Renaud de Châtillon

Renaud de Châtillon, born towards 1120, carried out in 1187 with Hattin, Prince Consort of Antioche (1153 - 1163), then lord of in addition to-Jordan and of Hebron.

Biography

First raid and imprisonment

Certain sources make of Renaud de Châtillon the son of Henri Ier, lord of Châtillon and of Ermengarde de Montjay but, according to Jean Richard, it would have been wire of Herve II of Donzy, which was lord of Gien, Châtillon (Châtillon-on-Loing, currently Châtillon-Coligny) and Donzy.

It is a junior without fortune, but which passes to be a splendid warrior. He leaves for the Holy Land and, in spring 1153, wife Constance, princess regent of Antioche, widow of Raymond of Poitiers. Aimery of Limoges, patriarch of Antioche, whose this marriage decreased the influence on the princess, having spoken about him with contempt, Renaud throws it in prison, the fact of torturing, then after having coated its honey wounds, connects it and the fact of exposing to the sun and the insects.

Pretexting the refusal of the Basileus Manual Ier Comnène to pay him a sum due for military services against the prince Thoros II of Arménie, it decides to launch a raid against Cyprus, which was then a Byzantine topic. It is combined with its enemy of the Thoros day before and unloads in Cyprus in spring 1155, demolishes without difficulties the Byzantine garrison, then devastation systematically the island: the cultivated fields are burned, the massacred herds, the churches, the palates and the plundered and set fire to convents, the violated women, the old men and the children have the throat cut, the rich men are taken along as an hostage and the decapitated poor. Before leaving the island with his spoils, Renaud makes gather all the Greek priests and monks and their fact of cutting the nose fairing sending them to Constantinople. Even in this time when piracy against Byzance is thing ordinary, the violence of this raid makes indignant all the chroniclers.

Very quickly, the exactions of Renaud will make it odious to his neighbors Alépins, the Byzantine and its own subjects.

During the three years which follow the raid on Cyprus, Renaud is at the sides of the king Baudouin III of Jerusalem in various fights against the Moslem forces what enables him in 1158 to take again Harim with Nur AD-DIN.

The emperor Manual Ier Comnène, forced to give up his ambitions in the Western Mediterranean, gains there to have the freehands in the East. The frank princes of the East wish his alliance and Baudouin III of Jerusalem marries his niece. The emperor joins together an important army, reconquers Cilicie on the Armenians and takes his winter quarters to a hundred and fifty kilometers of Antioche. Renaud de Châtillon, which knows that the other frank princes disapprove his control in Cyprus and that Manuel Ier holds rigor of it to him, takes the initiative and will require, prostrate, barefeet and the cord with the neck, the forgiveness of the emperor. The emperor grants and, in April 1159, makes in Antioche an entry peaceful but intended to him to point out the vassalage of Antioche towards Byzance.

November 23rd 1160, Renaud is made prisoner by the soldiers Turkish during an operation of plundering. Nur AD-DIN will hold it imprisoned with Alep during sixteen years. During its captivity, Constance of Antioche dies and Bohémond III of Antioche, wire of the first marriage of Constancy, inherits Antioche.

Thanks to an prisoner exchange, Renaud is released in 1176 by Have-Salih Ismail Al-Malik, the son of Nur AD-DIN. According to other sources, as a father-in-law of the empress Marie d' Antioche, it is repurchased for the extraordinary sum of 120.000 dinars gold.

Apogee

It then offers its services to the king Baudouin IV of Jerusalem which gives him the Seigneurie of Hebron. By marrying the young widow of Miles of Plancy, Étiennette de Milly, lady of in addition to-Jordan, it becomes lord of Montreal and in addition to-Jordan. It holds in particular the fortresses of Krak and from Chawbak and, it will hold to ransom the caravans passing in the surroundings.

Its years of captivity do not have it at all assagi and it multiplies the provocations. Combined Templiers, he exerts on the court of Jerusalem a growing influence. He is in favor of a policy of conquest vis-a-vis the Moslems, unfortunately moved much more by his hopes of plundering that by strategic considerations.

Contrary to the frank chroniclers, who seem to want to minimize his role on this occasion, but in accordance with all the Moslem chroniclers, it is thought now that it is Renaud de Châtillon who ordered the army of cross at the time of famous the battles of Montgisard (November 25th, 1177).

In 1181, malgé a truce concluded between Baudouin IV from Jerusalem and Saladin, it plunders a caravan going to Mecque. Saladin complains some in Baudouin IV about Jerusalem, which does not find the force to prevail against its vassal (it was then in full crisis in his disease). Saladin, insane of rage, would have declared that it would kill Renaud de Châtillon of his own hands.

Fall and dead of Renaud de Châtillon

In 1182, it assembles a forwarding in Red Sea, plunders the ports of the Hedjaz and threatens the Holy Cities of Islam, Mecque and Médine. In way, it runs a boat of Moslem pilgrims going towards Jeddah. While Renaud, charged with spoils, goes up towards his grounds, its men continue to furrow the Red Sea and plunder Hedjaz; the basic idea was certainly excellent (to threaten Mecque could create a useful diversion by diverting the Arab forces of the Kingdom of Jerusalem) but would have required more means and an execution differently more rational whose Renaud de Châtillon, all his life shows it, was absolutely unable. The brother of Saladin, Al-Adel, which control in Egypt, lance against them a fleet which crushes the plunderers. Some of them are led with Mecque to be decapitated in public there.

Saladin launches raids on its territory (1183). It besieges the fortress of Kérak, but made save the sector where the weddings of the daughter-in-law of Renaud proceed. This one owes its safety only thanks to the helps of Baudouin IV.

To died from Baudouin IV (1185), the regency of the kingdom of Jerusalem goes to Raymond III of Tripoli, which treats with Saladin. The death of the young person Baudouin V gives the throne to Guy de Lusignan (August 1186). The effective capacity passes to the party of Renaud de Châtillon.

In 1187, it still attacks a caravan going from Egypt to Damas. The truce is broken and Saladin engages the war against the kingdom of Jerusalem. The battle between the two armies takes place the July 4th 1187 with Hattin and the Francs are overcome. Renaud, captive fact, are immediately decapitated of a blow of saber by Saladin.

Children

Of its first marriage (1153) with Constancy of Antioche (1127 † 1163), it had:

Agnes de Châtillon († 1184), married to Béla III, king de Hongrie

Of its second marriage (1177) with Étiennette de Milly, lady of in addition to-Jordan, it had:

Alix de Châtillon († 1235), married to Azzo VI of Este

Internal bonds

House of Châtillon

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