Baldwin IV, Leper King who Defeated Saladin - FULL DOCUMENTARY

the famous warrior Sultan Saladin won a victory at hateen that allowed him to conquer the Crusader kingdom of Jerusalem Saladin achieved this spectacular Triumph some two years after the death of Baldwin IV the leper king of Jerusalem had Saladin faced Baldwin at the Battle of hatin would he have gained his famous Victory Baldwin IV leper and crusader was one of the outstanding commanders of his age and during his life posed a worthy challenge to the valorous sultan in his Titanic struggle Saladin had considerable Advantage he controlled the territory around Baldwin's tiny Kingdom and he had far larger armies at his disposal what's more the young king also suffered from a great illness leprosy despite his disease and despite the fewness of his men Baldwin the leper rode at the head of his Knights sword in hand battling saladin's Legions on more than one occasion driven by a strong Christian faith he was committed to defending Jerusalem no matter the cost today we'll delve into the life struggles victories and defeats of This truly remarkable youth who stood against an Empire even as he suffered the horrors of leprosy this is real Crusades history the life of King Baldwin IV the leper king of Jerusalem foreign [Music] sixty one a baby boy was born to umrick count of Jaffa and his wife Agnes of Courtney amalrick was an important Lord in the kingdom of Jerusalem a small Kingdom established some six decades earlier by Frankish Knights that is Nights from Western Christian Europe as a result of the remarkable victories of the First Crusade the purpose of this kingdom was to safeguard those places made Holy by The Life of Christ in particular Jerusalem the city where he'd been crucified and risen but the Crusader kingdom was surrounded by enemy territory for it existed alongside many powerful Muslim states Jerusalem 2 was holy to the Muslims the location of the night journey of the Prophet Muhammad thus amalrick's baby was born into a Kingdom at War the Battleground between Christian and Muslim in the great struggle known as the Crusades Amel Rick's son was christened Baldwin named for amulrich's older brother who was none other than Baldwin III the king of Jerusalem at the baby's baptism the king himself stood as Godfather apparently the king joked that for a christening gift he would like to give his little nephew the kingdom of Jerusalem at the time this must have seemed unlikely for Baldwin III was young and newly married to a beautiful Byzantine princess however two years later King Baldwin III would unexpectedly die childless and his brother Amel Rick would become the new king [Music] as Baldwin III's only brother Amel Rick was the Undisputed heir to the throne of Jerusalem and yet the Lords and clergy of the high court would not confirm amalrick unless he put aside his wife Agnes this was not because Agnes was unqualified to be Queen she was daughter of Jocelyn II of Odessa and belonged to one of the Kingdom's most prestigious families but her family had lost their ancestral lands in 1144 when the county of Odessa was conquered by the powerful Turkish ruler zengi of mosul could it be that the high court was concerned that Agnes should she become Queen might use her influence to expand her family's power at the expense of the traditional Noble houses of Jerusalem Scholars aren't sure but there's no question to become king amalrick had to agree to have his marriage with his wife annulled [Music] however the high court agreed to recognize the children born previously to amelick and Agnes as legitimate this meant the two-year-old Baldwin was now in line for the throne as was his older sister princess sabila Baldwin saw little of his mother after her separation from amulrich Agnes would have only encountered her son on public occasions he saw little of his sister as well for Sibilo was sent to be educated at the monastery of Bethany where her great aunt jovetta was Abyss when Prince Baldwin was six his father married again the King's new bride was Maria comnena a princess from the Imperial family of the Byzantine Empire but there's little evidence of any close relationship between Queen Maria and her stepson [Music] King amalrick wanted to ensure that his son had the best possible education and so he appointed as the boy's tutor William archdeacon of Tire one of the most learned men in the kingdom it was William who first identified illness in young Baldwin in his Chronicle William recounts with sadness how he came to suspect that Baldwin had leprosy the boy then about nine years old was accordingly committed to my care to be instructed and nurtured in liberal studies while he was under my charge I devoted myself to my Royal pupil with vigilant care and watched over him with the solicitude befitting his exalted position he was playing one day with his companions of noble rank when they began as playful boys often do to pinch each other's arms and hands with their nails the other boys gave evidence of Pain by their outcries but Baldwin although his comrades did not spare him endured it all together too patiently as if he felt nothing at first I suspected that it proceeded from his capacity for endurance and not from lack of sensitivity but when I called him over I discovered that his right arm and hand were partially numb the lad's father was informed of his condition and positions were consulted it is impossible to refrain from Tears while speaking of this great misfortune King Amel Rick called on a Christian Arab physician Abu Suleiman dawood to treat his son's illness he employed the physician's brother Abul qair to teach the prince to ride war horses this was an essential skill for a Frankish ruler who was expected to put on Armor and Lead his Knights into battle in particular a Frankish Knight had to learn to control his horse with his knees for he would be wielding his shield and his Lance as he charged the Enemy by all accounts Prince Baldwin excelled as a Horseman at this point he showed no major symptoms of his illness and indeed he would ride alongside his Knights for many years to come in the 12th century leprosy was thought to be contagious and curable only by God but the Franks believed in a certain Holiness in the seriously ill people were frightened of catching the disease but they also sought to care for lepers with charitable works in the 1140s The Order of Saint Lazarus was established in the kingdom of Jerusalem to minister to lepers this order contained Knights who'd contracted leprosy and who would continue to fight until they became too ill amalrick must have worried that disease might hinder his son from performing his future role as king he was keenly aware of the precarities of the Royal Line his father Falk had died in a hunting accident and his brother Baldwin III had succumbed to illness at only 33 years of age but then it was amalrick himself who died unexpectedly he was campaigning leading his Army against the Fortress of Banias where he accepted favorable peace terms with the government of Damascus as the Christian Army struck Camp the king complained that he didn't feel well by the time they reached Tiberius he was suffering from dysentery and once they arrived in Jerusalem amalrick was seriously ill there the king died on July 11 1174. he was 38. at the death of the king the high court convened bringing together all the important Lords and clergyman of the Kingdom Prince Baldwin was endorsed unanimously as the new king of Jerusalem this was no mere formality the high court was the most important governing body in the kingdom of Jerusalem all members of the high court the king included had to abide by its decisions it was not yet certain that Baldwin had leprosy he had early symptoms of the disease but showed no outward manifestations or disabilities associated with the illness Baldwin was 13 when he took the throne he was crowned on Monday July 15 1174. this date was chosen intentionally as it marks the 75th anniversary of the Crusader conquest of Jerusalem in 1099. the crown was placed on the boy's head by the patriarch and he was enthroned in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher as Baldwin IV sixth Latin King since the founding of the Kingdom William of Tire must have beamed with pride at this moment in his Chronicle he offers a memorable portrait of the mnemonic he was calmly of appearance for his age and far beyond the custom of his forefathers he was an excellent Horseman and understood the handling of horses he had a very good memory and loved conversation he was economical but always remembered both favors and injuries in every respect he resembled his father not alone in his face but in his entire mean even his walk and the tones of his voice were the same his intellect was Keen but his speech was somewhat halting like his father he eagerly listened to history and was well disposed to follow good advice Baldwin IV's kingdom was