KING BALDWIN

👑 King Baldwin IV of Jerusalem (1161–1185)

• Title and Reign: He was the King of Jerusalem from 1174 until his death in 1185. He ascended to the throne at the age of thirteen.  

• **The Leper King: He was afflicted with leprosy, which was a chronic and debilitating illness with no cure in the Middle Ages. This diagnosis was made after he succeeded his father as king, though preliminary symptoms were noticed when he was nine. The disease caused his hands and face to become increasingly disfigured, and he gradually lost sensation in his extremities.  

• His condition ultimately prevented him from having children, complicating the issue of succession.  

• Character and Abilities:

• Despite his deteriorating health, he was described as precocious, determined, and optimistic as an adolescent.  

• He was a quick learner and inherited his father's good looks, body shape, and manner of walking and expressing himself, although he had a stutter.  

• He showed notable political and military resolve and was renowned for his great physical courage and a highly developed sense of honour—the traits of a knight.  

• He mastered horse riding despite his gradual loss of sensation and continued to fight in battles until his last years. When he lost the use of his limbs, he was carried into battle on a litter so his troops could still see him.  

• Major Accomplishments:

• He ruled a thriving Crusader state and successfully defended it from his greatest adversary, the Muslim ruler Saladin.  

• He is remembered for his most famous victory against Saladin at the Battle of Montgisard in 1177, when he was only 16 years old.  

• Historians often credit him with stabilizing his realm during a dangerous period and postponing the collapse of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem.