The age of 24 is undoubtedly a new beginning in the life of many modern people, but it is also the end of the life of a legendary young king in medieval history. This is the story of King Leper - Baldwin IV of Jerusalem, King of Jerusalem, who lived only 24 years old but left his name in history.
Saladin's hegemony:
In the winter of 1177, Saladin, who had just passed the age of confusion, was full of ambition. He was not only becoming a leader in the Arab world, but also began to march toward the European Crusaders entrenched in the Middle East.
Behind Saladin was a mighty 26,000 Arab warriors, including black light cavalry from Egypt and Nubia, as well as well-equipped Ghulam heavy cavalry guards.
Since the death of Nur ad-Din, the overlord of the Zanji Dynasty, Saladin has lost a formidable enemy, and the heir to the great kingdom of Nuo is just an 11-year-old child surrounded by eunuchs, the poor child named Malik ( Salih Ismail al-Malik). The entire turbulent and chaotic country was thrown in front of him, and a bloody storm was ushered in ignorantly. The Zanji Dynasty was leaderless, and the princes and warlords from all over the world were fighting for each other. Saladin was able to concentrate his strength to defeat them one by one. When the Ayub veterans smashed the hopeless resistance of Zanji's army, they were faced with mountains of gold and silver, packages of luggage, ornate tents and countless horses. Saladin waved his hand and generously distributed all the spoils to every soldier who fought, but he didn't take a single point.
Within a few years, in addition to Egypt, large areas of Syria and Iraq have belonged to the newly emerging Ayyubid dynasty. Even the Assassin Assassins, who were disgusted by the news, became friends with Saladin. Time to unplug the European strongholds in the Middle East and drive the Crusaders back to where they came from.
Saladin had eyes and ears all over the place, and had already learned the intelligence of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Its king, Baldwin IV, was also a child, only two years older than Malik of the Zanji Dynasty. And I heard that the health is not good, and it may be suffering from some serious illness that Europeans can't talk about. To use the gossip at the time, it was: "already half dead", more like a king placed on the throne. corpse. The ruler of a country is not even a healthy person. How can he lead a country in a complicated political web and surrounded by enemies? Anyone with discernment can immediately see that the failure of the Kingdom of Jerusalem is not only a matter of time, but it will probably come more violently than the Zanji Dynasty.
Such a god-given opportunity could not be missed, and the Ayyubid army marched towards the port of Ashkelon and Jerusalem. The scouts soon came to the news that the Crusaders issued an emergency call-up order, but only more than 300 knights were gathered, and the attached troops were really poor. Saladin did not stop, and pushed his division northward, besieging Gaza, where the Templars were stationed. Considering the crusaders' fighting habits of defending the castle, Saladin didn't waste time battling the fortified city. Apart from leaving a small army to trap the opponent, he continued to let the main force advance. Only the holy city of Jerusalem is the real target, and until then, the nearest port, Ashkelon, is worth fighting for.
Before Ayub's army arrived, a group of Crusader knights suddenly rushed into Ashkelon. Saladin raised his brows when he heard that this was the 375 knights led by the young king. "What's the point of such reinforcements? Don't they understand that weakening Jerusalem's defenses is digging their own graves?"
The smooth change of the situation was somewhat unexpected by Saladin. The increase of the Crusaders undoubtedly made the port of Ashkelon fortified, but Jerusalem to the east was also weakened.
"Our army will not be delayed here. Perhaps it is more convenient to lure the enemy into battle to completely relieve their resistance." Saladin considered the possibility of ambushing this humble army. In any case, a field battle will decide the fate of the Crusader Kingdom. But getting the tortoise out of the hard shell is not easy, and until then, feeding the enemy may be a good way to kill two birds with one stone.
After leaving part of the army to surround and monitor Ashkelon again, the Ayyubid army scattered northward to plunder the countryside, and the wealth of the wealthy coastal towns became the most affordable reward for the Arab soldiers. Troops scrambled to invade Ramla, Lydda and Arsuf. The defense of the Kingdom of Jerusalem was in vain, smoke rose from villages large and small, and the Ayub soldiers returned with joyful smiles. The main force led by Saladin grew in size as more and more wagons filled with loot.
