's half-sister within it could not be entrusted to the man who had proven unable to command the troops. Guy's removal from regency was effectively disinheritance; at the council's insistence, deliberations about the succession followed. The proposal of the king's mother that Sibylla's five-year-old son, Baldwin, be made co-king was accepted, and the boy was crowned on 20 November. In late November Baldwin ordered
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#17330849113447502-470: The king's legacy, with historians tracing fatal discord to Baldwin's reign. Yet, while Baldwin was on the throne, the kingdom lost no territory and flourished economically and spiritually. Baldwin understood the importance of curbing Saladin's power, which was reflected in his choice of ministers. He did not devise strategy or diplomacy alone, and delegated Church patronage and finances to his mother, Agnes, and uncle, Joscelin, respectively. His chief contribution
7623-454: The king's paternal relatives (cousins Raymond of Tripoli and Bohemond of Antioch; stepmother, Maria; and her new family, the Ibelins) and maternal relatives (mother, Agnes; stepfather, Reynald of Sidon; sister, Sibylla; brother-in-law, Guy; uncle, Joscelin; and Raynald of Châtillon), of whom the king supported the latter. In light of these problems, Baldwin proposed a two-year truce with Saladin, who
7744-400: The king's stepmother, Queen Maria, in late 1177. In July 1178 Baldwin IV began associating Sibylla with him in some public acts, thereby acknowledging her as next in line to the throne. He began contemplating her marriage to Duke Hugh III of Burgundy , and wrote to the king of France: "To be deprived of the use of one's limbs is of little help to one in carrying out the work of government ... It
7865-513: The king. Weeks later Baldwin rode out to intercept Bedouin raids of Beirut and Sidon , and in June Saladin's raiding party routed Baldwin's. The king was unhorsed and carried to safety on a knight's back because he could not remount on his own. In late August, Baldwin summoned a host to Tiberias to respond to Saladin's siege of Le Chastellet , but the castle fell before the relic of the True Cross could be fetched from Jerusalem to accompany
7986-411: The kingdom by making her sole guardian of her son by Fulk, Baldwin III , born in 1130. Fulk and Melisende became joint rulers of Jerusalem in 1131 with Baldwin II's death. From the start Fulk assumed sole control of the government, excluding Melisende altogether. He favored fellow countrymen from Anjou to the native nobility. The other crusader states to the north feared that Fulk would attempt to impose
8107-487: The kingdom in 1277. In that year, he sent Roger of Sanseverino to the East as his bailiff . Roger captured Acre and obtained a forced homage from the barons. Roger was recalled in 1282 due to the Sicilian Vespers and left Odo Poilechien in his place to rule. His resources and authority was minimal, and he was ejected by Henry II of Cyprus when he arrived from Cyprus for his coronation as King of Jerusalem. Acre
8228-532: The kingdom in early 1182 owing to suspicions of another conspiracy. Baldwin likely intended to charge Raymond with treason and deprive him of the Principality of Galilee , a fief of Jerusalem held by Raymond through marriage to Eschiva of Bures . The law prevented the king from seizing the fief without the assent of the High Court, and the High Court urged the king to reconcile with Raymond; Baldwin reluctantly heeded his vassals' advice. Baldwin's truce with Saladin
8349-488: The lighting of a beacon on the Tower of David , which may have been the first in a chain of such beacons, in order to hearten the defenders of the intensely bombarded Kerak. Baldwin accompanied his troops again, but having become blind and immobile, this time he went in a litter slung between two horses. His presence was essential to unite the discordant barons. Even his humiliated brother-in-law led his men. Warned by his scouts about
8470-407: The marriage was unlawful because of that. Sibylla's unwavering loyalty to Guy thwarted his plans, as the couple refused to appear at court. Early in 1184, Baldwin ordered Guy to attend him as vassal in Jerusalem. Guy declined, citing poor health, and this was repeated several times. Baldwin then had himself carried to Ascalon in the company of the High Court. Guy refused to let him into the city. From
