7 The 100 Most Influential World Leaders of All Time 7

the two volumes of the Domesday Book, one of the great-

est administrative accomplishments of the Middle Ages.

Despite his duties as king, William remained preoc-

cupied with the frontiers of Normandy. There was also an

issue with William’s oldest son and heir, Robert Curthose

(later Robert II), who, given no appanage (grant of land

from the royal domain) and seemingly kept short of

money, left Normandy in 1077 and plotted with his father’s

enemies. While fighting with King Philip I of France to

enforce his last outstanding territorial claim, William suf-

fered an injury from which he never recovered.

Before his death, he settled the matter of his inheri-

tance. Although William was tempted to make the loyal

Rufus his sole heir, in the end he compromised: Normandy

and Maine went to Robert, and England went to Rufus.

Henry was given great treasure with which to purchase

an appanage.

Urban II

(b. c. 1035, Châtillon-sur-Marne, or Lagery, or Lagny, Champagne,

France—d. July 29, 1099, Rome [Italy])

P

ope Urban II served as head of the Roman Catholic

Church from 1088 to 1099. He developed ecclesiasti-

cal reforms begun by Pope Gregory VII, launched the

Crusade movement, and strengthened the papacy as a

political entity.

Originally named Odo of Châtillon-sur-Marne, or Odo

of Lagery, or of Lagny, he was born of noble parents in the

Champagne region of France. After studies in Soissons and

Reims, he took the position of archdeacon in the diocese

of Reims, probably holding that position from 1055 to 1067.

Subsequently he became a monk and then prior superior at

Cluny, the most important centre of reform monasticism