In 1096, at the initiative of Pope Urban II, the First Crusade was launched from Europe to liberate the tomb of Christ from the Seljuk Turks. This campaign led to the capture of the holy city and the establishment of the first four Latin States in the East. In 1177, King Baldwin IV of Jerusalem confronted a Muslim army led by Saladin. While the Ayyubid troops plundered the region, the Frankish monarch gathered around 500 Hospitallers and Templars in Ascalon. After pursuing the invader, he caught up with them at Tell el-Jezer and engaged in the Battle of Montgisard.
Caught by surprise, the Saracens were quickly routed and fled to Egypt. Baldwin inflicted a significant defeat on the sultan, earning him immense prestige in the Christian world. However, the Crusaders couldn’t capitalize on this success. Despite a truce in 1180, Saladin seized the major Christian strongholds and Jerusalem in 1187 after the death of Baldwin IV.
Why Did the Battle of Montgisard Take Place?
In 1099, during the First Crusade, Christians captured Jerusalem from the Muslims and gained control over part of the Holy Land. They established the first Latin States in the East: the County of Edessa, the Principality of Antioch, the County of Tripoli, and the Kingdom of Jerusalem. The latter, situated in the southernmost region, extended from Beirut to Egypt. In 1177, its monarch, Baldwin IV, considered forming an alliance with the Byzantine Empire for a joint military campaign against Saladin.
The sultan of Egypt and Syria, who had just annexed the Fatimid Caliphate, was the main adversary of the Christians in the region. In September, the Crusaders, led by the Count of Flanders, Philip of Alsace, besieged the fortress of Hama. However, this strategy left the Frankish kingdom dangerously exposed. Informed by his spies that the Latin State was defenseless, Saladin decided to strike. Determined to reclaim this sacred land from the Christians, he raised an army of 30,000 soldiers and marched on Ascalon.
Who Was Baldwin IV, the Leper King of Jerusalem?
Born in the Latin East around 1161, Baldwin IV of Jerusalem, known as the Leper King, was the son of Amaury I and Agnes of Courtenay. His education was entrusted to William of Tyre, a historian and the future chancellor of the kingdom and Archbishop of Tyre. It was William who noticed that the young boy was insensitive to pain. He had Western and Arab doctors examine him, revealing that he had leprosy. In 1174, despite the disease and at the age of barely 13, Baldwin became the king of Jerusalem.
He frequently wore a veil over his face when receiving ambassadors or dignitaries. The early years of the leper king’s reign were marked by several victorious campaigns against Saladin. However, the situation for Christians in the Levant deteriorated rapidly. After managing to hold the kingdom for ten years, Baldwin IV died prematurely in 1185, at the age of only 24. The death of the Frankish monarch marked the bleak fate of the Kingdom of Jerusalem and the Latin States of the East.
How Did the Battle of Montgisard Unfold?
Upon learning of the approach of Saladin’s army, Baldwin IV left the holy city and marched to meet the Muslims. Leading his remaining knights, he arrived in Ascalon just before Saladin. The Crusader army was scattered, and the sultan briefly besieged the city and looted the region. Victorious and having amassed significant spoils, the Saracens then headed towards Jerusalem. However, despite overwhelming numerical inferiority, the leper king decided to pursue his adversary.
He asked Eudes of Saint-Amand, the master of the Templar order, who was entrenched with his men in Gaza, to join him. Accompanied, among others, by Raynald of Châtillon, Baldwin now had 500 Hospitaller and Templar knights and around 4,000 soldiers. He then left Ascalon, circled around Saladin’s army from the north, and caught up with them at Tell el-Jezer, between Jerusalem and Jaffa. On November 25, 1177, the Franks surprised the Muslims and engaged in the Battle of Montgisard.
The Knights Templar, a prominent military order during the Crusades, played a crucial role in the battle by providing support to the Crusader forces. Their discipline and combat skills were instrumental in the victory.
Who Won the Battle of Montgisard?
Bearing the weight of their loot and disorganization, Saladin’s army was caught off guard by the charge of the Christian knights. Despite their numerical disadvantage, the Franks descended upon the Muslims. Faced with the fury of the Templars and Hospitallers, the sultan’s men were routed and fled. The Mamelukes, Saladin’s personal guard, attempted to halt the assault of the Franks but were cut to pieces. After inflicting a severe defeat, Baldwin IV pursued his adversaries to the Sinai Peninsula before turning back.
Baldwin IV’s strategic decision to engage Saladin’s forces in open combat and his tactical prowess were crucial factors in the Crusader victory. Despite being outnumbered, his forces were able to exploit Saladin’s overconfidence and achieve success.
How Many Casualties Occurred in the Battle of Montgisard?
Thanks to their sovereign’s strategy, the Christians managed to limit their losses despite a significant numerical disadvantage. Out of a contingent of 4,500 soldiers, the leper king’s army counted a little over 1,000 dead and approximately 750 wounded. On the Muslim side, the human toll of the Battle of Montgisard was catastrophic. The sultan lost nine-tenths of his troops—nearly 27,000 out of the initial 30,000. Saladin himself narrowly escaped death and owed his survival to the sacrifice of the Mamelukes.
What Were the Consequences of the Battle of Montgisard?
At Montgisard, Baldwin IV, the Leper King, achieved one of the greatest victories in the history of the Crusades. This clash had a significant impact on Christendom. The 16-year-old King of Jerusalem was glorified, soon being compared to Godfrey of Bouillon, Raymond of Saint-Gilles, or Tancred of Hauteville, heroes of the First Crusade. Baldwin and the religious orders of the Hospitallers and Templars also gained the respect of the Muslims. However, the Crusaders failed to capitalize on this victory.
In the following two years, they suffered several defeats against Saladin’s armies. On March 10, 1179, the Frankish king narrowly escaped capture at Paneas during a battle. On June 10, the Christian army was defeated at Marj Ayoun, with many soldiers killed or taken prisoner. Finally, on August 29, the sultan seized the Chastelet du Gué de Jacob, a key position on the Jordan River. However, exhausted by the war, the two monarchs agreed to a truce in 1180.