8591-399: The most significant abbeys in the kingdom. As abbess, Ioveta enjoyed more independence than her married sisters; although a queen, princess, and countess respectively, Melisende, Alice, and Hodierna were constrained in their exercise of power by their male relatives. Ioveta conducted transactions with other religious communities, such as Saint Anne's, Saint Mary Major's , and Saint Mary of
8712-624: The next year. In 1180, in order to forestall a coup by Count Raymond III of Tripoli and Prince Bohemond III of Antioch , Baldwin had Sibylla marry Guy of Lusignan . Guy was opposed by a large fraction of the nobility, and soon permanently impaired his relationship with Baldwin. The internal discord that followed forced Baldwin to remain king, as only he was capable of uniting the quarreling nobility. Baldwin again repelled Saladin in 1182 but leprosy rendered him blind and unable to walk or use his hands in 1183. He disinherited Guy and had Sibylla's son, Baldwin V , crowned co-king before having himself taken in
8833-553: The nobility. In order to carry out his attack on Egypt, Baldwin needed naval support. He thus sent Raynald of Châtillon to lead an embassy to Emperor Manuel, Raynald's stepson-in-law, in Constantinople in the winter of 1176–77. Manuel agreed to take part in the invasion in return for the establishment of Byzantine protectorate over the kingdom and restoration of the Orthodox patriarch , Leontius II , in Jerusalem. As Raynald's mission
8954-431: The northern-most crusader state, was among the children who accompanied Ioveta, but nothing is known about the rest. Ioveta and the other children were turned over to Sultan Shah ibn Radwan in mid-1124 at Shaizar . There they met with King Baldwin, who was then released. Queen Morphia's decision to include Ioveta among the hostages sent to Timurtash suggests that the young princess was expected to be well treated, which
9075-412: The order of succession. Through them Agnes would exert much influence in Jerusalem for almost 20 years. Almaric was succeeded by his son by Agnes, Baldwin IV . Almaric's first wife Agnes of Courtenay was now married to Reginald of Sidon ; Maria Comnena , the dowager Queen, had married Balian of Ibelin in 1177. His daughter by Agnes, Sibylla, was already of age, the mother of a son, and was clearly in
9196-489: The palace. Contemporary author and historian William of Tyre wrote of Fulk "he never attempted to take the initiative, even in trivial matters, without (Melisende's) consent". The result was that Melisende held direct and unquestioned control over the government from 1136 onwards. Sometime before 1136 Fulk reconciled with his wife, and a second son, Amalric , was born. In 1143, while the king and queen were on holiday in Acre , Fulk
9317-530: The rightful heirs to the kingdom. None of these claimants, however, has actually ruled over any part of Outremer : This diagram lists the rulers of the kingdom of Jerusalem , since the conquest of the city in 1099, during the First Crusade , to 1291, year of the fall of Acre . Ioveta Ioveta ( c. 1120 – 6 September 1178) was a Latin princess from the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem . Her name appears in various other forms, including Joveta , Yveta , Yvette , Ivetta , and Juditta . She headed
9438-428: The royal family continued to hold Ioveta in high esteem even after Melisende's death. Baldwin IV became king upon Amalric's death in 1174, but because he had leprosy , Sibylla was expected to succeed him. As Sibylla's guardian, Ioveta occupied a position with the potential for significant authority until Sibylla left Bethany to marry William Longsword of Montferrat in 1176. Abbess Ioveta died on 6 September 1178 and
9559-437: The royal summons. The patriarch and the grand masters begged Baldwin to forgive Guy in order to avoid a civil war. This was as unacceptable to Baldwin as it would have been to any contemporary king. The patriarch and the grand masters stormed out of the council, swaying the rest of the assembly to withhold support for the action. Baldwin was reconciled with the patriarch and the grand masters by June when he sent them to Europe on
9680-405: The royal title and authority over the city of Jerusalem, but he had Guy swear that, while Baldwin lived, he would not make himself king or alienate parts of the royal demesne . Fearing discontent among his barons, Baldwin had failed to give Guy any experience in military leadership prior to making him regent. Indeed, the great lords of the kingdom, the independent rulers of Antioch and Tripoli, and