considerable and prosperous but also precariously positioned the Frankish Crusader states included the whole Coastal territory of Syria and Palestine from the amanus mountains to the Sinai desert in the north the principality of Antioch and the county of Tripoli were independent though they cooperated closely with Jerusalem the kingdom of Jerusalem stretched from transjordan in the Southeast with its great castle of kerak to Gaza and ascalon in the Southwest from there it stretched North all along the coast including many important port cities Jaffa Asaf acre Tire sidon and Beirut it included the area around the Sea of Galilee with its principal Fortress of tiberias and of course it included the sacred cities of Jerusalem and Bethlehem to the west of the Dead Sea however the kingdom was dwarfed by the great Empire of Saladin who ruled the wealthy lands of Egypt as well as important Muslim territories in Syria such as the Emirate of Damascus nevertheless at the time of Baldwin IV's Ascension the kingdom of Jerusalem was strong and economically prosperous its coastal cities where a crucial trading Hub in the Mediterranean where Muslim Christian and Jewish Merchants all did good business members of all faiths lived well within Crusader territory practicing their own rights and governing their own Affairs so long as they maintained allegiance to the Frankish Kings castles along the Eastern and Southern Frontiers protected the territory from Invasion but there were vulnerabilities in the Kingdom's defenses especially when facing an enemy as powerful as Saladin recently Saladin had emerged as the most substantial antagonist of the Crusaders a kurd born in what is today Iraq Saladin Rose from Humble Origins to become prominent at the zengeid court in Syria eventually he rebelled against his zingid Masters and established his independence as the Sultan of Egypt here Saladin was well positioned to expand his power for Egypt was rich and could support enormous armies shrewd and endlessly adaptable Saladin proved to be a highly capable ruler as well as a brave and cunning military commander he was also a man of deeply felt Faith profoundly inspired by his Muslim religion for him the Crusader states were an Abomination and he'd vowed to avenge the conquests of the First Crusade by driving the Franks into the sea at 13 Baldwin IV was still considered a minor the high court appointed a regent to govern until the king turned 15. Raymond III count of Tripoli a relative of Baldwins Raymond was a powerful Lord in the Kingdom married to the princess of Galilee whose lands he held as well as his own County of Tripoli William of Tire leaves behind a vivid description of him he was a slight built thin man he was not very tall and he had a dark complexion he had straight hair of a medium color and piercing eyes he carried himself stiffly he had an orderly mind was cautious but acted with Vigor he was restrained in his eating and drinking and although he was liberal to strangers he was not so affable toward his own men when Raymond became Regent Baldwin's mother Agnes also returned to court while the late amulrich's wife Maria retired to her Thief at Nobles Agnes began to wield considerable influence at her son's Court having been absent from her son's life Agnes tried to build a relationship with Baldwin historian Bernard Hamilton says Baldwin no doubt welcomed the presence of his attractive and capable mother who was genuinely concerned about his health and whom he could trust to take charge of his household efficiently given the circumstances of his childhood his relationship with her must have been more like that between nephew and Aunt than between son and mother it was during this period that William became Archbishop of Tire appointed by Raymond in 1174. also Agnes gave the archbishopric of caesarea to a clergyman called heraclius the chronicler ernul says that heraclius was her lover and this Sensational story has become widely known but it's impossible to verify and originates with one of Agnes's political enemies thank you meanwhile Saladin continued to expand his power ever since the death of his greatest rival his old Master Nur Aden of the Zenger Dynasty Saladin chipped away at zengid Holdings in Syria after seizing Damascus Saladin went to war with gumushtaking who ruled Aleppo on behalf of Noor adin's son asali he captured homs from the zengets as well as capartab and Marat anuman at last Saladin agreed to a truce with the zengets but Aleppo seemed liable to fall eventually into the Sultan's power foreign [Music] this time Raymond of Tripoli failed to act militarily to check saladin's progress rather than allying with the zengets Raymond made a truce with Saladin in 1175 which William of Tire describes as not to our advantage William's judgment seems sound for Saladin had written to the Abbasid caliph in Baghdad claiming that his Wars against the zengids were only a means to unite all of Islam so that he might attack the Franks and restore Jerusalem to Muslim rule foreign 1176 Baldwin turned 15 and Raymond's Regency came to an end by now the King was showing signs of his leprosy especially in his face hands and feet William of Tire says that his subjects were distressed whenever they looked at him one of saladin's chroniclers Imad Adin made note of this writing the Franks were concerned to keep him in office but they took no notice of his leprosy the king's illness made the high court especially eager to contract a marriage for his sister sibila in 1176 the court arranged a match between sibila and William longsword Marquis of montfortrat as cousin to both the Holy Roman Emperor and the King of France longsword was a politically excellent choice for sibila's one-day consort however within a year William longsword fell ill and died leaving the 17-year-old sabila pregnant with his child this only compounded the problem for longsword's death extinguished the idea that he might step in as the strong leader the kingdom required when Baldwin the leper eventually died sevilla's pregnancy meant that her next husband would have to accept that his own children would be unlikely to inherit the kingdom and few of christendom's great nobleman would be eager to enter into such an agreement meanwhile Saif Arden of mosul another of Nur aden's zenged heirs organized a new Coalition against Saladin including the emirs of sinjar and mardine this obliged Saladin to bring his army again into Syria since he was at peace with the Crusaders Saladin marched unopposed through trans Jordan he met Saif Adin of mosul and his allies in battle at hotel al-sutan near Aleppo in April 1176. the fighting was fierce but Saladin emerged the Victor and advanced on Aleppo the ruler of Aleppo gumushtakeem struck an alliance with the Crusader Prince of Antioch Bowman III as part of the peace gumushtaking released Frankish prisoners held in his dungeon among them a Frankish Lord who'd been imprisoned for some 15 years Reynold of shattaion and Jocelyn III of Courtney King Baldwin's uncle foreign ment Reynold of chattion had been a force to be reckoned with a fierce warlord who historian Bernard Hamilton describes as a controversial figure now free at last Reynold would once again assume a prominent position in the Crusader Kingdom and would play a key role in the reign of Baldwin IV Saladin seemed poised to conquer Aleppo he captured the castle of azads and closed the Noose around the great zenged City however abruptly he called off his campaign and made a truce with the zengets that included the restoration of azars what caused Saladin to pull back when he was so close to Victory in fact it was events at Jerusalem that had snacked saladin's attention for on July 15 1176 Baldwin the leper officially attained his majority and acquired full Powers as king of Jerusalem one of the young King's first acts as an independent ruler was to refuse to renew Raymond of tripoli's peace treaty with Saladin a new era was beginning Baldwin the leper would not maintain the restrained policies of his Regent he wanted to take the fight to the enemy Baldwin was about to make a bold move that would surprise even Saladin to help execute his policy Baldwin appointed as Sena shawl his uncle Jocelyn of Courtney a competent intelligent man who was absolutely loyal to the young king Baldwin's new government immediately curbed saladin's Ambitions the sultan had to stop trying to conquer Aleppo and instead had to make peace with the zengets however while marching back from Aleppo Saladin attacked the Assassin Fort of Massillon the sultan was determined to destroy this mysterious order for recently they'd made an attempt on his life chillingly the attempt was made by mamluks thought to have been absolutely loyal to the ayubid dynasty the sultan was concerned that the Assassins had infiltrated other ranks among his inner circle and he perhaps thought the only way to eliminate the threat was to destroy them completely foreign