On 25 November, the Ayyubid army began to cross the area north of Tell es-Safi, where rivers and earlier rains made the march difficult. The mud trapped many heavy trucks, and the soldiers were still yelling and whipping, and the horses and oxen were dragging them hard, and the wheels were still rooted in the puddles. The team that was neat and shrewd not long ago has now become a noisy and messy relocation brigade. At this moment, the wheel of fate begins to turn.
Bloody Mongisa:
Number of participants: 7000 vs 26000
Crusaders: Baldwin IV, Reynard, Baldwin of Ibelin, Balian of Ibelin, Reginald of Sidon, Josephine III of Edessa, Master Er of the Templars German
Ayub participating members: Saladin, Tazi, Ahmed, emirs from all over the world
The young king is not far away. 375 Crusader knights and about 7,000 soldiers who had been called in temporarily were waiting in line.
Baldwin IV, who was only 16 years old, wore mail and a smock. It's just the white bandage wrapped around the arm that makes people wonder if the disease has already devoured this handsome young man. The crusaders were anxious, panicked and irritable, because no one knew the invincible power of the Ayyubid army, and also knew that the king who could be his own son had never fought in any battle, and was still a man with limited mobility. Disabled. Every time I think about this, people's mood can't help but feel low.
Soldiers saw the legendary True Cross being carried out of the line. In front of the sacred relic, the young king leaned on the horse and knelt down slowly with some difficulty. People poked their heads to get a peek, and everyone saw him praying silently, and then seemingly praying to heaven for victory. The boy then stood up straight and shouted at the soldiers: "Come to the battle! Warriors. Defend your faith, hold fast to your holy places, for victory! Raise your swords!"
People were surprised that such a dazzling light burst out from such a thin body, and some soldiers shouted, but more people did not understand what it meant. Strange and fiery emotions filled the Crusaders. Whether it was the veterans of the Master Templars, the elite soldiers brought by Ibryn Baldwin and Balian, or the newly recruited newcomers in the Jerusalem area, they all felt that an extraordinary battle was about to befall them.
The shouting was silent, and everyone was eagerly watching, and they focused their eyes on the young king. When everyone saw the 16-year-old Baldwin IV being supported on horseback, their hearts tightened. The king's bandaged right hand seemed to be strained, and there were even fears that he would fall to the ground by accident.
Before everyone came back to their senses, Baldwin had already rushed out. Looking at his figure like a seasoned knight, one could hardly see him as a patient. The boy turned around and shouted to the soldiers, "Follow me! Go forward!"
The emotions of all those present were ignited, and the flames of eagerness to fight began to burn in their chests. What they didn't know was that the knights and soldiers were burning with passion, but the young man was burning with life.
"Follow the king! Follow the king!" "Go on!" The crusaders all acted, and they marched forward rapidly under the leadership of Baldwin IV.
Soon, a continuous army of Ayyub appeared on the horizon, crowded and pushed, and they were being tossed and exhausted by the heavy trucks in the mud.
"Raise the True Cross!" Baldwin commanded loudly, like a veteran, an elder. He then firmly controlled the mount with his legs and drew his sword.
"It's now~~~" The long voice made the subsequent soldiers raise their heads, "Everyone~~~ attack with me!" Baldwin shouted with all his might, releasing a firm and shocking force.
"Attack! Charge!" The knights and soldiers responded, as if they had become the king's sword, the king's spear, and plunged straight into the center of the enemy army.
Zhentian shouts of killing reached the Ayub soldiers. They saw a large group of crazily attacking crusaders suddenly appear in front of them, and they were caught off guard. Saladin quickly discovered this, and his stupor was indescribable. He had no time to regret his underestimation of the enemy, and hurriedly ordered the entire team to immediately switch to a fighting state.
According to the military personnel: "Our troops were organized according to the march, and the enemy was attacking. At that time, some of our generals thought that we should adjust the position of our positions in order to get cover nearby. Although our people are starting to carry out this movement. , but the enemy charged..."
It was really too late. The Crusaders rushed into the Ayyubid army with lightning speed, and the Templar Knights of Jerusalem then fought hard to kill the enemy soldiers with a powerful impact, making the Arab warriors unable to resist. Many soldiers were still pushing carts and carrying goods just now, and they could only hurriedly climbed into the vehicles to find their weapons and armor. Many soldiers are in a state of numbness and marching, just like people who are in a deep sleep who are suddenly awakened and look around at a loss, and there are many detachments looting the surrounding villages before they can return.
