THE CRUSADES
What were the Crusades?
The Crusades were a series of nine Christian military expeditions
that took place during the end of the eleventh century and lasted until the
thirteenth century. The goal of the Crusades was to recover the Holy Land
of Palestine from the Muslims. This region was important to Christians
because it was where Jesus lived. It also had religious significance to the
Muslims and Jews.
Crusade comes from the Latin word crux, meaning “cross”. It referred
to the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. To go on a crusade
meant going to fight for Christ.
In AD 637, the Muslims captured the city of Jerusalem, which was a
holy city to Christians because Christ had lived and died in that area. For a
long time, the Muslims allowed Christians to visit Jerusalem as pilgrims,
and many thousands made the journey from Europe. Then, in 1071, a
group of extreme Turkish Muslims captured Jerusalem. They would not
tolerate Christians within the Holy Land. As a result, the Crusades began
and Christians went to the Holy Land to fight the Turkish Muslims.
Pope Urban II calls for a Crusade
Pope Urban II responded to restrictions placed on the Holy Land by
the Turkish Muslims. In 1095, he called a mass meeting in France of all the
knights of Christendom. He made a passionate speech to them, calling on
them to fight against the evil enemy to regain Jerusalem. At the end of his
speech, thousands surged forward, shouting that they were ready to fight
and die for Christ.
 Pope Urban II appealed to the knight's religious convictions.
 Pope Urban II said Muslim Turks were robbing and torturing
Christian pilgrims journeying to the holy land.
 The war offered knights a chance for glory and wealth.
Pope Urban II's possible motives for calling the First Crusade
 Assert the supremacy of the Pope over the Byzantine Emperor as the
leader of all Christians.
 Increase the power and prestige of the Roman Catholic Church and
the power of the Pope.
 Bring an end to the constant feudal warfare between Christians in
Europe by redirecting their violence toward the Muslims in the Holy
Land.
 Rescue and protect the "Holy Land" – the land associated with the life
of Jesus Christ, the major prophet of Christianity.
 Re-establish safe and unhindered access to the holy city of
Jerusalem for the thousands of Christian pilgrims who travel there
each year.
Keyword:
Christendom – all the land in Europe where Christians lived
Impact of the Crusades
The goal of Christians to capture the Holy Land was not
accomplished. As a result, a bitter legacy of religious hatred developed. In
the Middle East, Christians and Muslims committed appalling atrocities in
the name of religion.
Returning Crusaders brought fabrics, spices, and perfumes from the
Middle East back to Europe. Trade increased and expanded. The
Crusades encouraged the growth of a money economy. To finance the
journey to the Holy land, nobles needed money. They therefore allowed
peasants to pay rents in money instead of grain and labor. Peasants
began to sell their goods in towns to earn money, a practice that helped
undermine serfdom.
The Crusades increased the power of monarchs. These rulers won
new rights to collect taxes to support the Crusades. These conflicts also
brought papal power (the Pope’s power) to its height.
Contact with the Muslim world led European Christians to realize that
millions of people lived in regions they had never known existed. The
experiences of crusaders would help expand European horizons and would
lead to a new age of exploration.
What did Europe gain from contact with the Muslim East?
New Farming ideas and animals
New goods from the East
Knowledge
Windmills
Mules
Donkeys
Arab horses
Cotton
Muslin
Damask
Figs, plums, apricots, melons,
dates
Spices
Perfume
Oils
Arabic numbers
Decimals
Geometry
Algebra
Medicine
Military Science
Biology
Astronomy
Sources: www.schoolhistory.uk and Prentice Hall World History