August the 1st 1176 King Baldwin IV assembled the Jerusalem Army joined with count Raymond's force from Tripoli and raided saladin's territory around the bakar valley saladin's nephew to run Shah assembled an army and tried to interrupt the Frankish raid but the young king defeated him soundly at the Battle of balbec Saladin got word of This Disaster and immediately abandoned his campaign against the Assassins once more the young Baldwin was interfering with his plans these two summer campaigns including a battlefield Victory against the ayubids amounted to Baldwin IV's first experiences at War surely the king relied on the knowledge of his veteran commanders but it was an impressive debut for the teenage monarch Baldwin refused to allow his disease to inhibit him taking the field with his men and leading from the saddle a sword in his grasp and an iron helmet on his head meanwhile famine in Syria forced Saladin to retire with his army to Egypt Baldwin took the opportunity to strike an alliance with the Byzantine emperor the agreement established Manuel as the overall protector of Eastern Christendom making him Overlord of the Crusader States [Music] Saladin watched all these developments carefully he constructed a navy and began to strengthen the defenses of his chief cities in Egypt in the spring of 1177 King Baldwin made Reynold of Chatty young his fourth greatest vassal by granting him the hand of Stephanie of Millie heires to the frontier territories of transjordan including the great desert castle of karak from here Reynold could harass saladin's supply lines between Damascus and Egypt saladin's correspondence from this time is filled with complaints of his difficulties in transporting men and Provisions between Syria and Egypt Reynold was clearly a man trusted by Baldwin like Baldwin Reynold understood that the key to reducing ayurved power was to disrupt saladin's ability to secure both Egypt and Syria simultaneously if Saladin were allowed to continue to expand his Syrian power especially by capturing Aleppo Jerusalem would come on the grave threat thus Reynold from his castle of karak became a thorn in salad inside William of Tire disliked Reynold but still described him as a man of proven loyalty and unusual steadfastness of character then in August of 1177 count Philip of Flanders one of the most powerful men in Christendom arrived with his army at ARCA like many westerners Philip came as a crusader and as a pilgrim he intended to visit the holy shrines and to join the Knights of the Crusader States in a campaign against the Muslims the inhabitants of the Crusader Kingdom welcomed Philip's arrival King Baldwin in particular viewed Philip's visit as a godsend recently Baldwin's leprosy had grown worse the count of Flanders seemed like the solution to the king's trials Baldwin offered the count his very Kingdom requesting that Philip take on the burden of the crown and the defense of Jerusalem Philip declined announcing that his visit would be brief and that he must soon return to Flanders Baldwin therefore asked that the count join him in invading saladin's Power Center of Egypt Philip refused this as well Desiring instead to help boemand of Antioch on the Syrian front disappointed King Baldwin nevertheless tried to bolster the Count's efforts and reinforced Philip's army with 100 Knights and 2 000 infantry it must have been difficult for the young leper King when the Great count of Flanders marched North Count Phillip joined Raymond III of Tripoli and Bowman III of Antioch for an assault on the Syrian Fortress of harim from Egypt Saladin monitored all this the sultan understood that it was in his interest to eliminate this new power in Jerusalem as quickly as possible in the Autumn of 1177 with the bulk of the Crusader forces campaigning to the North in Syria Saladin seized the opportunity he assembled the full strength of his Egyptian forces so large was the Sultan's Army that its Supply needs caused food prices to Skyrocket in Egypt the chronicler William of Tire insists that Saladin fielded 26 000 Cavalry today some historians estimate saladin's forces closer to 12 or 15 000 but even at such a size the Muslim Army was tremendous and capable of Conquering the kingdom of Jerusalem on November 18th the sultan crossed the Egyptian Frontier into Christian territory knowing that Crusader forces were reduced Saladin moved at a relaxed pace up the coast into Palestine ravaging and burning farmland and collecting booty Grandmaster Odo of assembled the Knights Templar at their Fortress of Gaza but Saladin bypassed the Templar stronghold and drove for ascalon one of Jerusalem's key coastal cities meanwhile King Baldwin gathered the few troops available to him joining the king were leading Barons Baldwin of ramla and Balian of eberlin as well as Reynold of shatyong the crusaders had with them their most precious Relic the True Cross believed to be wood from the very cross of Jesus carried by Bishop Albert of Bethlehem altogether the young King's Cavalry was composed of only around 450 Knights and a few thousand Infantry the sultan approached askalon on November 24th Baldwin knew himself to be dangerously outnumbered and so retired behind the city's walls now fully confident that Baldwin could not challenge him Saladin dispatched raiding parties inside the countryside some Muslim contingents reached the very walls of Jerusalem itself news of the Sultan's marauding troops spread fear throughout the kingdom in Jerusalem the citizens hid in the tower of David while the inhabitants of ramla abandoned their City to take refuge in the Fortified Port of Jaffa or at the castle of Mirabelle however King Baldwin was determined to resist Saladin he dispatched a message summoning the Templars from Gaza soon Grandmaster Odo of saramon rode up before askalon with around 80 Templar knights bolstered by the Templars King Baldwin LED his army out of ascalon to seek battle they marched up the coast to ibalim and then swung inland on November 25th King Baldwin and his Knights Advanced on the enemy Saladin was surprised to learn that the Christians were approaching the sultan was in the middle of moving his army across a ravine near the castle of mongizar a few miles Southeast of ramlan at once Saladin ordered the beating of War drums the signal for his troops to reassemble the Muslim troops scrambled to array themselves for battle Arab chronicler IBN alathir records the scene the next thing they knew the Franks were upon them with their battalions and their Champions Saladin only had a part of his army since many of his men had dispersed in search of booty when he saw the Frank sister mode the man he had although King Baldwin had effectively achieved surprise Saladin had time to get a good portion of his army into position IBN shahdad one of saladin's closest servants and his biographer tells us that the sultan himself later explained the situation to him the Muslims had drawn up for battle and when the enemy approached some of our men decided that the right wing should cross to the left and the left crossed toward the center in order that when battle was joined they might have at their backs a hill known as ramla land while they were occupied in this maneuver the Franks charged them William of Tire also indicates that Saladin managed to achieve some level of battle Readiness he writes the enemous forces who adventured some distance away to seek booty began to arrive from different directions a circumstance which greatly increased saladin's strength William of Tire next describes the start of the Clash the ranks of Fighters on both sides now gradually approached each other and a battle ensued which was at first indecisive but the forces were very unequal the Christians however strengthened by the grace shed upon them from on high soon began to press on with ever increasing boldness saladin's lines were broken and after a terrible Slaughter forced to flee as both William and IBN shaddin point out it was the charge of the Christian Cavalry that shattered saladin's lines a pilgrim present for the battle later recounted to the dean of London the attack led by the Grand Master of the Templars Odo of San amand he took himself into battle with his men strengthened by the sign of the cross spurring all together as one man they made a charge turning neither to the left nor to the right recognizing the Battalion from which Saladin commanded they manfully approached it immediately penetrated it incessantly knocked down scattered struck and crushed saladin's mum look bodyguards wearing yellow silk over their breastplates were slain almost to a man the sultan himself was nearly killed by the charge of the Templars but he managed to mount a racing camel and Rush away to safety with only a few companions the Battle of mongizard was a great Triumph for King Baldwin IV the Crusaders chased down the fleeing enemy slaying them all the way to a nearby Marsh the pursuit lasted