William II Jordan facts for kids

William II Jordan (pronounced GILL-em Jor-DAN) was an important leader during the time of the Crusades, which were big religious wars in the Middle Ages. He was a count (a type of noble ruler) in Europe, specifically of Berga starting in 1094 and Cerdanya from 1095. Later, he became a regent (someone who rules for a king or queen who is too young or unable to rule) in the County of Tripoli in the Middle East, starting in 1105.

Who Was William II Jordan?

William II Jordan was the son of Count William I of Cerdanya and Sança. His mother, Sança, was the daughter of another important noble, Count Ramon Berenguer I of Barcelona. This means William came from a powerful family with connections to other ruling families in Europe.

Journey to the Holy Land

William joined the First Crusade, a huge journey by European knights and soldiers to the Holy Land (a region in the Middle East important to Christians, Jews, and Muslims). He went with the army of Raymond IV of Toulouse, who was one of the main leaders of the Crusade.

In 1105, Raymond IV died in the Holy Land. He left behind his young son, Alfonso-Jordan, who was still a child. Alfonso was supposed to be the lord of places like Mons Peregrinus and Tartus (a city in Syria). He was also meant to be the Count of Tripoli, even though the crusaders hadn't captured Tripoli yet. Because Alfonso-Jordan was too young to rule, Raymond's soldiers chose William II Jordan to be his regent. This meant William would rule in Alfonso's place until he was old enough.

A Royal Family Feud

Back in Europe, Raymond IV's older son, Bertrand of Toulouse, was ruling in Toulouse. After his father died, the nobles in Toulouse chose Alfonso-Jordan to replace Bertrand. This made Bertrand very unhappy, so he traveled to the Holy Land. He arrived at Mons Peregrinus in 1108, ready to claim his father's lands and titles for himself.

This led to a big argument between Bertrand and William. They both wanted control of Raymond's lands and the right to rule the still-unconquered County of Tripoli. To get more power, William teamed up with Prince Tancred of Galilee, who was ruling the Principality of Antioch at the time. Bertrand, on the other hand, asked King Baldwin I of Jerusalem for help.

Settling the Dispute

King Baldwin I, along with other important leaders like Baldwin of Bourcq and Joscelin I of Edessa, sided with Bertrand. This put pressure on William and Tancred. Eventually, they had to agree to a compromise. Tancred gave up his claim to the County of Edessa but was allowed to keep Antioch. William and Bertrand decided to divide the County of Tripoli between themselves. They also agreed to recognize Tancred and Baldwin I as their higher rulers.

Capturing Tripoli

Once the argument was settled, the crusader armies worked together. They marched towards Tripoli and began a siege (surrounding a city to capture it). They also got help from the Genoese fleet, which were ships from the city of Genoa.

On July 12, 1109, the crusaders successfully captured the city of Tripoli. Sadly, not long after this victory, William II Jordan died. He had been wounded by an arrow during the siege. After his death, Bertrand became the sole ruler of the County of Tripoli.

See also

In Spanish: Guillermo Jordán para niños