1161–1185 · King of Jerusalem (1174–1185)
Baldwin IV
Other names · Baldwin IV · Cüzzamlı Kral
Baldwin IV (1161–1185) — King of Jerusalem (1174–1185). This dossier combines the biographical record with dated events and the listed primary and secondary sources.
BIOGRAPHICAL DOSSIER
Life and historical role
Life and political setting
Baldwin was a son of King Amalric and showed symptoms of leprosy while still a child. When he came to the throne in 1174, the kingdom was divided among regents and court factions. The progression of his illness made the succession a permanent political issue and drew the marriages of his sister Sibylla into high politics.
Career during the Crusading era
In 1177 Baldwin surprised and defeated Saladin's army at Montgisard. The defeat at Marj Ayyun and loss of the fortress at Jacob's Ford in 1179 limited that success. He tried to restrain Guy of Lusignan's influence through arrangements involving Sibylla and by crowning his nephew Baldwin V as co-king.
Documented activity: a chronological record
On 25 November 1177, Baldwin IV appears in the atlas record “Battle of Montgisard” at near Ramla. The event is documented through Cambridge History of War, ‘Crusaders and settlers in the East, 1096–1291’, TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, ‘Haçlılar’, Encyclopaedia Britannica, ‘Crusades’. On 10 June 1179, Baldwin IV appears in the atlas record “Battle of Marj Ayyun” at Litani Valley. The event is documented through Cambridge History of War, ‘Crusaders and settlers in the East, 1096–1291’, TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, ‘Haçlılar’, Encyclopaedia Britannica, ‘Crusades’.
On 29 August 1179, Baldwin IV appears in the atlas record “Destruction of Jacob's Ford castle” at Jordan River / Jacob's Ford. The event is documented through Cambridge History of War, ‘Crusaders and settlers in the East, 1096–1291’, TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, ‘Haçlılar’, Encyclopaedia Britannica, ‘Crusades’. On 1185, Baldwin IV appears in the atlas record “Truce with the Kingdom of Jerusalem” at Levant. The event is documented through Cambridge History of War, ‘Crusaders and settlers in the East, 1096–1291’, TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, ‘Haçlılar’, Encyclopaedia Britannica, ‘Crusades’.
Allies, opponents and geographical range
Baldwin IV appears in the same records as Saladin. Co-occurrence does not always indicate alliance: the connection may involve command, dynastic rivalry, captivity, negotiation or direct conflict.
The principal geographical range represented in the atlas is near Ramla; Litani Valley; Jordan River / Jacob's Ford; Levant. These places record not only presence but also the supply lines, diplomatic contacts and limits of authority relevant to the biography.
Results of recorded decisions
The “Battle of Montgisard” dossier records the consequences of this episode and identifies the source problems that limit a definitive reconstruction. Use this record as a starting point for comparing narrative sources, military practice, captivity, negotiation and the legal treatment of war.
The “Battle of Marj Ayyun” dossier records the consequences of this episode and identifies the source problems that limit a definitive reconstruction. Use this record as a starting point for comparing narrative sources, military practice, captivity, negotiation and the legal treatment of war.
The “Destruction of Jacob's Ford castle” dossier records the consequences of this episode and identifies the source problems that limit a definitive reconstruction. Use this record as a starting point for comparing narrative sources, military practice, captivity, negotiation and the legal treatment of war.
The “Truce with the Kingdom of Jerusalem” dossier records the consequences of this episode and identifies the source problems that limit a definitive reconstruction. Use this record as a starting point for comparing narrative sources, military practice, captivity, negotiation and the legal treatment of war.
Sources and historiography
Latin chronicles and dynastic narratives make the person's role visible, while charters, treaties, letters and Arabic, Greek, Armenian or Syriac accounts provide independent controls. Later heroic portraits are evidence for memory and reception, not contemporary biography.
Names and titles vary between languages; Baldwin IV, Cüzzamlı Kral should be searched together in catalogues and texts. Approximate dates remain marked as such, and later literary or visual fame is separated from contemporary testimony.
Biographical statements are tied to the sources listed on this page and to the connected event dossiers. Approximate or disputed dates remain marked; missing information is not filled by conjecture, and later literary or visual representations are not treated as contemporary portraits.