into the night Crusaders hunted down the remnants of saladin's army for Miles William of Tire writes that the king went back to ascalon where he awaited the return of his forces who had pursued the fugitives by different roads within four days they had all arrived loaded with plunder carrying tents and driving before them slaves troops of camels and horses they came according to the words of the Prophet as men rejoice when they divide the spoil in their rush for safety the Muslim survivors abandoned booty prisoners and weapons saladin's own journey across the Sinai desert was perilous with Bedouin harassing him and his almost defenseless companions the flight was particularly difficult as violent storms raged for 10 days causing many fugitives to get lost only to be captured by Crusaders a few days later William of tire recalls many in their ignorance of the localities and thinking that they were on the way home presented themselves in our Villages either to Travelers or to those who were hunting them on reaching the Egyptian Frontier Saladin dispatched Messengers on camels to Cairo assuring any would-be Rebels that he was alive once at Cairo he used carrier pigeons to Proclaim his survival throughout Egypt nevertheless the defeat was extremely humiliating for the sultan and his Prestige was damaged in the eyes of both his subjects and his enemies King Baldwin and his men had achieved a great Victory saladin's casualties were immense with only about 10 percent of his forces managing to escape as a result the kingdom of Jerusalem was saved that a small army of Crusaders and Templars led by a 16 year old leper achieved all this is truly remarkable but Baldwin knew that there would be more challenges in the future from Saladin the sultan had lost his army but his immense resources in Egypt and Damascus would allow him to rebuild quickly to prepare the king began in October of 1178 to build a new Castle at Jacob's fault in the Jordan River between Lake hule and the Sea of Galilee in this project Baldwin collaborated with the Knights Templar who already held an important castle at Safar and were often charged with guarding vulnerable Frontier positions for some time Jacobs Ford had been left unfortified but with Saladin in control of Damascus and the Crusaders unable to recover Banias Baldwin believed that the site had to be protected a castle in this position would hinder an invasion of Galilee and provide a base for raiding into haran by the spring of 1179 the inner wall had been raised but the outer wall still needed to be finished the planned Fortress would be one of the strongest in the region the labor took place while Saladin was besieging the rebel Emir even al-mu kadam at balbec but the sultan was watching the project with concern for him the castle was an intolerable threat to his territory he offered King Baldwin 60 000 dinars to destroy the structure and then one hundred thousand Baldwin refused both proposals Saladin put this money instead toward a military solution dispatching raiding parties to harass the territory around Jacobs Ford in May 1179 the sultan launched a force to test the Castle's defenses but the real Showdown came on June 10th when saladin's Army confronted a Frankish Force at the Battle of Marge are used the battle took place between the leontes river and the upper Jordan Northwest of Banias Saladin opened the campaign by situating his army at Barney us from here he dispatched raiding parties to burn the villages to the east of sidon King Baldwin assembled his army and marched to relieve the threatened District the Christians set out from tiberias toward the Templar castle of sephard to Tehran and then to the Eastern flank of the coastal plain overlooking March ayun from here the Crusaders could see the tents of the Sultan's Main Army the king along with his commanders decided to launch an immediate attack hoping to catch the Muslims off guard the Christian Cavalry Advanced ahead of their infantry hoping to launch a decisive charge initially this is exactly what happened Baldwin's Army caught saladin's detachments as they returned from raiding the villages unprepared the Muslim Horsemen were quickly defeated and fled the Franks now moved to wrap up the campaign part of the Christian Army Advanced on the Sultan's Camp while Raymond of Tripoli in the Templars occupied The High Ground between Maj ayun and the litani gorge the Infantry gathered spoil and rested [Music] however Saladin then executed a clever surprise assault quickly reassembling his main Force the sultan Advanced rapidly on his enemies the Crusaders were caught unprepared and badly defeated the Templars were at the Forefront of the fighting and many of them were captured or slain including their Grand Master Odo of saramon King Baldwin himself barely escaped with his life his illness rendered him unable to mount his horse and he had to be carried to safety by his Knights many of the Crusaders took Refuge at the castle of Beaufort nevertheless Christian losses were considerable it was a spectacular victory for Saladin and a serious reverse for the leper King the sultan was able to replenish his coffers by ransoming his Frankish prisoners for sacks of gold but when Saladin offered a ransom deal to the Templar Grand Master Odo answered gruffly a templar's only Ransom is his dagger Saladin sent the defiant Templar to end his days in a Damascus prison on August 24th Saladin launched an all-out assault on the castle at Jacobs Ford within five days he'd taken it his men slaughtered many of those they found inside whether combatants or non-combatants the survivors they sent to the slave markets when it was all over a smoldering ruin lay at the site of King Baldwin's Splendid Castle Saladin had inflicted a major reverse on the Kingdom's defenses however the Muslim Army suffered from an outbreak of plague which killed many of saladin's troops including 10 of his chief emirs still the campaign was a clear success for the sultan he followed It Up by raiding the farmlands around Tiberius tire and Beirut to spread Terror and a sense of insecurity throughout the kingdom Baldwin IV showed incredible resolve throughout this difficult period but the campaigning of 1179 took a hard toll on his health while fighting alongside his men in the muddy rugged terrain along the Jordan the king's condition deteriorated and by the end of the year his leprosy had greatly Advanced Baldwin felt himself near death and took steps to secure his kingdom even as his great enemy Saladin grew ever more powerful [Music] the destruction of the castle at Jacobs Ford was a damaging blow but at the start of 1180 King Baldwin IV's Health was of Greater concern the king's leprosy had Advanced his disabilities multiplied only 19 he felt death approaching and wanted to secure the future of his kingdom to do this Baldwin sought a suitable husband for his sister and Heir princess sibila so far he'd been unsuccessful even after propositioning many leading noblemen in France however Cibola herself was fond of a young pottavon Knight already at court guy of losigno guy was not without connections his older brother Emery the future Constable of Jerusalem was a close Ally of King Baldwin's mother Agnes Agnes suggested guy as a match for the princess years of negotiations with the leading Noble houses of France had produced no husband but guy was already in Jerusalem and came from a proud lineage of committed Crusaders he was young healthy and a gallant Knight and what's more sibila was already taken with him Baldwin trusted his mother and took her advice William of Tire disapproved of the marriage he writes but without wanting to consider that too much haste spoils everything the king four reasons of his own suddenly married his sister to a young man of Fairly good rank ghee of lucind son of hue the brown for the Diocese of Poitier Baldwin's decision to marry his sister to guy surprised many members of the high court however it was particularly difficult to find a match for sibila given that she already had a son three-year-old Prince Baldwin who was next in line for the throne anyone marrying sibila had to accept that his own children would be unlikely to inherit the Kingdom but this was no hasty decision on Baldwin's part the leper King had reliable information that Raymond III of Tripoli and Bowman III of Antioch were conspiring to seize power in Jerusalem by this Raymond and Bowman planned to Wed sibila to a husband of their own choice in addition guy's father was a vassal to Henry II the anjovan king of England Baldwin himself was descended from the anjavans and King Henry was fast becoming the most powerful ruler in the west by selecting a husband for sibila from the archiban camp Baldwin hoped to increase Henry II's investment in the Crusader Kingdom the popular idea today that Cibola was a silly girl in love guy a blundering newcomer and Baldwin an ailing King fooled by his manipulative mother does not