An uncontrollable chaos filled the battlefield, and Saladin sent out summons again and again, and finally the Ayub veterans finally lined up hastily.
It was too late, and the 16-year-old Baldwin IV and the Templars moved on almost together. The young king wielded a long sword with one hand on horseback. Although he couldn't cut and slash like ordinary people, his heroic deeds of taking the lead and taking his own life made the soldiers all compete for the first place.
"How can we fall behind the king? Besides, he is still a child, and a sick man!"
The crusaders took the knights as the leader and attacked the Ayub brigade in several ways, making the other party's panic and fear even more intense. Saladin understood that his own army was in a difficult situation. The light cavalry that had just assembled in the former army was rushed by the Crusader knights. The follow-up infantry was assembled to block the enemy, but it seemed to be at a disadvantage. His nephew Taqi ad-Din was running around trying to reorganize the team, filling in the gaps everywhere, like an anxious first mate on a sinking ship. Tazi's son, Ahmed, soon died in the chaos of the army, and the front team basically fell apart, and the eyes were full of corpses that had just fallen.
It was not the first time that Saladin had fought against adversity. He quickly assembled the Ghulam Guard, loyal heavy cavalry and bravely charged against the Western European knights. The battle was fierce and bloody. The charging Templars and the Knights of Jerusalem stepped forward on the warm remains of the Egyptian infantry, and fought closely with the heavy cavalry of Ghulam. Elite warriors from two different worlds battle it out with all their might, with the two kings facing each other almost from nowhere. Saladin may have seen the figure of the handsome young man with gauze in his hands and wearing a crown and helmet, or he may not. But all was no longer important, because although the Ghulam Guards fought desperately to knock down a number of Crusader knights, they were still overwhelmed by the successive assaults of their opponents. Their horses had been exhausted from the long march before, and failure was inevitable.
Saladin had to choose the most pragmatic method at the moment - retreat. The gun was almost in front of him, and Saladin mounted a camel and quickly evacuated his subordinates.
The crusaders chased after him, and the young Baldwin galloped against the bright sun, his life burning like a torch, and his hair, sword, and emblem on his shoulders all shone dazzlingly. Wherever the sword strikes, it is invincible.
Saladin didn't get out of danger until night fell. On the vast wasteland, in addition to the corpses, the scattered and defeated Ayub soldiers were scattered everywhere. The heavy rain and the attacks of the residents in the next 10 days made them even more miserable. Only one-tenth of those who could make it back to Egypt alive were left.
(Battle results: Crusaders killed 1,100, wounded 750, and the Ayyub Army killed and wounded more than 20,000)
As the historian Stephen Howarth said: "It was an almost unbelievable victory, and an echo of the era of the First Crusade." Saladin never forgot "such a great catastrophe" in the future. Not a person who says failure easily, but his lofty ambitions were interrupted for a while.
The Battle of Mongisa has carved a deep mark in Western history, and the Ayyubid army that swept the Holy Land yesterday was turned into dust. All thanks to the 16-year-old sick boy.
The Christians cheered, and they worshipped Baldwin like a god. But people forget that the young king was a sick man, and a leper. His condition, which had been relatively calm, had deteriorated due to the hard work of fighting and sleeping in the rough. In fact, with the exception of his right hand, ulcers began to appear on his entire body after the war.
King Baldwin had no complaints. He returned to Ashkelon and returned to Jerusalem with a calm and fateful look, as if he had accepted everything that fate had given him: responsibility, pain, glory, and death.
Cursed Child:
In fact, as early as when he was a 9-year-old child, the strangeness had already occurred. Baldwin and the children played a game where they dug their fingernails into each other's arms to see who could hold back their tears. Baldwin won, and he didn't show any pain. While the children admired it, the court teacher William of Tyre was pale.
He recorded: "The other boys attested to their distress with loud screams, but Baldwin did not. Although his friends did not spare him, he took it completely, as if he could feel nothing."
William hastily checked Baldwin's arm, and his wealth of knowledge told himself that this was not the result of patience, it was leprosy.
Seeing this great misfortune, the teacher couldn't help crying. Baldwin was a wise and sensible child to all those close to him at court. Leprosy, on the other hand, represents a curse and uncleanness. Since he was the heir to King Amalric, political struggles brought him to the fore. Almost all chose to avoid his condition, and the opportunity for early treatment to relieve the pain was missed.
