Editing Baldwin III of Jerusalem (section)

==Succession==
Baldwin III was born in 1130, during the reign of his maternal grandfather [[Baldwin II of Jerusalem|Baldwin II]], one of the [[First Crusade|original crusaders]]. This made him the third generation to rule Jerusalem. Baldwin's mother Princess Melisende was heiress to her father [[Baldwin II of Jerusalem|Baldwin II]], King of Jerusalem. Baldwin III's father was Fulk of Anjou, the former Count of Anjou. King Baldwin II died at the age of 60 when his grandson was a year old, which led to a power struggle between Melisende and Fulk. Melisende asserted her right to rule as successor to her father. She and Fulk reconciled and conceived a second child, Baldwin III's brother [[Amalric, King of Jerusalem|Amalric]]. Baldwin III was 13 years old when his father Fulk died in a hunting accident in 1143, and Baldwin III was crowned as co-ruler alongside his mother, echoing Melisende's own crowning alongside her father as his heir. Yet Baldwin showed little interest in the intricacies of governance.<ref name=":0">Barker, Ernest (1911). "[[wikisource:1911_Encyclopædia_Britannica/Baldwin_III.|Baldwin III]]". In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). ''Encyclopædia Britannica.'' '''3''' (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pgs. 246–247.</ref>

With a woman and a child ruling Jerusalem, the political situation was somewhat tense; the northern crusader states of [[County of Tripoli|Tripoli]], [[Principality of Antioch|Antioch]], and [[County of Edessa|Edessa]] increasingly asserted their independence, and there was no king to impose the suzerainty of Jerusalem as Baldwin II or Fulk had done. In the Muslim world, [[Imad ad-Din Zengi|Zengi]] ruled northern [[Syria]] from the cities of [[Mosul]] and [[Aleppo]], and desired to add [[Damascus]] in the south to his control. In 1144, Zengi [[Siege of Edessa (1144)|captured Edessa]], which shocked the Western world and led to the [[Second Crusade]].<ref name=":0" />

This crusade did not reach Jerusalem until 1148, and in the meantime Zengi was [[assassinated]] in 1146. He was succeeded by his son [[Nur ad-Din Zangi|Nur ad-Din]], who was just as eager to bring Damascus under his control. To counter this, Jerusalem and Damascus had made an alliance for their mutual protection. However, in 1147 Nur ad-Din and [[Mu'in ad-Din Unur]], the governor of Damascus, made an alliance against Jerusalem, as the kingdom had already broken the treaty by allying with one of Unur's rebellious vassals. Baldwin marched out from Jerusalem and attempted to capture the Muslim fortress [[Battle of Bosra (1147)|Bosra]], but Nur ad-Din arrived with his army and forced the Crusaders to withdraw. As the Crusaders marched back toward their own territory they were attacked by Nur ad-Din's cavalry, but Baldwin III's generalship combined with the martial prowess of his knights managed to throw off the Muslim assault. Later, Jerusalem's truce with Damascus was restored.<ref name="images.library.wisc.edu">Baldwin, Marshall W. (1969). "[http://images.library.wisc.edu/History/EFacs/HistCrus/0001/0001/reference/history.crusone.i0032.pdf The Latin States under Baldwin III and Amalric I, 1143–1174]". In Setton, Kenneth M.; Baldwin, Marshall W. (eds.). ''A History of the Crusades: Volume One. The First Hundred Years''. Madison: The University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 528–563.</ref>

[[File:Cracked coin of Baldwin III (1143-1163).jpg|thumb|Cracked billon coinage issued during the reign of Baldwin III (1143-1163). The coin depicts the Tower of David on the reverse.]]