9801-565: The rumors of sexual impropriety during her captivity rendered Ioveta unmarriageable in the eyes of her family. Erin Jordan notes that no medieval source, including Ernoul, suggests that there was any correlation between Ioveta's captivity and her becoming a nun. According to Ernoul's account, Baldwin intended that Ioveta too should marry, but she declared that she wished to be a nun instead. Barber proposes that Melisende, who had succeeded Baldwin upon his death in 1131, may have encouraged Ioveta to become
9922-460: The second anniversary of his coronation, 15 July 1176, Baldwin reached the age of majority and Raymond's regency lapsed. At the suggestion of his mother, the king appointed his loyal and capable maternal uncle, Joscelin of Courtenay , to the office of seneschal and arranged for him to marry a rich heiress, Agnes of Milly. The change in government signaled a new Frankish approach to the Egyptian ruler Saladin , who had been allowed by Raymond to encircle
10043-517: The sole king. He was buried in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, close to his father, King Amalric. The young Baldwin V died the next year. Sibylla, who succeeded her son, made Guy king. Baldwin IV's realm was destroyed by Saladin following his decisive victory over Guy at the Horns of Hattin in 1187. Sibylla and her daughters died in 1190, leaving Isabella I as the heir to the defeated kingdom. Christian defeat at Hattin two years after Baldwin's death marred
10164-502: The son of their eldest daughter. But was passed over by the Haute Cour in favour of his cousin, Hugh of Antioch , the future Hugh III of Cyprus and Hugh I of Jerusalem. After Conrad III's execution by Charles I of Sicily in 1268, the kingship was held by the Lusignan family, who were simultaneously kings of Cyprus . However, Charles I of Sicily purchased the rights of one of the heirs of
10285-510: The south of the kingdom. Baldwin knew that he was being provoked into dividing his forces. Deciding that Beirut was of a greater strategic importance, he ignored the southern attack and moved with his troops to Tyre . From there he procured assistance from the Italian maritime republics in lifting Saladin's naval blockade of Beirut. Saladin abandoned the siege, but declined to make a truce, worrying Baldwin and his advisers. He proceeded north to fight
10406-574: The surprise of Muslim observers, Baldwin was never segregated. As a leper, Baldwin could not marry or expect to have children. It thus became a priority to arrange a marriage for Baldwin's sister and heir presumptive, Sibylla. Raymond's choice was William of Montferrat , son of Margrave William V of Montferrat in Piedmont , Italy, and cousin of both the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa and King Louis VII of France . On
10527-473: The suzerainty of Jerusalem over them, as Baldwin II had done; but as Fulk was far less powerful than his deceased father-in-law, the northern states rejected his authority. In Jerusalem as well, Fulk was resented by the second generation of Jerusalem Christians who had grown up there since the First Crusade. These "natives" focused on Melisende's cousin, the popular Hugh II of Le Puiset , count of Jaffa , who
10648-554: The throne. In 1126, Alice was married off to Prince Bohemond II of Antioch , while Hodierna was betrothed to Count Raymond II of Tripoli . Since the king had no son, the eldest daughter, Melisende, was designated to succeed him, and was married to Fulk of Anjou in 1129. The only unmarried man of appropriate rank left in the Latin East was Joscelin of Edessa, with whom Ioveta had shared her captivity, but they were second cousins and so too closely related to marry . Ioveta's mother, Queen Morphia, died shortly after 1126 or 1127. It
10769-518: The troops out to meet him. Seeing how drastically outnumbered he was, the king retreated into the city. Saladin too saw the strength in his numbers and confidently proceeded towards Jerusalem. Baldwin managed to contact the Templars, however, and ordered them to abandon Gaza and join him. Contrary to the sultan's expectation, Baldwin and Raynald then rode out of Ascalon, joined up with the Templars, and attacked his dispersed army at Montgisard . The young king
10890-416: The union of two great fiefs under one vassal and strengthened his position against the count of Tripoli. Baldwin made use of the truce with Saladin to strengthen the position of his maternal kin, granting Maron and Chastel Neuf to Joscelin and usufruct of Toron to Agnes, while associating Guy and Sibylla with him in public acts. He remained unreconciled with Raymond, however, and forbade the count to enter