Baldwin has been lovable since he was a child. He looks handsome and handsome, much like his successful father. Not only the face, but also the manner of walking and the tone of speech are the same. He stuttered a little, but not seriously. It did not affect his thirst for knowledge. This child has an amazing mind and memory. Unlike most of the contemporary aristocrats who eat, drink, and play to pass the time, he loves learning and has made great progress in his studies. Even Mr. William, who has studied humanities and canon law in Europe for 20 years, is full of praise. Like his father, he likes to listen to stories. In particular, Mr. William told him about the thrilling past in history. Roman Carthage, Caesar Octavian, and Charlemagne entered his world of thought one by one. Although Baldwin could not travel around, knowledge gave him a broad vision and a deep understanding of the world. And he is not interested in the luxurious life in the palace, but is more comfortable with the simple life.
In addition to being smart, Baldwin learned to ride like all Western European nobles. He handles horses better than many of his older companions. It is such an ideal heir to the king who is both civil and military, but he is a terminally ill patient.
Baldwin, 13, was crowned after the death of his father Amalric. Most of the nobles supported him, because assisting a sick little king would obviously have more power. And Baldwin is destined to have no heirs, and a certain family will really benefit in the near future. Various factions in the palace operate up and down, and they all hope to influence and control this poor boy. The kingdom of Jerusalem was shrouded in a cloud of mist, and Saladin was rapidly rising at this time. The dove-like policy of the nobles led to the rapid expansion of Saladin's forces from Egypt and the continuous annexation of Syrian tribes. The military forces are all surrounded. The two sides have traded off the other, and disputes are inevitable.
Young heroes:
In 1176, Baldwin came of age, and at the age of 15 he officially took charge of the kingdom. At the beginning of his ascension to the throne, the young man showed a good vision beyond his age. As historians put it: "Baldwin assumed full power and soon showed that he was capable of making up for any disability with a strong mind."
He refused to continue to negotiate with Saladin, trying to break the predicament before the Ayyubid forces tightened the noose around the neck of the Crusader Kingdom. The two countries began a contest. Baldwin did not attack Saladin's army from the front, but adopted the tactics of besieging Wei and saving Zhao, so that the other party had to retreat.
The young leper king also realized that Egypt was the lifeblood of the Ayyubid dynasty. He tried his best to push for an alliance with the Byzantine Empire to attack Egypt, but complicated political factions and sudden changes put the plan in vain. Every high-ranking aristocrat does not think that this will benefit the entire Crusaders country, they only care about the chips in their hands and one-third of an acre of land.
The Battle of Mongiza, mentioned at the beginning of the article, broke out. Saladin's army of 26,000 wanted to sweep the Holy Land to destroy Jerusalem, but unexpectedly was defeated by the young leper king. The heroic Baldwin became a veritable savior of Jerusalem.
The reality is always colder than the legends that people hear. Victory not only did not ease Baldwin's pain, but instead caused his skin wounds to deteriorate rapidly due to the fact that he led the army to fight and sleep in the open. Not only the right hand, but also the body, legs and face have been attacked by the virus one after another. The original handsome appearance has gradually become invisible, and bandages and masks may have become more and more dependent on Baldwin.
He did not covet power and position like ordinary people. He wrote a letter to the king of France, the birthplace of the Crusades, and was willing to ask Western Europe to elect a competent new king to replace him.
"Immobility of my hands and feet is really not a good thing to govern a country. . . . But there is no one to cure me today. Not to mention the threat of an Arab invasion that haunts every day and night. Above the Holy Land, my sickness makes them fearless. A weak man like me is no longer fit to run a country. Therefore, I earnestly beg you to choose one of the nobles of France to rule this holy kingdom. We have I am ready to welcome the successor you have sent to replace me with all my heart..."
Sincerity does not necessarily lead to a response. The French, too busy with their own troubles, ignored the leper king's pleas for the bigger picture. The young man had to stay on the throne, and people still loved him. "They were loyal to him, they loved him, they encouraged him, they had a heart for such a king...they didn't care about his leprosy."
Responsibility and pressure have led Baldwin to do his best, and he has struggled to find a suitable successor. The arrangement of appointing heirs from within was difficult, and no noble family was willing to give up their own interests.
