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.

Following the creation of Outremer, the kingdom of Jerusalem came into being with the Crusader capture of Jerusalem in 1099. Godfrey de Bouillon 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

The Second Crusade.

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 Saladdin 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 (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 Saladdin. 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 Saladdin to escort his wife and children to safety, takes control of the defence of the city from the incompetent Patriarch. After a siege, Saladdin 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.

Kingdom of Jerusalem at Acre
AD 1187 - 1228

Following 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.

1193 - 1205

Queen Isabella I

Younger half sister to Sibylla.

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

1210 - 1225

John de Brienne

1210 - 1228

Queen Yolanda / Isabella II

1225 - 1228

Frederick II Hohenstaufen

Holy Roman Emperor (1212-1250). King of Naples & Sicily.

1228 - 1229

The Fifth Crusade. Jerusalem is regained after it is ceded by the Ayyubids.

Second Christian Kingdom of Jerusalem
AD 1229 - 1244

1228 - 1254

Conrad IV Hohenstaufen

Holy Roman Emperor (1250-1254).

1244

The Ayyubids re-conquer Jerusalem.

1254 - 1268

Conradin Hohenstaufen

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.