Gilbert of Assailly Facts for Kids

Gilbert of Assailly

Gilbert of Assailly was an important leader of the Knights Hospitaller. He was the fifth Grand Master of this group. He served from about 1162 or 1163 until 1170. At that time, he was removed from his position. Gilbert took over after Auger de Balben. Later, Gastone de Murols became the Grand Master after Gilbert. Gilbert encouraged Amalric of Jerusalem to invade Egypt. This invasion did not succeed. It left the Knights Hospitaller in debt. It also made them rethink their role as a military group.

Gilbert's Life and Role
Battles in Egypt
Later Life and Death
See also

Gilbert's Life and Role

Not much is known about Gilbert before he became Grand Master. We know he was already old when he took the role. His name suggests he was from France and was a knight. Under Gilbert, the Knights Hospitaller became a truly military group. This change is mentioned in a letter to the Archbishop of Trani.

An old document says that Amalric of Nesle, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, asked for help from Western countries. This help was for the Holy Land. He also asked leaders to welcome Gilbert as the new Grand Master. We also know that Gilbert was in Le Puy on August 15, 1166. This was for an important donation to the Order.

During Gilbert's time as Grand Master, the Order gained land. They got new areas in the County of Tripoli and the Principality of Antioch. Two important donations happened. The first was in January 1168 from Bohemond III of Antioch. The second was in 1170 from Amalric of Jerusalem. These donations gave the Hospitallers special rights. They were allowed to act almost like a small independent state. They also bought land for Castle Belvoir. This castle was near Kawkab al-Hawa, north of Beit She'an. Gilbert also started to set up rules for how the Order was run.

Battles in Egypt

Gilbert is mostly remembered for his strong military actions. He encouraged Amalric of Jerusalem to go to war with Egypt. The goal was to make the kingdom bigger.

First Campaign (1164)

In the summer of 1164, a large army was formed. It included Knights Templar and Hospitallers. Leaders like Bohemond III of Antioch and Raymond III of Tripoli were part of it. On August 12, 1164, this army was defeated. This happened at the Battle of Harim by Nur ad-Din. Nur ad-Din was a powerful ruler. He then took the city of Banias on October 18, 1164. Banias was a key city between Tyre and Damascus. Later, Nur ad-Din agreed to a peace deal. It meant sharing the land around Tiberias with the Christian troops.

Second Campaign (1167)

In 1167, Shirkuh, a governor from Egypt, wanted to take back his power. He got permission from Nur ad-Din to do this. Shirkuh gathered an army in Syria. He set up his camp near Giza, across from Cairo. Amalric heard about this. He wanted to stop Shirkuh but arrived too late. Amalric went back to Ascalon to get more soldiers. The Hospitallers joined him there. On January 30, 1167, Amalric headed for Bilbeis. He went through Gaza and el-Arich.

Shawar, who was in charge in Cairo, felt in danger. He made an alliance with Amalric. This allowed the Christian troops to enter Cairo. On March 18, they were defeated at the Battle of al-Babein. They returned to Cairo and then surrounded Alexandria. After 75 days, Shirkuh asked for peace. He left the land to Shawar. Shirkuh returned to Syria with his army. He also gave the Christians a large sum of money.

Third Campaign (1168)

Gilbert still believed that taking over Egypt was a good idea. In October 1168, he provided a thousand knights and Turcopoles (local soldiers) to the army. In return, he asked to own Bilbeis. He also wanted a large area between Syria and the sea. Amalric started his journey at the end of October. He did not wait for more soldiers promised by Manuel I Komnenos. On November 4, he captured Bilbeis. By November 13, he was close to Cairo.

The Egyptians were ready to fight. Nur ad-Din, Shirkuh, and Shawar formed an alliance. Amalric's ships had taken Tinnis. But they could not go up the Nile River. So, they were told to leave. Amalric offered Shawar a deal to leave Cairo for a large payment. But Shirkuh's army was getting closer. This made Amalric lower his demands by half. On January 2, 1169, the troops from Jerusalem left Cairo.

Amalric decided to send a group to Western Europe. This group included the Archbishop of Tyre and the Grand Commander of the Hospitallers. They went to ask for help. In July 1169, they visited Pope Alexander III. In September and November, they went to the courts of Louis VII of France and Henry II of England. After two years, the group returned to Jerusalem without any help.

Fourth Campaign (1169)

In the fall of 1169, Amalric started his fourth campaign against Egypt. He had help from Manuel I Komnenos and the Hospitallers. Again, a financial deal was made with the Hospitallers. Bilbeis and the nearby land were promised to them. The target was Damietta. Greek and Frankish ships surrounded the city by sea and land in late October. But this mission also failed. The army returned to Tyre on December 7, 1169.

Later Life and Death

The military trips in 1168 did not go well. Gilbert's position became very difficult. People said he had ruined the Order. They also accused him of forgetting its main goal of helping others. He resigned from his role. Then, he thought about it again. But he refused the conditions set by the Order's leaders. Heraclius of Jerusalem tried to convince Pope Alexander III to put Gilbert back in charge. This attempt was not successful. Gilbert then went to England. The boat he was on sank near Dieppe. He drowned on September 19, 1183.

Gilbert of Assailly facts for kids

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