Baldwin IV of Jerusalem (1161-1185) was the King of Jerusalem from 1174 to 1185, succeeding Amalric I of Jerusalem and preceding Baldwin V of Jerusalem. King Baldwin, nicknamed "the leprous" because of his notorious ailment, Baldwin made up for his lack of dynastic abilities (he could only sire one son, Baldwin V of Jerusalem) by proving to be a great commander during the wars against his rival, Saladin. He eventually succumbed to his illnesses, and his son was briefly king before Guy de Lusignan seized power.
Biography[]
Baldwin IV in battle
Baldwin was the son of Amalric I of Jerusalem and Agnes of Courtenay, and he was born into the House of Anjou. Known as “the Leprous” because of his skin condition, Baldwin IV was not expected to reign long or produce an heir. However, he defeated Saladin at the Battle of Montgisard in 1177, a major victory for the crusaders. However, in 1179 he was defeated at Baniyas by Saladin’s nephew Farrukh Shah, and Constable Humphrey II of Toron saved him. At the Battle of Marj Ayyun later that year, they defeated the Muslim raiders, and they won another important victory against the Saracens. Later that year, the tide changed with the fall of Jacob’s Ford, and at the Battle of Belvoir Castle in 1182, an immobilized and blinded Baldwin made Guy de Lusignan regent of the Kingdom of Jerusalem after being defeated. He died in 1185, and his young son Baldwin V of Jerusalem briefly ruled before his own death.