King baldwin iv biography
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Baldwin IV of Jerusalem
King of Jerusalem from 1174 to 1185
"Baldwin IV" redirects here. The term may also refer to Baldwin IV, Count of Flanders or Baldwin IV, Count of Hainaut or Wade Baldwin IV.
Baldwin IV (1161–1185), known as the Leper King, was the king of Jerusalem from 1174 until his death in 1185.
King baldwin iv biography
He was admired by his contemporaries and later historians for his willpower and dedication to the Kingdom of Jerusalem in the face of his debilitating leprosy. Choosing competent advisers, Baldwin ruled a thriving crusader state and succeeded in protecting it from the Muslim ruler Saladin.
Baldwin developed the first symptoms of leprosy as a child but was only diagnosed after he succeeded his father, King Amalric (r. 1163–1174). Thereafter his hands and face became increasingly disfigured. Count Raymond III of Tripoli ruled the kingdom in Baldwin's name until the king reached the age of majority in 1176.
As soon as he assumed government, Baldwin planned an invasio