11011-492: Was "an established tradition within Islam". Historian Malcolm Barber believes that, for a child of four or five, this experience was nevertheless traumatizing. One source, the 13th-century Chronicle of Ernoul , tells that Ioveta was sexually molested by her captors. Contemporary chroniclers do not mention any such incident. In modern historiography, Ernoul 's chronicle is often seen not as an accurate representation of events in
11132-462: Was a title with which Godfrey was already familiar as the term was much used in the lands where the Crusaders originated; it referred to a layman who protected and administered Church estates. The following year, Godfrey died. His brother Baldwin I was the first to use the title of king and the first to be crowned king in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem itself. The kingship of Jerusalem
11253-441: Was an ambitious woman who likely saw Baldwin as an obstacle to her own children. King Amalric ensured that Baldwin, as the heir apparent to the kingdom, received a good education. The nine-year-old prince was sent to live with William of Tyre , a sophisticated and well-traveled cleric who was famed for his learning. William noticed that, unlike other children in the playground, Baldwin did not cry when pinched by his peers. After
11374-465: Was an unmarried adolescent and Isabella only two years old. The male candidates, Amalric's cousins Prince Bohemond III of Antioch , Baldwin of Antioch , and Count Raymond III of Tripoli , were politically unsuitable: Bohemond was bound to distant Antioch , Baldwin in the service of Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Komnenos , and Raymond virtually a stranger to the barons after nine years spent in Muslim captivity. After three days of deliberation Baldwin IV
11495-521: Was captured by Belek Ghazi in 1122 and, after Belek's death, passed into the custody of Husam al-Din Timurtash . Queen Morphia negotiated the terms of the king's release. Per Muslim custom, hostages had to be provided as security until a ransom had been paid in full. Ioveta and ten other highborn children were thus sent to take her father's place in Muslim captivity. Joscelin , the son of Count Joscelin I of Edessa , who had succeeded Baldwin as ruler of
11616-490: Was captured by the Mamluks in 1291, eliminating the crusader presence on the mainland. In 1127 Fulk V, Count of Anjou , received an embassy from King Baldwin II of Jerusalem . Baldwin II had no male heirs but had already designated his daughter Melisende to succeed him. Baldwin II wanted to safeguard his daughter's inheritance by marrying her to a powerful lord. Fulk was a wealthy crusader and experienced military commander, and
11737-414: Was celebrated in Kerak in late 1183. Saladin attacked during the festivities and laid siege to the castle, hoping to capture the king's half-sister and her husband. The retired king had gathered a council in Jerusalem to inform him about the government of the kingdom when news about the siege reached him. He immediately dismissed Guy from regency and resumed power, as the defense of such a vital fortress and
11858-449: Was chosen, with the expectation that a husband would be found for Sibylla to succeed him if he proved to be affected. The young king's coronation by the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem , Amalric of Nesle , took place immediately in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre . Medieval rulers were typically crowned on Sundays, however in Baldwin's case, 15 July 1174 (on Monday) was chosen instead as it was
11979-442: Was devotedly loyal to the Queen. Fulk saw Hugh as a rival, and in 1134, in order to expose Hugh, accused him of infidelity with Melisende. Hugh rebelled in protest and secured himself to Jaffa, allying himself with the Muslims of Ascalon . He was able to defeat the army set against him by Fulk, but this situation could not hold. The Patriarch interceded in the conflict, perhaps at the behest of Melisende. Fulk agreed to peace and Hugh
12100-610: Was due to expire in May 1182 but was broken in mid-1181 by Raynald, who seized a merchant caravan on its way from Egypt to Damascus. Raynald ignored the king's request to make restitution to Saladin, who was then preparing to annex the Zengid -ruled Aleppo . The king, who consistently acted against Saladin's attempts to expand into northern Syria, decided to oppose him. The recent anti-Catholic coup in Constantinople gave Saladin confidence to attack
12221-494: Was exiled from the kingdom for three years, a lenient sentence. However, an assassination attempt was made against Hugh. Fulk, or his supporters, were commonly believed responsible, though direct proof never surfaced. The scandal was all that was needed for the queen's party to take over the government in what amounted to a palace coup. Author and historian Bernard Hamilton wrote that the Fulk's supporters "went in terror of their lives" in
