Baldwin III of Jerusalem (1130 – 10 February 1162) was king of Jerusalem from 1143–1162. He was the eldest son of Melisende and Fulk of Jerusalem, and the grandson of Baldwin II of Jerusalem.
Baldwin was among the second generation of children born to the descendents of the original crusaders. He was 13 years old when his father Fulk died, and the kingdom legally passed to his mother as the daughter of Baldwin II. Melisende had ruled with Fulk as...
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Baldwin III of Jerusalem (1130 – 10 February 1162) was king of Jerusalem from 1143–1162. He was the eldest son of Melisende and Fulk of Jerusalem, and the grandson of Baldwin II of Jerusalem.
Baldwin was among the second generation of children born to the descendents of the original crusaders. He was 13 years old when his father Fulk died, and the kingdom legally passed to his mother as the daughter of Baldwin II. Melisende had ruled with Fulk as a consort, and Baldwin was crowned co-ruler and heir to his mother. However, Melisende also appointed Manasses of Hierges, constable of Jerusalem, as an advisor and the two essentially excluded Baldwin from power.
With a woman and a child legally ruling Jerusalem, the political situation was somewhat tense; the northern crusader states increasingly looked to assert their own independence, and there was no king to lead an army to impose the suzerainty of Jerusalem as Baldwin II or Fulk had done. In the Muslim world, Zengi ruled northern Syria...
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