Last Name:_____________________ First Name:_______________________ Date:_____________ Per.:____
From the Crusades to New Muslim Empires: U2C11, Part 2 of 3 (Pages 122-125)
Saladin ransom King Richard I
Reconquest Iberian Peninsula
Queen Isabella investments
massacre Inquisition decade
11.3- The Story of the Crusades – The Third Crusade (1189-1192)
Over the next few decades1, Muslims in the Middle East began to unite under
one leader. One great leader known as Saladin to Europeans was able to unite a many
Muslim into one of the largest empires since the Seljuks. He united Egypt, Syria, and
lands to the east and led a renewed fight against the crusaders. Saladin had a lot of
success and took back most of Palestine. In 1187, his armies captured Jerusalem. Saladin did not kill his
prisoners, as the crusaders had done. Instead, he freed many captives or sold them for ransom, money paid in
exchange for the release of prisoners. Others were sold into slavery.
Ethics: Would you rather be killed or sold as a slave? _______________________________________
The loss of Jerusalem shocked Europeans and began the Third Crusade. King Richard I of England,
known as Richard the Lionheart, led the fight against Saladin. In 1191, Richard’s army forced the surrender of
the Palestine town of Acre. Afterward, arrangements were made to exchange prisoners. After waiting for a
time, Richard felt that Saladin was taking too long. Growing impatient, he ordered his men to kill 2,700 of his
Muslim prisoners. Richard then fought his way toward Jerusalem, but his army was not strong enough to
attack the city. Saladin’s army was also weakened from fighting. In September 1192, both men signed a
peace treaty. The crusaders were able to keep some captured cities in Palestine and Christian pilgrims would
be allowed to enter Jerusalem.
Later Crusades
The crusades to the Middle East continued for another 100 years. Some crusades were popular
movements of poor people rather than organized military campaigns. None of the later crusades succeeded in
recapturing Jerusalem. Muslims eventually recaptured their lost territory ending 200 years of Christian rule in
the Holy Land.
The Reconquista
Crusaders went to war against Muslims in Europe and North Africa as well as the
Middle East. One important series of wars was called the Reconquista (reconquest).
Christians launched these wars to retake the Iberian Peninsula (modern-day Spain and
Portugal) from Muslims. As you have learned, the Umayyads established a Muslim
dynasty in Spain in the eighth century. A unique cultured flourished where Muslims, Jews, and Christians lived
together in peace. However, non-Muslims had to pay a special tax. Over time, Christian rulers slowly got back
lands that had been conquered by the Muslims. When the Umayyad government broke up in 1002 Christians
tried to take advantage of the Muslim’s weakness. As time went on Christians reconquered some of their old
territory and eventually expelled the Muslims from the Iberian Peninsula.
In the late 1400s, Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand wanted to unite Spain as a Catholic country. They
used the Inquisition, a church court, against Muslims and Jews who said they had converted, or switched, to
Christianity. The Spanish Inquisition was extremely harsh. Judges, called inquisitors, sometimes used torture
to find out whether or not Muslims and Jews had stopped practicing their old religion. Thousands of people
were burned alive. By 1492, the last of the Muslims had either left the Iberian Peninsula or converted to
Catholicism.
Perspective: Which perspective would you least like to be from this reading? Why? _______________
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1
A decade is a period of ten years.
11.4- Christians and the Crusades
For crusaders, the religious wars were a costly ordeal. But European Christians also
benefited from the crusades. Crusaders suffered all the terrible effects of war. Many were
wounded and died in battle. Others died from disease and the hardships of travel. The crusaders also had an
economic impact on Europe. Knights began spending more money in order to get the supplies they needed
for war. As a result, they began making loans and investments2. And Kings started tax
systems in order to get money for the crusades.
The crusades changed society as well. Kings became even more powerful as nobles
and knights left home in order to fight in the Middle East. The increasing power of Monarchs helped end
feudalism. Contact with eastern cultures also had a major impact of Christian’s way of life. In the Holy Land,
Christians learned about many new things such as foods and goods. They discovered clothing made from
cotton fabric made in Persia. They also developed a liking for melons, apricots, and sesame seeds. After
crusaders returned home, European merchants earned enormous profits by trading for these goods.
Changes Over Time: How did Europe change during and after the crusades?_____________________
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11.5- Muslims and the Crusades
The crusades brought fewer benefits to Muslims than they did to
Christians. Although, Muslims did kick out the crusaders from the Middle
East, they lost their lands in Iberia. In addition, the Muslims benefited very
little from the Christians because they were a more advanced society.
Impact on Muslims as a Group
The crusades were a terrible time for many Muslims. An unknown number of Muslims were killed in
battles and massacres. Crusaders also destroyed Muslim property. Through all the wars Muslims did learn of
new weapons and military ideas such as having a permanent army for immediate protection. In addition,
some Muslim merchants became very rich. They used the money to build mosques and schools. The crusades
also brought political changes as many Muslims came together for the first time to fight the Christians. For
example, the Ayyubid dynasty was started by Saladin and lasted until 1250.
Perspectives and Details: Describe the crusades from a Christian perspective. Use a lot of details.
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Perspectives and Details: Describe the crusades from a Muslim perspective. Use a lot of details.
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In your own words, write down the meaning of the words below:
Saladin:___________________________________________________________________________________
ransom:___________________________________________________________________________________
King Richard I:______________________________________________________________________________
Reconquest:________________________________________________________________________________
Iberian Peninsula:___________________________________________________________________________
Queen Isabella:_____________________________________________________________________________
investments:_______________________________________________________________________________
massacre:_________________________________________________________________________________
Inquisition:_________________________________________________________________________________
decade:___________________________________________________________________________________
2
Investments are when someone spends money in a business, idea, property, etc. in hopes of making more money.