Middle East Kingdoms

Christian Kingdom of Jerusalem
AD 1099 - 1187

The First Crusade found a divided Islamic empire, governed by the Seljuq Turks, and quickly and forcefully carved a large swathe of territory out of it.

Formerly (and later) the capital of Israel. and originally a Canaanite city state called Shalem, following the creation of Outremer, the kingdom of Jerusalem came into being with the Crusader capture of Jerusalem in 1099. On the day of the victory, 15 July 1099, and still covered in the blood of their dead enemies, the Crusaders assembled inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to give thanks for their victory. Godfrey de Bouillon subsequently refused to take the title of king, saying that no man should wear a crown where Christ had worn his crown of thorns. Instead, he took the title Defender of the Holy Sepulchre. But when Godfrey died the next year his brother and successor, Baldwin I, was not so scrupulous and had himself immediately crowned king of Jerusalem.

1098 - 1099

Lesser Armenia is raised to a kingdom by the crusaders.

1099 - 1100

Godfrey de Bouillon (Boulogne)

Duke of Lower Lorraine 1087-1100. Protector of Jerusalem.

1100 - 1118

Baldwin I de Bouillon

Brother. Count of Edessa 1098-1100.

1104

The kingdom gains the province which was previously known as Moab.

1118 - 1131

Baldwin II de la Bourg

Cousin. Count of Edessa 1100-1118.

1131 - 1152

Queen Melisende

1131 - 1143

Fulk (V) of Anjou

1143 - 1163

Baldwin III

1147 - 1149

When Edessa falls to the Saracens in 1145, Pope Eugenius calls upon Louis VII of France to play his part in defending the Holy Land. The king embarks for Jerusalem in 1147.

1163 - 1174

Amalric I

1174 - 1185

Baldwin IV the Leper

Guy de Lusignan

Regent. Dismissed for incompetence.

? - 1186

Raymond III of Tripoli

Regent. Arranged truce with Saladdin.

1185

By the time of his death, Baldwin is blind and almost entirely unable to walk. His sister, Sibylla begins to exert influence over the control of the kingdom. Her first marriage had been an arranged one to William de Montferrat. He died soon afterwards and she later chose to marry Guy de Lusignan. Sibylla's son by William de Montferrat succeeds Baldwin IV while Raymond III of Tripoli remains regent.

1185 - 1186

Baldwin V

Son of William de Montferrat & Sibylla. Died.

1186 - 1187

Queen Sibylla

Assumed direct control on her son's death.

1186 - 1187

Guy de Lusignan

Joint rule.

1187

The Christians are defeated by the Ayyubid governor Saladin at the Battle of Hattin. As partially depicted in a somewhat distorted version of history in the film Kingdom of Heaven, 2005, Balian of Ibelin (sometimes referred to as being of the 'Balians of Jerusalem'), who is married to Maria Comnena, Sibylla's step-mother and a former queen of Jerusalem) and Raymond III of Tripoli are present at the Battle of Hattin and manage to fight their way out. Reynald de Châtillon, the bloodthirsty prince of Antioch (and not a Templar), is not so fortunate, and is personally killed by Saladin. Although the other captured nobles are ransomed, all of the captured Knights Templars and Knights Hospitallers are executed.

Balian returns to a Jerusalem which has already been abandoned by Sibylla and Guy and, after allowing Saladin to escort his wife and children to safety, takes control of the defence of the city from the incompetent Patriarch. After a siege, Saladin and Balian agree terms, and Jerusalem is evacuated by the crusader knights. The 'kingdom' withdraws to Acre, this becoming its focus. Sibylla and the weak Guy de Lusignan continue to rule. Balian's descendants continue to remain active in Outremer and in Cyprus.

Saladin accepts the surrender of Guy de Lusignan and the Christian armies following the Battle of Hattin

Kingdom of Jerusalem at Acre
AD 1187 - 1228

Following defeat at the Battle of Hattin and the handover of Jerusalem to Saladdin in 1187, the royal court retreated to Acre, which became the focus of the Crusader states. For the Europeans, Acre was only accessible by sea, so much of their supplies came via Italy, especially Venice.

1187 - 1193

Queen Sibylla

1187 - 1192

Guy de Lusignan

Joint rule until Guy became king of Cyprus (1192-1194).

1189 - 1192

The Third Crusade gains Cyprus for the kingdom. Also in 1192, the brotherhood of the Teutonic Knights makes its headquarters in Acre.

1193 - 1205

Queen Isabella I

Younger half sister to Sibylla.

1198

The brotherhood of the Teutonic Knights is elevated to a spiritual military order, and its priors become grand masters.

1192 - 1297

Henry II de Champagne

1197 - 1205

Amalric II de Lusignan

Almaric I of Cyprus (1194-1205).

1202 - 1204

The Fourth Crusade.

1205 - 1210

Queen Maria de Montferrat

1209

The Teutonic Knights side with the Hospitallers and the barons in Acre against the Templars, something which sparks a long-standing feud between the Templars and the Teutonic Knights.

1210 - 1225

John de Brienne

1210 - 1228

Queen Yolanda / Isabella II

1225 - 1228

Frederick II Hohenstaufen

King of Naples & Sicily (1197). HRE & duke of Swabia (1212).

1228 - 1229

The Fifth Crusade sees Jerusalem regained. It is ceded to the Christians at Acre while the Ayyubids squabble amongst themselves.

Second Christian Kingdom of Jerusalem
AD 1229 - 1244

1228 - 1254

Conrad II Hohenstaufen

HRE Conrad IV (1250-1254).

1240

Sultan as Salih I Ismail of Damascus reaches an agreement with Jerusalem so that the Crusaders will protect southern Palestine from possible attacks from Sultan as Salih II Ayyub of Egypt. The price is high, though, as he is forced to cede all of the land west of the Jordan (won by Saladin in 1187), including Gaza, Jerusalem, and Nablus, along with his own fortresses at Hunin, Safad, and Tiberias. He is denounced throughout the Arab world for his actions.

1244 - 1245

The forces of Khwarazm sack Christian Jerusalem, before going on to support Sultan as Salih II Ayyub of Egypt in his attack on Damascus. At the Battle of La Forbie, they defeat Ismail and Ayyub is able to reclaim the sultanate for himself. The following year, Ayyub defeats Khwarazm itself for failing to recognise him as its overlord.

1244

The Ayyubids re-conquer Jerusalem.

1254

With the death of Conrad by malaria, his young son, Conradin is recognised as the new duke of Swabia and also as the new Holy Roman Emperor by his supporters. He fails to actually succeed his father to the latter title, however, and no single emperor is recognised. His throne in Jerusalem is held in his name by a relative from the royal house of Cyprus who acts as regent.

1254 - 1268

Conrad III / Conradin Hohenstaufen

Duke Conrad IV of Swabia. Last Hohenstaufen. Executed.

1248 - 1254

The Sixth Crusade.

1268

Charles d'Anjou

Claim accepted by Pope, rejected by Outremer nobility.

1269 - 1284

Hugh III of Cyprus

King of Cyprus (1267-1284).

1270

The Seventh Crusade. The kingdom is briefly re-unified with the kingdom of Cyprus under one ruler.

1284 - 1285

John I

King of Cyprus (1284-1285).

1285 - 1306

Henry I

Henry II of Cyprus (1310-1324).

1291

Acre is conquered by the Mamelukes, signalling the end of Outremer. The Christian kingdom of Cyprus continues, while the Teutonic Knights retire to Venice from where they become involved in the conquest of the Baltics.