How Long Did the Kingdom of Jerusalem Last?
The Kingdom of Jerusalem lasted for nearly 200 years, from its founding in 1100 to its final collapse in 1291. The standard English-language treatment is Joshua Prawer’s The Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem (1972), with Jonathan Riley-Smith’s The Feudal Nobility and the Kingdom of Jerusalem (1973) providing the more institutional perspective. The Kingdom was the most important and most famous of the Crusader States established in the Eastern Mediterranean after the First Crusade. Its history is a major chapter in the history of the Crusades, and its legacy continues to shape the modern world in ways that are still being argued about by historians and political scientists.
For the broader context, see the main article on the Kingdom of Jerusalem, the Crusader States article, and the significance of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.
The Founding of the Kingdom (1099–1100)
The Kingdom of Jerusalem was founded in the aftermath of the First Crusade and the Siege of Jerusalem (1099). The first ruler of the Kingdom was Godfrey of Bouillon, who was chosen as Advocatus Sancti Sepulchri (Defender of the Holy Sepulchre) after the capture of the city. Godfrey refused the title of king, calling himself only the defender of the Holy Sepulchre, but he exercised all the powers of a king.
Godfrey ruled for only one year, dying on 18 July 1100. He was succeeded by his brother Baldwin of Boulogne, who was crowned the first King of Jerusalem on 25 December 1100. The coronation marked the formal establishment of the Kingdom as a feudal monarchy, and it was the beginning of nearly 200 years of Crusader rule in the Holy Land.
The High Point of the Kingdom (1100–1187)
The Kingdom of Jerusalem reached its maximum extent in the mid-12th century, under King Baldwin III (r. 1143-1163). Baldwin III was a skilled military commander and a wise statesman, and he took advantage of the divisions among the Muslim powers to expand the Kingdom’s territory. By the time of his death, the Kingdom included most of the interior of the Holy Land, and it was the most powerful state in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The high point of the Kingdom was also marked by cultural and legal achievement. The Assizes of Jerusalem, the unique legal code of the Kingdom, was compiled during this period. The Assizes drew on the legal traditions of France, Italy, and the Byzantine Empire, and they formed the basis of the legal system of the Kingdom.
The high point of the Kingdom was not without its challenges. The Second Crusade (1147-1149) was launched in response to the fall of the County of Edessa, and it ended in the embarrassing failure at the Siege of Damascus in 1148. The failure of the Second Crusade was a major setback, but the Kingdom survived, and it continued to expand under Baldwin III and his successors.
The Crisis of the Kingdom (1187–1192)
The crisis of the Kingdom of Jerusalem began in 1187, with the Battle of Hattin and the loss of Jerusalem to Saladin. The Battle of Hattin was a decisive defeat for the Kingdom, and it was followed by Saladin’s rapid conquest of the major cities of the Kingdom. The loss of Jerusalem was a profound shock to the Latin West, and it triggered the Third Crusade, the most famous expedition of the medieval period.
The Third Crusade failed to recapture Jerusalem, but it secured the coast of Palestine for the Kingdom. The capital of the Kingdom was moved from Jerusalem to Acre, and the Kingdom entered a new phase of its history, centered on the coastal cities. The Kingdom survived for another century, but it was a much smaller and weaker state than it had been before Hattin.
The Late Kingdom (1192–1291)
The late phase of the Kingdom of Jerusalem was marked by a long and slow decline. The Mamluk Sultanate, which had taken power in Egypt in 1250, was a much more formidable enemy than the Ayyubid dynasty that it had replaced. The Mamluks were professional soldiers, and they were determined to finish off the Crusader States once and for all.
The late Kingdom was also marked by internal divisions. The great barons of the Kingdom were often in conflict with each other, and they were also in conflict with the Italian maritime republics, especially Venice and Genoa. The Italian merchants had important commercial interests in the Kingdom, and they sometimes clashed with the Latin rulers. The most serious conflict was the War of Saint Sabas, which was fought between Venice and Genoa in the 1250s and 1260s and which caused great damage to the Kingdom.
The end of the Kingdom came in 1291, when the Mamluks captured Acre, the last major Crusader city in the Holy Land. The fall of Acre marked the end of the Kingdom of Jerusalem and of the Crusader presence in the Holy Land. The title of King of Jerusalem continued to be used by various European rulers, including the kings of Cyprus and the kings of Naples, but it was an empty title with no real power.
The Legacy of the Kingdom
The Kingdom of Jerusalem was one of the most important political entities of the medieval period, and its legacy continues to shape the modern world. The Kingdom was a major example of European colonial expansion in the Middle East, and it was the first sustained encounter between the Latin West and the Muslim world. The Kingdom’s unique legal system, the Assizes of Jerusalem, was a major contribution to European law, and the Kingdom’s architectural and artistic achievements are still visible in the Holy Land.
The Kingdom’s story is also significant for the modern Middle East. The Kingdom’s presence in the Holy Land, the Crusader States’ relations with the Muslim world, and the question of the status of Jerusalem are all issues that continue to shape the modern political discourse. The story of the Kingdom, in this sense, is not just a medieval story: it is a story that continues to resonate in the modern world.
The most important modern works on the Kingdom include Joshua Prawer’s The Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem (1972) and Jonathan Riley-Smith’s The Crusades: A Short History (1987). Prawer’s work is the most comprehensive and the most authoritative, and it has helped to refine our understanding of the Kingdom’s history. Riley-Smith’s work provides a more accessible account, and it has been widely read by general audiences.