stand up to historical scrutiny Baldwin's decision shows careful consideration his sister sibila had been educated to rule and guy's brother amulrich had been an effective and useful servant of the crown nevertheless Baldwin would eventually regret his choice for a brother-in-law prior to 1180 no serious divisions existed within the kingdom however the conspiracy of Raymond and Bowman followed by the wedding of sibila and Guy solidified a fault line running through the Kingdom's ruling Elite on the one side was King Baldwin his mother his uncle Jocelyn sibila and guy and Raynor of shatyon essentially a faction of the king's maternal family on the other side where Bowman III Raymond III the ivelene family and The Dowager Queen Maria comnena representing the king's paternal kin King Baldwin was keenly aware of this Division and knew that it threatened the very existence of his kingdom he was committed to remaining in office until this division could be healed in the late spring of 1180 King Baldwin sought a two-year truce with Saladin Saladin was happy to oblige for the seljuk Turks led by Sultan khilij arslan II were growing in power and Saladin wanted to check that power Saladin was also anxious to avoid attracting the intervention of the Byzantine emperor Manuel [Music] meanwhile Baldwin worked to stabilize the situation within his kingdom to prevent his Rivals from advancing his younger sister Isabella as an alternative heir to sibila and Guy the king betrothed Isabella to Humphrey IV of Tehran fifteen-year-old son of the late constable in October of 1180. the marriage could not take place until Isabella turned 12 and so the little princess was sent to live at the frontier Fortress of kerak with her future mother-in-law Stephanie of Millie wife of raynault of shatyon here Isabella would be securely within the power of the king's faction it was also around this time that the new Grand Master of the Templars reached Jerusalem he was Arnold of toroha a Catalan veteran of the Crusades in Spain Arnold had been the nominee of Pope Alexander III who was concerned about the holy land and wanted an independent but experienced man in charge of the Templars also around this time the Byzantine emperor Manuel died William of Tire writes Manuel the illustrious emperor of Constantinople of immortal memory the most munificence of all the princes of the land laid aside the burden of the Flesh and rendered his soul to Heaven his memory will ever be held in benediction by all the Assembly of the Saints because of his Alps and the liberal benefactions Baldwin continued to work to strengthen his kingdom throughout 1181 he Associated sibilla and guy with himself in Royal edicts and forcing their status as heirs to the throne meanwhile as the truce with Saladin Drew to a close the high court sought to heal the divisions between King Baldwin and count Raymond III the king agreed to this if Raymond would be reconciled to guy of luzignon the count gave his Ascent to these terms and guy and Raymond began to take their place together at the meetings of the high court the dangerous factionalism seemed healed while Baldwin despite his disease continued to govern the kingdom very effectively however guy of luzignon remained unpopular with many of the Kingdom's high-ranking Nobles [Music] the truce with Saladin would end in May 1182 for the past two years Saladin had mostly devoted himself to curbing the celiuk Turks as well as building up the strength of his Navy which now contains some 30 to 40 War galleys in November of 1181 asali the zengid prince of Aleppo fell ill before he died in December he designated as his Heir his cousin is Adin of mosul hoping that the combined powers of Aleppo and mosul would prevent Saladin from further eroding zenged territory IBN al-atir records the death of the prince when he had given up all hope he summoned the emirs and all the troops and enjoined them to deliver Aleppo to his cousin as a dean and made them swear to that he said you are aware that Saladin has taken the whole of Syria except for what I hold if salad then conquers Aleppo there will be no place left for our family to resist him but if I give the city to izaldine he will be able to hold on to it with his large armies and lands foreign was near death Saladin who was in Egypt at the time commanded his nephew farukshah the governor of Damascus to March out with his army and prevent is from assuming power in Aleppo however Raynor of shatta young was also watching developments in Aleppo with interest to frustrate saladin's plans Reynold led a raid from trans Jordan into the Arabian Desert pillaging the land and plundering Caravans Farouk Shah had no choice but to lead his troops against Raynor who withdrew before the advancing Damascus Army IBN alathia recorded his impression of these events Prince Reynold Lord of kirak one of the most devilish Franks and the most hostile to the Muslims had prepared for a campaign gathered his troops and all he could assemble and determined to March over land to Tariq and from there to Medina the city of the Prophet Allah bless him and gave him peace to gain control of those August regions Reynolds raid prevented Farooq Shah from carrying out saladin's orders to occupy a leper allowing is a Deen of mosul to March into Aleppo and assume his position as ruler without incident undeniably this was a major setback for Saladin who lost the opportunity to gain his most desired prize in Syria Reynold's raids spread Terror on the pilgrim roads between Mecca and Damascus and allowed the Lord of kerak to intercept saladin's Communications from Egypt IBN alathir was surely wrong that Reynold intended to conquer these regions such a conquest would have been well beyond the resources of the frontier Lord and Reynold took with him only a small Cavalry Force rather Raynaud's raid was meant to have a psychological impact Reynold wanted to show that Saladin could not protect the pilgrim roads and he also wanted to undermine the Sultan's assertion that he was the champion of Islam this was doubly embarrassing for Saladin since he was in the midst of a long-running war to destroy one of Syria's great Muslim Powers the zengins the family of nuradin who had been an undeniable champion in the fight against the Crusaders Reynold's activities reveal his understanding of the political situation in Muslim Syria he meant to undermine saladin's Power by discrediting him among his fellow Muslims [Music] however Raynaud's raid had taken place while the truce between Saladin and the kingdom of Jerusalem was still in force of course Saladin himself had been in the process of interfering with the legal transference of power from one zengine Prince to another and the preservation of zenged rule in Aleppo was vital to the interests of the Crusader States Reynold claimed that Saladin himself was breaking the truce he accused the Sultan of moving troops and weapons up from Egypt Saladin complained to King Baldwin about Reynold's raid Baldwin acknowledged the breach of the truce this has often been viewed as evidence that Reynold was acting as a renegade Lord but recently historians like Bernard Hamilton have reevaluated the situation insisting that Reynold could not have acted as he did without Baldwin's approval indeed Reynold's raid was in line with Baldwin's own policy of preventing Saladin from Gaining control of Aleppo Bernard Hamilton writes in fact Saladin himself did not wish to renew the truce in the spring of 1182 while it was still in force a Christian vessel from apulia was wrapped near damieta and he seized the cargo and imprisoned the 1676 passengers both sides recognize that the truce could only be temporary Saladin had long made it clear that he intended to eventually destroy the Crusader Kingdom indeed he argued to the Abbasid caliph that the justification for his campaigns against the zengates was to unite Islam under his Banner for the final war to eliminate the Crusaders Saladin decided to return to Damascus to secure his Communications with Egypt and to launch a campaign against Jerusalem on May 11th the sultan departed Cairo with his army in response Baldwin gathered his military at Jerusalem Reynold argued that the Christian Army should March into karak to block saladin's advance King Baldwin agreed as the leper king led his forces into trans Jordan Saladin raided the territory around the frontier Fortress of Mongrel then the sultan marched on karak here the Christian Army guarded the cornfields and refused to give battle Saladin decided that he too preferred not to risk battle and withdrew to his castle of al-azhar in the Syrian desert by June 22nd Saladin was back in Damascus here he received important news from Constantinople a Byzantine nobleman called andronicus communist had led a Revolt in the capital which resulted in the mass slaying of the city's Frankish inhabitants the riot in Constantinople had been so brutal that the hospital of Saint John was sacked and the sick inhabitants murdered andronicus then murdered the remaining members of the royal family who still held Sympathy for the Crusader States including Emperor Manuel's Widow Maria who was herself Frankish andronicus now adopted a policy that was strictly hostile to the kingdom of Jerusalem William of Tire writes this andronicus a cousin of the late Emperor was a falsened wicked man ever disloyal to the Empire and ever active in sowing the seeds of rebellion Saladin could Now launch a full invasion of the Crusader Kingdom without any fear that the byzantines would intervene on July 13 1182 the sultan Center Force to besiege the Frankish castle of Beth's son in southern Galilee the Arab chronicler IBN alathir describes the action after Saladin had come to Damascus he remained for some days to rest and Repose he and his troops then he marched into Franco's territory and made for Tiberius and the vicinity of which he camped he patched his tents at okawana on the Jordan the Franks arrived with their detachments and staffed at Tiberius saladense and farucha his nephew to bethsan which he entered by force of arms and plundered thoroughly killing and enslaving he swept through the Jordan depression with a far-reaching grade which spread death and captivity over the inhabitants Baldwin assembled the Christian Army at safariya and marched to the relief of Beth's son the Crusaders encountered saladin's host near La for ballet in Southeastern Galilee on July 15th the eighth anniversary of Baldwin's coronation William of Tire writes here they beheld saladin's forces stretching out all around in numbers far greater than they had ever before experienced in fact the older commanders declared that at no time since the latin's first entered Syria had they beheld such a mightier Ray of foes it was the height of Summer and the heat was intense King Baldwin though quite ill commanded from the saddle the two armies clashed and the fighting was fierce the Crusaders were outnumbered with only about 700 heavy Cavalry William of Tire says that in that battle only a few of our Knights fell about to be received in the company of the Saints above but of the Infantry many perished the loss of the enemy was far greater some of their principal leaders also fell a catastrophe which caused the enemy to Desert the field of battle in consternation Saladin Was Defeated and withdrew across the Jordan for Baldwin the Battle of La forbele was not nearly so spectacular a victory as mongizard but once again saladin's attempt to destroy the kingdom had been thwarted and once again Baldwin's resilience had been crucial Baldwin's leadership was a critical unifying force especially as tensions still simmered between Raymond III and Guy of losing your Saladin wasn't done yet after his defeat at 4 ballet he organized a joint attack on Beirut the weakest of the Crusader port cities IBN alathir recounts the event from Damascus salad then went to Beirut and ravaged its locality he had ordered the Egyptian Fleet to sail to Beirut they came and blockade that attack in a tenants region Saladin came and linked up with them plundering what the fleet had not got to he besieged Beirut for a number of days intending to possess until he took it meanwhile a Detachment from Egypt led by saladin's Brother al-adil struck the Christian Kingdom's Southern lands raiding the territory around Gaza and ask along news of this new threat was brought to King Baldwin IV who kept his cool he recognized that the sultan was tempting him to divide his army Baldwin decided to protect Beirut while he did not intervene in the South since the Sultan's Egyptian raiding parties couldn't accomplish much in that region Baldwin established Tire as his Army's base of operations the ports of ARCA and tire were filled with Italian refugees from the massacre of the Latins in Constantinople earlier in the year and Baldwin recruited many italian ships to join in the fight meanwhile The Garrison within Beirut fought courageously when Baldwin sent word that he was on the way with his army Saladin stopped The Siege and withdrew Saladin had failed to take Beirut but his attack had inflicted serious damage to the economic resources of the Crusader Kingdom foreign moved to the north of Syria at the end of the summer to campaign against the zengets however the Crusaders were alarmed because Saladin did not bother to make a truce with them this Ode to the changed situation in Constantinople without Byzantine help the Franks could not hope to launch a major invasion of Egypt and Saladin knew this in September Saladin crossed the Euphrates into zengid territory he conquered haran Odessa rakkar and nisbin by November 10th he was encamped outside mosul that summer the zengets had struck an alliance with King Baldwin IV and on behalf of his Muslim allies the leper King marched to raid saladin's lands around Damascus he was accompanied by count Raymond III an indication of the increasing Harmony in the Crusader camp saladin's local garrisons couldn't resist and the Franks were able to burn the farmlands and Villages at will as in the previous year Frankish policy was to prevent Saladin from extending his power in the north of Syria but by December Saladin was still besieging mosul and the king and count Raymond LED joint raids into saladin's lands Raymond attacked territory around bosro and Baldwin pillaged near Damascus neither raid amounted to a major Expedition but kept the pressure on Saladin while he was away invested so heavily against mosul also the raids provided intelligence the Crusaders were able to confirm that no fresh ayubid forces had been brought up to Damascus since September all of this makes sense in light of actions that Reynold of shatyon was about to take which would go down as one of the most audacious moves made during the long war between Saladin and the leper King from the start of his rule Baldwin IV worked to prevent his neighbor and enemy The Sultan Saladin from conquering Jerusalem and from extending his power in Northern Syria at the start of 1183 Baldwin had been successful in this despite saladin's immense resources the sultan had been unable to conquer the Crusader Kingdom and had failed to take control of the most important cities of his chief Muslim Rivals the zingids now Solomon was once again trying to break the power of the zengids in Aleppo and mosul Baldwin had forged an alliance with the Muslim Zenga Dynasty and was cooperating with them in curbing saladin's ambitions over the winter of 1182 Sullivan subdued many fortresses between mosul and Aleppo effectively dividing the two great zenged cities meanwhile one of Baldwin's vassals Reign out of Chateau made a bold move to disrupt saladin's policy at his desert castle of karak Reynold's men built a fleet of five warships in sections this was an expensive undertaking involving skilled shipwrights from the coastal cities King Baldwin surely knew about this project and must have helped fund it Raynaud's forces transported the ships on the backs of camels across the desert to the Gulf of Aqaba here the ships were assembled and launched onto the Red Sea where no Christian ship had ventured since the Muslim conquest of Egypt five centuries earlier the Red Sea was famously dangerous and Raynaud employed Arab pilots who knew the waters well each Galley contained groups of fighting men there were no muslim warships in the area and the coastal cities were unwalled this was a region that saldan never imagined could be attacked and that was exactly why Raynaud selected it two of Raynaud's ships blockaded the castle of Pharaoh's island in the Gulf of Aqaba Renault himself did not join in the naval campaign but blockaded the port of ilat with his land forces the other three warships cruised into the Red Sea and ravaged more than a dozen Muslim Merchant ships they then sacked Idaho crowded with pilgrims Bound for Mecca finally they struck Inland and captured a caravan slaughtering all of its members the fleet then crossed the Red Sea and continued its Reign of Terror at Mecca people panicked for the Pirates seem headed for Mecca itself saldan's regime handled the situation effectively the Sultan's brother al-adil dispatched Egyptian warships onto the Red Sea Raynaud withdrew with the land forces back to trans Jordan while some crew members of the Christian ships fled and made their escape the aubids managed to destroy Reynold's ships and capture many of his troops Saladin ordered all of these prisoners paraded through the cities of Egypt and then decapitated historian Andrew Aaron kreutz writes that saldan's rapid defeat of Reynold's campaign did as much as any other single event to increase saladin's reputation as the defender of Islam against the infidels however not everyone in the Muslim World felt this way for some saladin's own long-running war with the zengeids was to blame for allowing this shocking raid to occur at all throughout this period Selden