Despite being blind and paralyzed, “The Leper King” Baldwin IV, the king of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, still bravely appeared on the battlefield. He was a source of fear for Muslims in the 12th century.
Portrait of King Baldwin.
World history has recorded countless examples of extraordinary kings who were skilled and courageous. Just as Pharaoh Ramesses II single-handedly repelled tens of thousands of ambushed Hittite troops, later, Alexander the Great boldly led a few dozen cavalrymen to attack the ranks of one hundred thousand Persian soldiers.
There is a common point between these two battles: they involved healthy, skilled fighters, while the enemies were… farmers—lacking much combat skill. However, for someone so severely ill that they could not wield a sword with their dominant hand and struggled to walk and speak, achieving such heroic feats seems almost unbelievable. Yet, one man did accomplish this. That man is King Baldwin IV—the king afflicted with leprosy of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.
Baldwin IV – the great leper king of Jerusalem (scene from the film Kingdom of Heaven).
The question arises: how could a leprous king become a protector of faith, a savior of the Christian world, or a hero to the Knights Templar? What kind of motivation or willpower could someone, who was seemingly disabled and knew that he “could not see past 30” (in reality, he only lived to 24), have to defend Jerusalem against Saladin—the so-called Immortal Warrior of Islam—for so many years?
Even until the end of his life, when he was completely blind and paralyzed, Baldwin IV still instilled fear in his enemies, preventing them from attacking the Kingdom of Heaven, even though their forces were vastly larger and stronger. This indeed was an effort that transcended human limits.
A Childhood Unfamiliar with Physical Pain
In 1161, Prince Baldwin (the son of King Amalric and Queen Agnes) was born in Jerusalem—the Kingdom of the Crusader Legion, a Holy Land for both Christianity and Islam.
From a very young age, Baldwin exhibited the qualities of a great ruler. The boy was exceptionally intelligent and eager to learn. His private tutor, William of Tyre, described the young prince as: “He learns everything very quickly and is handsome too. As time goes by, he is full of hope and has developed his natural abilities skillfully. In horse riding, he shows himself to be better than older men, in addition to having a great memory and a passion for listening to tales of old.”
William of Tyre realizes that the prince does not feel pain
One day, William of Tyre discovered that the future king did not feel pain; the boy did not cry even when other children pinched his arms. At first, William thought that the 9-year-old prince was just showing off his toughness and bravery, but upon closer examination, he found that Baldwin had completely lost sensation in his arms—a symptom of leprosy.
At that time, people feared this disease due to its horrific physical deformities. The Saracens (the term Europeans used for Muslims) claimed that this disease was a punishment from Saint Allah upon the infidels—who dared to occupy their Jerusalem.
Even Christians believed that they were being punished by God. And when the ruler of Jerusalem fell ill with this disease, they knew that the Kingdom of Heaven was on the brink of collapse.
Many historians believe that the king actually wore a protective mask like this, not just in films
Four years after William of Tyre discovered the young prince’s illness, King Amalric passed away, and Baldwin officially became the king of Jerusalem at the age of 13. Due to his youth, Miles of Plancy—the king’s closest relative—became the regent.
Not long after, Miles was killed, and Raymond of Tripoli took his place. In 1175, Raymond of Tripoli signed a peace treaty with Saladin—the leader of the Ayyubid dynasty and the leader of the Muslim world at that time—to keep Jerusalem peaceful, at least for a few years.
The Wisdom and Genius of a Great Ruler
But Baldwin was fully aware of his role. At the age of 15, while other children were still fond of playing and wandering, he became a powerful king.
In 1176, the young king officially took back full control of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Two years had passed since the boy who felt no pain became king, and the leprosy had truly worsened significantly. It tormented Baldwin’s body constantly, causing him to gradually become disabled.
Baldwin IV and Saladin (scene from the film Kingdom of Heaven)
Despite these difficult conditions, refusing to accept and surrender to a cruel fate, and certainly not willing to passively accept the fictitious peace offered by Saladin, the king immediately annulled the peace treaty with Saladin. He knew that if he accepted the truce, allowing Saladin’s forces to roam freely in the surrounding lands, sooner or later Jerusalem would fall.
Baldwin personally led his troops to conquer the lands around Damascus, forcing Saladin to abandon his assault on Aleppo and retreat to a defensive position. Also in 1176, Baldwin defeated Saladin’s nephew’s army in Lebanon and Syria.
In just the first few months, Baldwin demonstrated to everyone that he possessed a remarkably intelligent tactical mind. Instead of defending Aleppo, Baldwin ordered the troops to attack Damascus, causing Saladin to abandon his campaign. In The Art of War by Sun Tzu, this is known as the famous strategy “Besiege Wei to Rescue Zhao.”
Image of the Byzantine Empire
Soon after, Baldwin planned a direct attack on the stronghold of Egypt, where Saladin’s strength was concentrated, located in Cairo, Giza, Luxor… Realizing that Jerusalem was weak in naval warfare, the young king formed an alliance with the Byzantine Empire.
Just when the plan seemed to be progressing smoothly, William of Montferrat—the king’s brother-in-law and the most crucial figure in the campaign—fell ill and died. Soon after, the king himself fell ill, causing the campaign to stall.
The Byzantine court expressed concern and decided to withdraw support for this military campaign. The campaign to eliminate Saladin collapsed, preventing the Crusaders from ever posing a threat to Saladin’s stronghold again. Sadly, the only one who recognized the importance of this campaign, King Baldwin, was unable to fulfill his ambition.
Saladin – one of the most famous conquerors in world history who also feared Baldwin IV
Later historians believe that if Baldwin had succeeded, the Kingdom of Jerusalem would have lasted much longer and would not have collapsed so quickly. World history would have changed significantly had Saladin been defeated that day.
