King Baldwin the Leper, A Second Look

It was on this day in 1174 that King Amalric I died and was succeeded by one of my very favorite monarchs King Baldwin IV of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem, who I have mentioned before and will doubtless mention again. Rather like St Joan of Arc, it is impossible for me to look at the life of King Baldwin IV and not come to the conclusion that some divine power had to be operating on his behalf. God is the only explanation for how is life was possible. Here is a look back at his life:

The Crusades, while undeniably a just cause (because the Holy Land was originally part of the Roman Empire and the Christians were only taking back what was first taken from them), are often a touchy subject because of the painful fact that many of the Crusaders did not always behave in a manner reflecting the Faith and Church they were fighting for. However, a great example of the true spirit of the Crusaders was King Baldwin IV of Jerusalem. He must stand among the best examples of Christian chivalry in the struggle for the Holy Land. He was a man who understood suffering, who understood the Church and who understood the principles behind the chivalric code of Christianity. He was born in 1161 to King Amalric I of Jerusalem and Queen Agnes of Edessa. When playing as a child it was noticed that he seemed to feel no pain in his limbs, an examination discovered that he had leprosy. A chronicler wrote, "all of his life was nothing more than a struggle against the irreversible evil. And, more yet, much more, it was a testimony to the powers of a man over himself and of the amazing incarnation of his highest obligations".

King Amalric I died on July 11, 1174 and Baldwin IV ascended the throne at the tender age of 13 and so his power was exercised by a regent, Raymond of Tripoli, though Philip of Flanders attempted to seize control in 1176. When he finally became old enough to rule on his own, he ruled well, but age never stopped him from doing his duty. When he was still 13-years-old, in 1174, he attacked Damascus to draw the Muslim Sultan, the fierce Saladin, away from Aleppo. In 1176 he led similar attacks at Damascus and Andujar repelling Muslim attacks, always leading personally from the front, sharing the danger with his men. In 1177 he responded to an attack by Saladin on Ascalon, though he had only 500 men to come to the city's aid. Saladin, thinking Baldwin was trapped and Jerusalem defenseless, split his huge army to take both cities. Saladin was mistaken. King Baldwin summoned the Knights Templar from Gaza and launched a joint attack with them on the forces besieging Ascalon.

The combined force then turned to pursue Saladin, overtaking him near the city of Ramleh. Despite his reinforcements, the Christian knights were still outnumbered, but they put their faith in God and none moreso than King Baldwin IV. The Bishop of Bethlehem was with them, carrying the True Cross, before which the King prostrated himself in prayer. Baldwin lured the Egyptians over a ravine and then turned and charged at the crucial moment when his enemy was most vulnerable. The Christian knights saw a vision of St George in the sky over the battlefield and dealt the Muslims a crushing defeat. Saladin himself would have been captured if his bodyguard had not been sacrificed to buy time for his escape.

The Sultan was not finished yet though and he attacked the Holy Land again in 1181 but was defeated at Belvoir castle by the Jerusalem army near the Sea of Galilee. He then turned toward Beirut but once again King Baldwin was waiting and again defeated Saladin's attack. However, after a period of internal conflict among the Muslims, Saladin was back again in 1183, attacking Kerak Castle. Once again, King Baldwin came to the rescue. Despite being so frail and sick that he had to be carried on a litter, Baldwin again defeated Saladin and forced him to retreat. The Muslim commander was to threaten Jerusalem again, but unfortunately there would be no one like Baldwin IV to defend the city. The leper king died on March 16, 1185, not long after the death of his mother. He had reigned longer than anyone thought and won victories that many would have dismissed as impossible. Baldwin the Leper represented what was best about the crusading spirit and fully deserves to stand alongside the likes of Raymond of Toulouse, Bishop Ademar, Godfrey de Bouillon and Richard the Lion-Heart.

Favorite Royal Images: King Baldwin the Leper

One of my favorite images and one of my favorite monarchs, this painting shows the young King Baldwin IV of Jerusalem at the battle of Montgisard, forced to be carried on a litter and wrapped in bandages because of his advanced leperosy he nonetheless lifts his sword and leads his knights forward against the superior forces of the formidable Muslim champion Saladin. It was a stunning victory for the Crusaders but the Christians had not seen the last of Saladin...

Monarch Profile: King Baldwin IV

One of my favorite monarchs of all time was Baldwin IV of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem. He was born in 1161 to King Amalric I of Jerusalem and Queen Agnes of Edessa. While playing as a child it was discovered that he had leprosy and thus could not be expected to live a long or happy life. However, even as a boy, he never let his terrible disease get the better of him. When he was only 13 he became King Baldwin IV of Jerusalem with Raymond of Tripoli as his regent. When he became old enough to rule, he ruled well, but even from day one this diseased young boy was a King to admire. In 1174 the barely teenage monarch led his troops in an attack on the Muslim forces threatening Damascus and Andujar. The following year when the great Muslim warrior Sultan Saladin of Egypt attacked Ascalon King Baldwin IV (better known as Baldwin the Leper) took a mere 500 men to march to the defense of the city.

Feeling supremely confident Saladin split his forces to take Ascalon and the supposedly defenseless Holy City of Jerusalem. However, Baldwin summoned the Templars who joined him in defeating the troops at Ascalon and then rushing to overtake Saladin at Ramleh. The Christian knights were vastly outnumbered but were devoted to their young monarch who, despite his disease, led from the front and they were encouraged by their faith with the Bishop of Bethlehem on hand with the relic of the True Cross. In a stunning and, to the eyes of many, miraculous battle Baldwin IV and his army totally defeated Saladin's forces. The Sultan himself only escaped because his guard sacrificed their lives to give him time to get away. Saladin tried and tried again but the leperous teenage king bested him at every turn; at Belvoir castle in 1181, before Beirut and at Kerak castle in 1183. In those final campaigns Baldwin's leprosy was so advanced that he was blind, could not walk, was covered in bandages and had to be carried on a litter, yet he still led his troops in the field. King Baldwin IV survived longer than anyone had expected him to but finally died on March 16, 1185 not long after the death of his mother. With the brave warrior-boy-king gone Saladin soon came back and in his next major campaign conquered Jerusalem which prompted the calling of the Third Crusade.