remained in zegid territory campaigning against mosul's ruler is Adin Salam was hoping to gain the approval of the Abbasid caliph in his war against the zengids but the caliph and Nasir sent a messenger to mosul asking saldan to stop his attacks on the city Salman broke off his invasion in February of 1183 for the time being Aleppo and mosul remained Out Of selden's Reach historian Bernard Hamilton States that reynald had shown that the Au bids could not protect the Hajj because of salvin's political Ambitions in Northern Syria and Iraq in some Circles of the Muslim world this injured the Sultan's Public Image for years the zengeds themselves had been complaining that Saladin was waging an unjust war against their rightful rule in the north of Syria and Iraq the events of 1182 had greatly strained the resources of the Crusader kingdom of Jerusalem when the king gathered the high court in February of 1183 it was agreed that a general tax would be leveled to bolster the Kingdom's defenses meanwhile the chronicler William of Tire reports that the king's leprosy was worse than ever the king Lost His sight and the extremities of his body became completely diseased and damaged so that he was unable to use his hands and feet yet although some people suggested to him that he should abdicate and lead a retired life he refused to surrender either the Royal office or the government of the Kingdom for although his body was Weak and Powerless he was strong in spirit and made a superhuman effort to disguise his illness and shoulder the burdens of kingship in May Solomon resumed his campaign against the zengids his recent conquests had cut Aleppo off from mosul and so the sultan was able to fully blockade Aleppo is Adin of mosul's brother Imad adim who governed Aleppo on behalf of the zingids was left with little option but to sit and watch his City starve instead he struck a deal with Saladin surrendering in exchange for the fife of sinjar IBN al-afir record Zenga disappointment Grandma the team gave up a fortress like Aleppo and received an exchange some Villages and Fields he left and Saladin took it over everyone was amazed at this and condemned what he had done indeed some of the Common People of Aleppo brought the top of water and shouted out you are not fit to rule you are only fit to wash clothes on June 12 1183 Solomon's forces took control of Aleppo finally the sultan had broken this great zenged stronghold it was a moment of profound Triumph expanding saldan's already powerful Empire as the sultan erode into Aleppo it must have been a moment of sheer exhilaration news of saladin's conquest of Aleppo fell upon the kingdom of Jerusalem like a black cloud but Baldwin and his subjects had little time to dwell on the matter for they soon learned that Saladin fresh from his Triumph was once again assembling his army for another invasion of the Crusader Kingdom the king summoned the Army to sephorus Raymond III of Tripoli and Bowman the third of Antioch both sent Knights and tax funds paid for Mercenaries to increase the ranks the total Frankish Army came to about 1300 Cavalry and fifteen thousand infantry but King Baldwin felt so ill he could not join the Army his mother attended him at Nazareth and he lay feverish in bed everyone believed he would soon die with Selden stronger than ever now approaching with his army it was an ominous situation King Baldwin chose a regent to rule for him William of Tire records the king appointed gay of Lucina Regent of the Kingdom ordering all his liegemen and all the princes in general but they should become his vassals and do him homage and this was done but first by the King's Command ghee was made to swear the during Baldwin's lifetime he would never seek to make himself King and that he would neither give to anyone else nor alienate from the Royal treasury any of the citizen castles which the king at present possessed William of tire claims that these conditions were imposed because there were rumors that ghee had promised portions of the royal domain to his supporters William held a low opinion of ghee writing he was unequal and strength and wisdom to the great burden he had taken upon himself was now commander-in-chief of the army it was imperative that he rise to the challenge of saladin's invasion success in the field would silence his critics and strengthen his position as Baldwin's successor but gee lacked experience so far he'd not even let a large-scale raid on September 17 1183 saldan's Army Mass just south of Damascus in preparation to invade the Christian kingdom Selden crossed the Jordan River on September 29 and marched to Beth's son the inhabitants of which fled to Tiberius meanwhile the Frankish Army Drew toward Lefevre salin's Army was considerably larger than the Crusader Force the sultan dispatched and advanced Cavalry of some 500 to harass the marching Crusaders the Franks maintained impeccable order the Cavalry marching in the center screened by armored infantry with large Shields the Sultan's Advanced Force failed to go the Christians into an early charge as the Crusaders Drew towards selden's host a minor Skirmish broke out between eobit Horsemen and Amory of lucinion's knights Amory receives support from the Evelyn brothers Baldwin and Balian and together they drove back saladin's Cavalry for nine days such skirmishes broke out between the two sides at times the fighting turned Fierce and there were casualties in both camps the sultan dispatched parties of Horsemen to pillage around four ballet Sullen trying to provoke the Christians into battle but they held a firm and defensible position on October 7 the sultan marched to Mount Tabor again trying to tempt the Crusaders into following but they refused low on supplies Saladin decided to retreat he crossed the Jordan and was back in Damascus by October 14. the Franks now returned to sephorus where they remained mustard for some days concerned that the sultan might return for another attack strategically the Crusader Army had performed quite well selden's enormous Army had invaded Galilee but achieved little pushed back by a cohesive Frankish Army that sustained no significant losses defying all expectations King Baldwin recovered from his fever he was not happy with the outcome of Gee's clash with Saladin William of Tire states that the king believed ghee had handled the campaign incompetently Baldwin dissolved Gee's power as Regent resuming full power himself Baldwin seems to have believed that ghee had lost a key opportunity to inflict a decisive defeat on Saladin this was no mere border Skirmish the Kingdom's Army was fully mustered at Great expense and was well positioned to engage the Sultan's host head on many of the leading Nobles felt that Saladin had been Reckless and as it montgusard had left himself open to disaster perhaps if a decisive attack had been attempted saldan's Army could have been annihilated not everyone agreed some members of the high court felt that Saladin was too well positioned and that attacking him would have led to disaster but the King was one of those that felt otherwise Baldwin lost all trust in ghee for failing to attack Sullivan this is striking given the popular image created by the film Kingdom of Heaven which depicts the opposite Baldwin worried that gee might start a war with the Muslims to solidify his new policy Baldwin had his five-year-old nephew son of sabila crowned alongside him in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher on November 20 1183 as king Baldwin V of Jerusalem in this Baldwin was widely supported by the high court with a Bowman III Raymond III and Baldwin and Balian all agreeing with the decision Baldwin now took steps to isolate ghee with the likely goal of driving him from the kingdom the leper King asked the patriarch of Jerusalem to review the marriage between sabila and ghee and to hopefully have it annulled but more pressing matters arose Selden again assembled his army and launched another Invasion this time targeting the frontier Fortress of kerak Baldwin recognized the enormity of this threat now blind and lame the King still LED his men unable to ride he was carried on a litter at the head of his marching troops Saladin wanted kerak the castle had been a thorn in his side since he'd captured Damascus but karak was no easy Conquest the castle was enormous and Incorporated the most sophisticated features of Frankish fortification even today the ruins of karak present an imposing sight on gathered a large Syrian Army to attack the castle IBN al-afir recounts the campaign Saladin came to kirak during rajab where he was joined by his brother Allah Adel with the Egyptian Army his combined Army was numerous and he imposed the tight blockade the Muslims got into the suburb and took control of it pressing the siege of the Fortress from the suburb and gaining the upper hand in the battle seven trebuchets were set up which continued to hurl Stone's night and day the Christian