Baldwin IV: The Leprous King Who Successfully Opposed Saladin's Expansion

Baldwin IV ascended to the throne of Jerusalem in 1174 at the age of thirteen, despite being afflicted with leprosy, a disease discovered in his childhood by his tutor William of Tyre. His accession coincided with the rise of Saladin, who was unifying Muslim territories against the Crusader States. Despite his youth and physical limitations, including a paralyzed right arm, Baldwin learned to fight and ride, participating in military campaigns from age fourteen. He led raids against Damascus in 1175 and 1776 to divert Saladin's forces during the siege of Aleppo. Upon reaching his majority in 1176, he ruled independently and continued aggressive policies, forcing Saladin to retreat from the Bekaa Valley. His most significant military achievement came in 1777 at the Battle of Montgisard, where, despite severe illness and commanding only a few hundred knights, he defeated Saladin's much larger army, humiliating the sultan. Baldwin's health deteriorated in the early 1180s, leading to blindness and loss of limb use, yet he continued to lead from a litter, including a campaign to relieve Kerak in 1183. Concerned about succession due to his condition and lack of heir, he crowned his nephew Baldwin V in 1183. Baldwin IV died in March 1185 at age twenty-four and was buried in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. His death was followed by the brief reign of his nephew and then the rule of his brother-in-law Guy of Lusignan, under whom Jerusalem fell to Saladin after the Battle of Hattin in 1187. Baldwin IV is remembered for his exceptional military leadership and resilience against both a debilitating disease and a formidable enemy.