12342-542: Was finally dissolved with the fall of Acre and the end of the Crusades in the Holy Land in 1291. Even after the Crusader States ceased to exist, the title of "King of Jerusalem" was claimed by a number of European noble houses descended from the kings of Cyprus or the kings of Naples , and is claimed by the current king of Spain . The Kingdom of Jerusalem had its origins in the First Crusade, when proposals to govern
12463-432: Was glad to accept in order to campaign freely in northern Syria. Baldwin sent his uncle and chief minister, Joscelin, to assure the Byzantine court that Jerusalem still needed their protection. During Joscelin's absence, from mid-1180 to mid-1181, the full burden of government fell on the shoulders of the king, whose health was deteriorating. He relied chiefly on his mother in this period. To secure Guy's position and prevent
12584-568: Was her sister the queen. Even more rarely did women have themselves depicted with books on their seals as Ioveta did, presumably to emphasize her piety and erudition. Melisende reigned jointly with her son, Baldwin III , from Fulk's death in 1143 until Baldwin deposed her in 1153. She then moved to her fief of Nablus , close to Bethany and Ioveta, but remained an active and influential participant in state affairs. Reflecting Melisende's view of Ioveta's standing, Ioveta's abbey accepted exclusively noblewomen, but since there were few such candidates in
12705-415: Was his determination not to abdicate before finding a suitable successor, despite leprosy making government an unbearable burden. As was clear during his reign and especially in its disastrous aftermath, Baldwin alone preserved unity in the kingdom. Contemporary Christian theologians were divided on the issue of leprosy. Pope Alexander III showed little sympathy when writing about Baldwin, declaring leprosy
12826-506: Was his first experience of warfare. Despite having use of only one hand, he refused to delegate his military duties and took part in fighting. He and his advisers then decided to intervene in Saladin's war against the Order of Assassins . On 1 August, Baldwin and Raymond led the armies of Jerusalem and Tripoli, respectively, in a raid of the Beqaa Valley (modern-day Lebanon), where they defeated
12947-412: Was his heir, but the nobles of the kingdom were strongly opposed to Amalric's wife, Agnes; they were likely threatened by the prospect of her increased influence. The High Court forced Amalric to agree to an annulment of his marriage on the grounds of consanguinity in order to be accepted as king. Amalric succeeded in having his and Agnes's children, Sibylla and Baldwin, declared legitimate despite
13068-522: Was in the forefront. Saladin, who barely survived, suffered a crushing defeat. Not having enough men to launch an offensive on the retreating Muslims, Baldwin decided to fortify the Damascene frontier. The Templars convinced him to build a castle, Chastellet , on the upper Jordan River ; he was reluctant because the Franks had promised not to mark that part of the border. After protests of local Muslims, Saladin offered money to Baldwin in exchange for aborting
13189-457: Was interpreted as a sign of God's favor. After the disastrous Seventh Crusade , a crusader was told by an old man in Damascus: I have seen a time when King Baldwin of Jerusalem, the one who was a leper, beat Saladin although he only had 300 armed men against Saladin's 3,000. But now your sins have come to such a pass that we round you up in the fields like cattle. Despite perceived sanctity Baldwin
13310-448: Was killed in a hunting accident. His horse stumbled, fell, and Fulk's skull was crushed by the saddle, "and his brains gushed forth from both ears and nostrils", as William of Tyre describes. He was carried back to Acre, where he lay unconscious for three days before he died. He was buried in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Though their marriage started in conflict, Melisende mourned for him privately as well as publicly. Fulk
13431-463: Was murdered while trying to extend his hold on the government. No new seneschal was appointed for two years, and so the young and sickly king presided over burdensome High Court meetings when the regent was away on military duties or in Tripoli . Baldwin's mother, Agnes, returned to court when Raymond became regent. She is frequently accused by historians of exploiting her son's condition for self-gain, but
