Eustache "the Ill-Ruler" of Jerusalem (1055-) was the King of Jerusalem from 29 July 1103, succeeding Godfrey de Bouillon. Eustache was known as a cruel tyrant who viciously executed captured Muslims as well as rebellious Christian courtiers, and he died a hated person; however, he did succeed in conquering more lands in the Levant and the Sinai Peninsula from the Saracens, having several territorial gains.
Biography[]
Eustache was born in 1055, the son of Count Eustache II of Boulogne. He was the brother of Godfrey de Bouillon, Baldwin I of Jerusalem, Count Hugues of Jaffa, and Count Guillaume of Beersheb, and he was granted the County of Boulogne after his father's death. Eustache had no role in the First Crusade whatsoever, as he ruled over Boulogne in northern France while his brothers Godfrey and Baldwin fought against the Saracens. However, he was nominated as King Godfrey de Bouillon's successor, and on 29 July 1103 he succeeded his brother as King of Jerusalem. Eustache travelled from Boulogne to Mirabel, Jerusalem, where he was crowned as king.
An inexperienced ruler, Eustache's first action as king was to declare war on Beylerbey Duqaq of Damascus to press his de jure claim to Baalbek. On 24 August 1103 he made his illegitimate sons "Count Raoul of Ascalon" and "Count Eustache of Darum", and in late 1103 he captured Akkar from the Beylerbeylik of Aleppo. By the end of 1104 he had conquered Irbid, and in 1105 he campaigned for control of Safed. Eustache was a brutal man, known as the "Ill-Ruler" because of his evil personality. He executed all of the captured Muslim leaders after capturing Safed, and he was known to be very violent against non-Christians. Eustache made himself known as a tyrannical ruler, and even his sons began to lose their good opinions about him.