Balian Grenier

Balian Garnier (also Grenier, * to 1195, † 1240) was as Balian of Sidon 1202-1240 Count of Sidon.

Life

He was the son of Rainald Garnier and Helvis of Ibelin. When his father died Balian was still a minor, so took the second husband of his mother, Guido de Montfort, for him the regency of the county Sidon. 1210 Balian came of age and took over the rule.

During the Fifth Crusade he advised King Andrew II of Hungary from which to venture into the desert regions of his county Sidon, as they largely were under Saracen control. The Hungarians ignored Balian advice and many of them fell a Saracen ambush prey.

During the Crusade of Frederick II, he supported the emperor in his claim to the throne of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. He negotiated with Richard Filangieri, the Marshal of Sicily, Frederick had sent ahead to Acre in 1228 to represent him until his own arrival. Balian was the leading ally of the emperor among the local barons. He supported the Emperor and his display of power, but tried like the last crusade to avoid blood baths. 1229, Frederick Balian rule Tyre, and in 1231 he appointed him co-regent of the kingdom, together with Werner von Eguisheim ( called Garnier l' Aleman ).

During the Crusade Theobalds IV of Champagne ( crusade of the barons ), he joined the army of crusaders. VII Amalric de Montfort, Henry II of Bar moved against the advice Balian ago against the Egyptians and were subject at the Battle of Gaza ( 1239 ). In the further course of the Crusade Balian received the 1240 Beaufort castle back, who had lost his father after a stubborn resistance to Saladin in 1190. The castle was given to the Crusaders by the Ayyubid Sultan of Damascus as- Salih Ismail, for the support of the crusader against his nephew as- Salih Ayyub, the Ayyubid Sultan of Cairo, hoped for. Contrary to the command of their own Sultan, the Muslim garrison of the castle initially refused to surrender them, to Christians, then as- Salih Ismail himself besieged the castle with his army and forced the surrender to Balian. Other troops of as- Salih Ismail refused on the side of crusaders to fight against Muslims, so the Crusaders instead finally in winter 1240/41 an offer from the Sultan of Egypt assumptions to close with him against further cessions of territory a neutrality agreement. At this time the castle was already passed to Balian and remained in its possession.

Balian died in 1240, possibly only 1241st His son Julian Garnier followed him to the county of Sidon, the Balian had largely recovered.

Marriage and issue

In 1218 he married Margarethe ( Ida ) of Reynel († June 5, 1254 ), the daughter of Arnold of Reynel and his wife Ida of Brienne. She was a maternal niece of John of Brienne. With Margaret he had five children:

  • Gilles ( † before 1240);
  • Julian ( † 1275 ), Count of Sidon;
  • Philipp " Beaufort " ( † after March 1261 );
  • Isabella;
  • Agnes ⚭ William, Lord of Batroun.
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