Kingdom of Jerusalem

Capital: 1099 AD Jerusalem / 1191 AD Acre

History

The Kingdom of Jerusalem was a Crusader state established in the Southern Levant by Christian leaders of the First Crusade in 1099. It was the most important and prominent of the Crusader states, encompassing the holy city of Jerusalem.

Its first ruler was Godfrey of Bouillon, who famously refused the title of king in the city where Jesus wore a crown of thorns, instead calling himself 'Defender of the Holy Sepulchre.' However, his brother and successor Baldwin I was formally crowned the first King of Jerusalem in 1100. The kingdom became a major political and military power in the Middle East for nearly two centuries, fiercely defending the holy sites and serving as a unique bridge between European and Middle Eastern cultures, until its final collapse following the fall of Acre in 1291.

Territory

Related Wars

The First Crusade

Explore War →

Related Civilizations

Byzantine Empire

The medieval continuation of the Roman Empire in the East, centered on Constantinople. For over a millennium, it served as a bastion of Christianity and Roman law, preserving ancient knowledge until its fall in 1453.

County of Edessa

The County of Edessa was the first Crusader state, established in 1098 by Baldwin of Boulogne during the First Crusade. Located inland in upper Mesopotamia, it was the largest but least populated of the Crusader states and the only one completely landlocked. It was also the first to fall, being conquered by Zengi in 1144, an event that triggered the Second Crusade.

County of Sicily

The County of Sicily (Contea di Sicilia) was a Norman state that ruled southern Italy and the island of Sicily, established around 1071. It was founded by Roger I, a Norman nobleman, who conquered the region from the Arab emirs. The county was known for its unique blending of Norman, Greek, Arab, and Latin cultures. Norman knights from southern Italy played a crucial role in the First Crusade, led by figures like Bohemond of Taranto.

County of Tripoli

The County of Tripoli was the last of the four major Crusader states, established in the Levant. Its creation began with Raymond IV of Toulouse in 1102 and was finally secured with the capture of Tripoli in 1109. Located in modern-day Lebanon, it served as a crucial coastal link between the Principality of Antioch to the north and the Kingdom of Jerusalem to the south. It fell to the Mamluks in 1289.

Duchy of Apulia and Calabria

The Duchy of Apulia and Calabria (Ducato di Puglia e Calabria) was a Norman state in southern Italy, officially established in 1059 when Robert Guiscard was elevated to the rank of duke by Pope Nicholas II. This recognized the successful Norman conquests that had driven out the Byzantine Empire and local Lombard lords from the region. The duchy was renowned for its powerful military force and served as a major staging ground for the First Crusade. Figures like Bohemond of Taranto led fierce Norman knights from here to the Holy Land. It was eventually united with the County of Sicily to form the powerful Kingdom of Sicily.

Fatimid Caliphate

The Fatimid Caliphate was a medieval Shia Islamic empire centered in Egypt that founded Cairo and promoted extensive Mediterranean trade.

Holy Roman Empire

The Holy Roman Empire was a decentralized medieval Central European empire founded in 962 AD, characterized by its elective emperors and complex relations with the Papacy.

Kingdom of France

The Kingdom of France was a major medieval Western European state that originated from West Francia and became the cultural and military heartland of the Crusades.

Kingdom of Hungary

The Kingdom of Hungary was a powerful medieval state in Central Europe established in 1000 AD when Saint Stephen I was crowned by the Pope. The kingdom arose from the union of various Magyar tribes who had migrated into the Carpathian Basin in the late 9th century. It served as a critical defender of Christian Europe and a crossroads between East and West.<br><br>The nation's founding is deeply intertwined with the legend of the Turul, a mythical giant falcon in Hungarian mythology. According to legend, the Turul appeared in a dream to Emese, the mother of the high prince Almos, predicting that a line of great kings (the Arpad Dynasty) would spring from her womb. Later, the Turul was said to have flown ahead of the Magyar tribes, guiding them into their new homeland in the Carpathian Basin.

Principality of Antioch

The Principality of Antioch was a Crusader state established in 1098 by Bohemond of Taranto following the grueling Siege of Antioch during the First Crusade. It covered parts of modern-day Turkey and Syria along the Mediterranean coast. It played a major role in regional politics until its capture by the Mamluk Sultanate in 1268.

Seljuk Empire

The Seljuk Empire was a medieval Turko-Persian Sunni Muslim empire that ruled vast areas from Central Asia to Anatolia, establishing the Sultanate system and triggering the Crusades.

Related People

Godfrey of Bouillon

Leader of the First Crusade and Defender of the Holy Sepulchre

Pope Urban II

Pope who initiated the First Crusade