Louis IX

Louis IX led the Seventh Crusade to Egypt. He captured Damietta but was later defeated at the Battle of Al Mansurah. Louis was captured and held for ransom. He spent four years in the Holy Land after his release, fortifying crusader positions.

Louis IX issued a series of ordinances reforming the French royal administration and judicial system. He established the Parlement of Paris as a supreme court, prohibited private warfare, and introduced the presumption of innocence in criminal trials.

Louis IX launched the Eighth Crusade, targeting Tunis in North Africa. Shortly after arriving, an epidemic (likely dysentery or plague) swept through the crusader camp. Louis died of the disease. The crusade was abandoned soon after his death.