Saladin quickly made a comeback, proving that he wasn't a character that could be easily defeated. Baldwin had to drag his sick body to battle again and again, and he experienced enormous torture amid the adoration and cheers of people walking down the aisle.
Two years after the Battle of Mongisa, King Baldwin was raided by Saladin's nephew at Baniyas in the northern region. When the enemy charged, Baldwin dismounted and was frightened, and a loyal subordinate was wounded and sacrificed to save the king. Two months later, Baldwin attacked Sidon again, and he and a master of the Knights Templar defeated the Ayub raiding cavalry, but Saladin's main force followed. In the danger of melee, the leper king unfortunately fell. At the time of the fourth episode of the enemy soldiers, an unknown knight bravely jumped off his mount and took the initiative to escape on foot with the struggling Baldwin on his back. Covered the safe evacuation of the king with his life.
As time passed, King Baldwin was like a burning candle, slowly consuming himself. Herbal ointments, hot springs bloodletting do nothing to curb the dreaded disease. In his early 20s, he can no longer be a prancing horse pioneer like he used to, nor can he pace like his father, and it is even more difficult to even open his eyes to see.
The leper king struggled to support, and finally found a French husband, Guy of Lusignan, who was willing to go to the Holy Land for his sister Sibyl. Just as hope emerged, it was discovered that this was just a reckless and reckless person. Guy was unable to unite the factions and stabilize the situation. He was just looking after and Reynard attacking the passing caravan, looting gold and silver to fill his pockets.
When some people waste their time and spend their lives, they always think that others will do the same.
In 1183, Saladin's steady advancement of hegemony had begun to emerge. After occupying Aleppo, he completed a comprehensive siege of the Jerusalem area. The leper king could only save the crisis by himself, and he repelled the enemy at Fort Belvoir and Beirut. When Saladin besieged the Kerak castle in Jordan that year, the young king asked his entourage to carry him to the battlefield. He was lying on the sedan bed, struggling to even stand up. He couldn't see what was happening in the distance, but barely hoped that he could raise his saber and direct the troops to march.
Saladin saw Baldwin's flag badge, and although he may not have seen the king in the sedan, the sultan knew that the boy who defeated him was still alive. The two armies faced off for a while, and Saladin, who had always been cautious, chose to retreat. In his opinion, the risk under the advantage was not worth it, and it was difficult to guarantee that Baldwin would make another amazing move. The following year, Saladin made a comeback. When he saw Baldwin also arrived, he voluntarily evacuated again.
In the streets and alleys, the people of the Crusaders Kingdom had legends of the miracle that the king had retreated twice without fighting. Everyone exclaimed and laughed, completely ignoring how much their young king had to pay for this with their lives.
finally liberated:
No matter how long the candle lasts, it will burn out, and no matter how determined the will will be, the light of the past prestige will gradually dim, leaving only the faint light left by the hospital bed.
On March 16, 1185, Baldwin's end came. He didn't make it to his 25th birthday, and passed away on this not-warm spring day.
His steel-like strong will has long surpassed the crippled body that is now squatting on the bed, and he has also surpassed mediocrity and age, but he cannot surpass the life of this world.
For fate, he has been vying for the same time, and has done the best in just 10 years, preventing the expansion of Saladin's army at least five times. The teenager could have given enough reasons to leave and concentrate on healing, but his innate sense of responsibility made him shoulder the heavy responsibility of saving the country with his fragile shoulders. In the last moments of his life, he still tried to pave the way for his young nephew to the throne, because the regent Guy, who was beyond reckless and reckless, could not bear the responsibility of guarding the kingdom.
Baldwin's last breath of life dissipated, and his will may go to another world, where there may not be the glory that everyone admires, but at least there is no unimaginable pain and suffering day after day. While alive, the Kingdom of Jerusalem is indestructible. After leaving, this kingdom of heaven is about to be destroyed in the hands of a large group of mediocrities who are intriguing and intriguing.
And this is just a small part of the thousand-year struggle of different civilizations between the East and the West.
[Just a few years after his death, Jerusalem fell, and there will be no more kingdom in Jerusalem. The world claims, "God used the Holy City for his burial." This phrase is widely circulated among Christians and Muslims, referring to King Baldwin IV. 】
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