Baldwin I of Jerusalem (1062-2 April 1118) was the King of Jerusalem from 25 December 1100 to 2 April 1118, succeeding Godfrey de Bouillon and preceding Baldwin II of Jerusalem.
Biography[]
Baldwin was born in 1062 to Count Eustache II of Boulogne and Ida of Lorraine, and he was the younger brother of Godfrey de Boullon and Count Eustache III of Boulogne. Baldwin was initially destined for the clergy, but he gave up on this career and fought in the First Crusade. In 1098 he was given the County of Edessa by his brother Godfrey, the first king of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. He conquered Samosata and Suruc from the Sultanate of Rum, and the Armenian ruler Gabriel of Melitene accepted him as ruler of Melitene after he routed the Danishmends besieging the city. On 25 December 1100 he became the new king of Jerusalem, and he was rivaled by Tancred of Lecce and some elements of the clergy who wanted to set up a theocracy. In 1101 he took Caesarea and Arsuf with the help of the Republic of Genoa, and on 7 September 1101 he won the First Battle of Ramleh. In 1102 the Second Battle of Ramleh was a defeat, but in 1104 he took Acre with the help of Genoa once more. In 1109 Tripoli fell and the County of Tripoli was set up, and in 1110 he took Beirut. He died in 1118 after years of expansion.
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