Army Advanced toward karak the relic of the True Cross of Christ carried before them by the time they reached the Dead Sea King Baldwin was seriously ill and gave command to Raymond III Tripoli on December 4 seldom learned of the approach of the Crusader Army and after a month-long Siege decided to retreat he had been with the relief Army but as soon as the carrack campaign ended he fled to ascalon sending a message for sabila to join him ghee feared that once Baldwin returned to Jerusalem he would never permit sabilla to see him again sabila Faithfully joined her husband at Ashkelon the king summoned ghee to a personal meeting ghee refused claiming illness which must have struck Baldwin as rich King Baldwin traveled to Ashkelon demanding entry gee refused to open the gate Baldwin had himself carried on his litter to the gate and personally knocked on the door the purpose of this gesture which was witnessed by many of the townspeople standing on the wall was to highlight ghee's Disobedience and justify the king into vesting ghee of his Fife Baldwin now traveled to Jaffa where the Garrison opened the gate to him without question the king dismissed geese Garrison and appointed his own Governor Baldwin next traveled to acre and assembled the high court here he formally motioned for ghee to be dispossessed as a recalcurant vassal in June of 1184 Baldwin sent the masters of the temple and the hospital along with pitcherock Heracles of Jerusalem on a mission to the west to seek the help of a new Crusade against Saladin in particular the mission was to focus on King Henry II of England Baldwin's relative Baldwin hoped to prompt a sense of Duty in the powerful English king who was enormously wealthy and ruled half of France Henry had already contributed much financially to the kingdom of Jerusalem but Baldwin wanted his Royal cousin to come himself to the relief of the Holy Land by August Solomons again besieging karak Baldwin was unable to rise from his bed but still he led the Army carried on a litter for the whole of the grueling March defended by Reynold of chattan karak held strong the chronicler IBN Alafia records The Siege and subsequent events the Franks set out by night for kirak and when Salah then learned of that he realized that he was not going to gain the upper hand on this occasion not attain any objective he proceeded to nabulous and plundered all the land on his route having arrived at nablos he set fire to it destroyed and sacked it he killed captured and enslaved money there Saladin withdrew to Damascus the leper King oversaw the restoration of karak's moat and granted renal of chattion a large subsidy to repair the damaged outer wall at this time ghee still stubbornly held to Ashkelon despite his unpopularity he had some supporters in the high court arguing on his behalf and trying to prevent the king from fully divesting him from his Fife then on October 6 1184 ghee of lucenion launched a raid from Ashkelon attacking Bedouin near the Royal fife of darum on the edge of the Sinai desert these Bedouin were under the Kingdom's protection and the raid was a vengeful act in response to Baldwin's moves to have ghee divested from his Fife the King was Furious the Bedouin were strong allies of the Kingdom who spied on Saladin and provided crucial intelligence to the Crusaders the stupidity of Gee's raid only served to highlight his unfitness for the throne as 1184 Drew to a close Baldwin's Health declined rapidly by early 1185 it was clear that he was dying the high court assembled around his bed while the king dictated his final will the chronicler ernul describes the scene the members of the high court said we do not wish that when the child has been crowned that his stepfather gee of lucinyon should be Regent because we know that he would have neither the knowledge nor the ability to govern the kingdom then the king said decide among yourselves Uma should appoint his Regent for the child they decided that nobody could rule as well as the count of Tripoli so the king sent for the count and asked him to act as Regent of the kingdom and of the child King for 10 years until the child came of age in his presence Baldwin had the high court du homage before the little King Baldwin V and the count of Tripoli Raymond III had been Regent for Baldwin IV now he would be Regent again the high court imposed certain limits on Tripoli like giving the Templars and the hospitalers control of the Kingdom's castles during the Regency and appointing Jocelyn of Courtney as Baldwin V's Guardian but even after their disagreements and even conflicts Baldwin does seem to have trusted his cousin Raymond III certainly the king now regretted ever allowing ghee of lusenyon to marry his sister Raymond was one of the most senior members of the royal family and a proven incompetent Commander it's no surprise that he resumed his role as Regent for the kingdom this business settled the high court remained in Jerusalem and the leper King suffered his final illness Baldwin IV at the end of his life had done all that he could to secure the kingdom he so Faithfully protected throughout his reign he had dispatched a mission to the west to seek the aid of a new Crusade he had secured the throne for his nephew and attained the high Court's approval for a Regency he had personally repelled one final attack during his Reign on the frontier by his enemy Saladin and he had legally barred ghee of lusinyan from ever taking the throne despite the immensity of his personal suffering Baldwin the leper had once again demonstrated why he was so universally respected before Baldwin died the high court gathered one last time at his bedside to honor the courageous young man who had successfully guarded over Jerusalem for 11 years the handsome Athletic youth crowned in 1174 was barely recognizable leprosy had all but destroyed his body rendering him crippled and deprived of most of his senses and yet to the last he remained active and took steps to secure the realm Bernard Hamilton puts it best few rulers have remained executive heads of state when handicapped by such severe physical disabilities or sacrificed themselves more totally to the needs of their people during Baldwin's Reign his kingdom had been strong far from a waning State barely clinging to life the kingdom of Jerusalem was economically prosperous with a capable military well led by its king in the face of the overwhelming power of Saladin the kingdom stood firm under a capable ruler the great issue Baldwin ultimately could not solve was the problem of the succession a legacy of his leprosy he died young leaving no children with his nephew and Heir still a small boy with the leper King gone the problem of factionalism would re-emerge Baldwin IV of Jerusalem died sometime between March and may of 1185. he was not yet 24 years old the King was buried near his father in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher the sight of Christ's death and resurrection and the Heart of the Kingdom Baldwin ruled during the most difficult period yet experienced by the kingdom of Jerusalem and he triumphed he faced no less an opponent than Saladin ruler of a vast wealthy Empire and yet the leper King emerged Victorious again and again always Baldwin's forces were outnumbered by the huge armies of the Sultan of Egypt and Syria and yet led by this stricken youth the Crusaders prevailed the most competent of Kings would have had a difficult time dealing with Saladin one of the most outstanding rulers in history Baldwin IV of Jerusalem lived up to that challenge today Baldwin the leper king of Jerusalem is remembered for his heroism his dedication and his faith he remains an inspiration to many a symbol of Valor in the face of danger and victory in the face of the impossible the Battle of montgusard remains the best symbol of his Reign when the teenage leper King flanked by a small band of Templars and knights charged the vast forces of Saladin and one thanks for watching now check out our full-length documentary on the life of Charlemagne the great founding emperor of medieval Europe click on the video linked on your screen right now to watch click on the link to our patreon to support our work ask me questions and get exclusive behind the scenes 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Channel: Real Crusades History

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Keywords: leper king, leper king crusades, baldwin iv of jerusalem, baldwin iv, king baldwin saladin, baldwin vs saladin, leper king documentary, battle of montgisard, battle of marj ayun, battle of belvoir castle, raynald of chatillon, guy of lusignan, princess sibylla, baldwin kingdom of heaven, siege of kerak, crusades king baldwin saladin, crusades documentary, knights templar, templar history, king baldwin iv, king baldwin kingdom of heaven, king baldwin vs saladin, al-adil

Id: L7L2eWwQq84

Length: 84min 9sec (5049 seconds)

Published: Sat Aug 20 2022