The Incredible Victory at Montgisard – The Birth of the Defender of the Faith
Not only blessed with intellect and visionary leadership, what made Baldwin IV a great king was his astonishing bravery in the famous battle of Montgisard, where at just 16 years old, he defeated an elite army that vastly outnumbered his own.
After the Egyptian campaign was abandoned, Philip of Flanders returned his army to the northern border of Jerusalem, joined by Raymond of Tripoli. This left Jerusalem in a perilous situation.
The king was gravely ill, and his soldiers had deserted. Saladin, of course, could not miss such an opportunity bestowed by the Almighty; he advanced toward Jerusalem with 26,000 elite troops and a formidable Egyptian guard known as Khassaki.
26,000 Saracen soldiers march toward Jerusalem…
On his deathbed, Baldwin called upon 600 Knights Templar and several thousand local soldiers to resist Saladin. His health was so dire that many believed he was on the brink of death.
Bernard Hamilton, author of “Baldwin IV – The Leper King and His Heirs”, described the king at that time as “half dead“. The king’s army was but a flickering candle against the storm of 26,000 Muslim warriors. Realizing this, Saladin disregarded King Baldwin and marched straight toward Jerusalem.
On the way to Jerusalem, Saladin attacked Ramla, Lydda, and Arsuf, and his troops spread out over a vast area, plundering as they believed the king could do nothing with such a small force.
… and clashed with King Baldwin IV and the Knights Templar at Mons Gisardi
The Army of God confronted Saladin at Mons Gisardi, near Ramla. This took Saladin by complete surprise. He hurriedly assembled his troops and formed a battle line against the enemy.
From a distance, the army led by Baldwin IV remained silent; the king ordered a giant cross to be placed at the front line. Despite his terrible illness, he mustered the strength to dismount, kneel before the cross, pray for victory, and then rise to rally his soldiers.
While Saladin was still busy organizing his forces, the Army of God surged forward like a flood. The king, with his right hand bandaged and unable to grip, wielded his sword with his left and charged straight into the heart of Saladin’s forces.
Baldwin courageously participates in battle
Historian Stephen Howarth recounted: “26,000 Saracen warriors faced off against a few hundred Christian cavalry, but most of the Saracens were killed, and others fled. Saladin escaped on a racing camel. The young king, with his bandaged hand, always led the ranks of the Christians, with St. George by his side.”
It is said that: “The cross shone brightly like the sun. It was an unbelievable victory, echoing the First Crusade. But it was also the last time a Muslim army was defeated by such a small force.”
Knight Templar
The immortal warriors of Islam were terrified, and if it weren’t for the strongest camel, Saladin would have been captured right in the battlefield. His 26,000 elite soldiers were utterly defeated, the famed Khassaki guard was almost entirely killed, and Saladin’s nephew was also slain in battle.
Baldwin continued to pursue Saladin until darkness fell, then retreated to Ascalon. Ten days later, heavy rains fell; Saladin’s defeated army was reduced to just over 2,000 men, struggling against hunger and thirst on their way back to Egypt.
Thanks to having the strongest camel, Saladin escaped the battlefield
Years later, Saladin still recalled this defeat as a terrible disaster. However, after returning to Egypt, he ordered that no one should speak of this defeat and should consider it a victory; he had simply withdrawn.
The Battle of Montgisard made Baldwin IV a legend. Throughout the Christian kingdoms, the young king was hailed as the Savior of God, the Defender of the Faith…
24 Years – A Legend
The glory of victory did not alleviate the rapid spread of leprosy. Meanwhile, Baldwin IV had no successor. In 1183, the king officially became blind, and his limbs were so damaged that he could do nothing.
Baldwin IV appointed Guy de Lusignan as regent. However, shortly thereafter, Guy de Lusignan proved too weak to unify the factions and dared not confront Saladin, despite holding the strongest army ever established in the Holy Land, which was built by Baldwin IV himself. Thus, the burden of an entire kingdom once again fell on Baldwin IV.
Portrait of Guy de Lusignan
At the end of 1183, the wedding of the king’s sister, Isabel, held at Kerak, drew Saladin’s attention. Immediately, the Muslim leader sent troops to besiege the castle while everyone was celebrating.
Despite being completely incapacitated, Baldwin IV ordered his attendants to carry him on a stretcher to the battlefield to save Kerak. Awed by this extraordinary effort and knowing the young king’s excellent military skills, Saladin ordered a retreat. In 1184, Saladin again besieged Kerak but had to withdraw once more because Baldwin IV appeared on the battlefield, even while lying on a stretcher.
Even in his final years, Baldwin IV’s name remained a terror to Muslims
On May 16, 1185, the soul of Baldwin IV met the Lord. He was cremated at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Two years after the king’s death, Guy de Lusignan suffered a disastrous defeat at the hands of Saladin, and the Kingdom of Jerusalem fell into Muslim hands.
The 24 years of Baldwin IV’s life were an epic saga, as inscribed on the roof of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre: Per Crucem and Lucem (From the Cross to the Light). The faith of the young king kept Jerusalem safe throughout his reign.
Historians later agreed that what killed Baldwin IV was not actually leprosy. He could have lived much longer, but the unending battles led to severe infections of his wounds. Nevertheless, it can be said that what he achieved in his 9 years of reign was worth more than 90 years of peaceful life.
The Kingdom of Jerusalem collapsed forever, and the name Saladin became a terror to Christianity until the arrival of King Richard I (Richard the Lionheart). The complex relationship between Saladin and Richard made the context of the Crusades even more interesting. And that is another story…