13552-403: Was not content with Ioveta being a mere nun; as reported by the contemporary chronicler William of Tyre , she thought it "unseemly that the daughter of a king should be subject to some other mother in the cloister, just like one of the common people". The queen and her husband, King Fulk, persuaded the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem and the canons of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to cede
13673-411: Was not keen on having terms forced on him. Baldwin acted decisively before his kinsmen's armies reached Jerusalem: he arranged for Sibylla to marry a Poitevin knight, Guy of Lusignan . Raymond and Bohemond had no option but to accept the fait accompli , and the coup was foiled. Baldwin had hoped to abdicate, but was prevented by a deep rift within his court. The historian Steven Runciman speaks of
13794-461: Was not particularly devout. He was primarily a knight, both in character and in upbringing, and to contemporaries his most distinctive traits were his courage and honourableness. King of Jerusalem The king or queen of Jerusalem was the supreme ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem , a Crusader state founded in Jerusalem by the Latin Catholic leaders of the First Crusade , when
13915-440: Was partially elective and partially hereditary . During the height of the kingdom in the mid-12th century there was a royal family and a relatively clear line of succession. Nevertheless, the king was elected, or at least recognized, by the Haute Cour . Here the king was considered a primus inter pares (first among equals), and in his absence his duties were performed by his seneschal . The purpose-built royal palace used from
14036-604: Was some opposition among the nobility to Amalric's wife Agnes; they were willing to accept the marriage in 1157 when Baldwin III was still capable of siring an heir, but now the Haute Cour refused to endorse Amalric as king unless his marriage to Agnes was annulled. The hostility to Agnes may have been exaggerated by the chronicler William of Tyre, whom she prevented from becoming Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem decades later, as well as from William's continuators like Ernoul , who hints at
14157-519: Was succeeded by Abbess Eva. Ioveta may have been buried in Bethany, but the abbey was destroyed shortly after Saladin 's conquest of Jerusalem and offers few archaeological clues about burials; the other potential resting place is Josaphat, where Queens Morphia and Melisende and other women of the royal family were buried. Despite their significance, all four daughters of Baldwin II remain understudied in crusader scholarship, most of all Ioveta. Ernoul's account of sexual abuse during her time as hostage
14278-450: Was successful, Baldwin consented to his marriage with the lady of Oultrejordain , Stephanie of Milly . In April 1177, William of Monferrat fell sick with malaria in Ascalon , of which he had been made count on his marriage to the king's sister. Baldwin visited him and became gravely ill too. William died in June, leaving Sibylla pregnant and Baldwin incapacitated without a deputy ahead of
14399-446: Was survived by his son Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou by his first wife, and Baldwin III and Amalric I by Melisende. Baldwin III ascended the throne with his mother as co-ruler, in 1143. His early reign was laced with squabbles with his mother over the possession of Jerusalem, till 1153, when he took personal hold of the government. He died in 1163, without heirs, and the kingdom passed to his brother, Amalric I , although there
14520-400: Was the Kingdom of Jerusalem . The kingdom and other crusader principalities , though surrounded by Arab Muslim states, were ruled by Franks , French -speaking Catholics who had arrived in the Levant from Western Europe and remained Western in culture . The king was young and recently married, making a nephew's accession seem unlikely; yet Baldwin III died childless in 1163. Amalric
14641-553: Was the count of Edessa . Ioveta was his only child " born in the purple ", that is, born to him after he had become king of Jerusalem in 1118. Her name appears in royal charters in various other forms, including Joveta, Yvette, Ivetta, and Juditta. Both the County of Edessa and the Kingdom of Jerusalem were crusader states , carved out among Muslim -ruled principalities of the Levant by Catholic noblemen from Western Europe . While defending Edessa from Muslim attacks, Baldwin
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