What Were the Crusades?
A series of religious wars between Muslims and Christians to secure their control of holy sites are known as the Crusades. From 1096 to 1291, eight major crusade expeditions took place in the middle east land. At the end of the 11th century, Western Europe became a supreme power with its own rights. But still, they lagged behind many other Mediterranean civilizations like the Byzantine Empire and the Islamic empire. This article will give you information about the history of the crusades, the effect of the crusades and about the crusades war.
Crusades History
One of the supreme powers in the Mediterranean region is the Byzantine empire. They lost their major territories to the Seljuk Turks. General Alexius Comnenus entered into various chaos and civil war and seized the Byzantine throne in 1081. Later, all other empires came under the control of Emperor Alexius I.
In 1095, Emperor Alexius I sent envoys to Pope Urban II and requested mercenary troops from the west to tackle the threats from the Turkish. As the relationship between east and west Christians was already worsened this situation helped to improve the relationship among them. Meanwhile, Pope Urban II called the western Christians to take arms to support the Byzantines and to recapture the holy land from Muslims. Here, the crusades begin.
The request of pope urban’s reached a vast population, many military and ordinary citizens joined together and started wearing ‘cross’ as a symbol of the church. Later, they acquired the pilgrim land and protected the travellers.
First Crusade (1096 - 1099)
In August 1096 the first crusade began with four armies of crusaders from Western European regions joined and formed troops. They are Hugh of Vermandois, Godfrey of Bouillon, Raymond of Saint-Gilles, and Bohemond of Taranto. This band was named “People’s Crusade” and headed by popular preacher, Peter the Hermit. Initially, Alexius asked them to take a rest, but they ignored and crossed the Bosporus in early august. In the first clash between the Muslims and Crusaders, the Turkish force defeated the Europeans at Cibotus.
Count Emicho headed another group of Crusaders and carried out a series of tragedies in the various towns of Rheinland in 1096. This act affected Jewish-Christian relations. Alexius ordered all four main armies to take an oath to be loyal in handing over Turks land to him. Except for Bohemond, all others took oath on it and attacked Nicea. In late June, Seljuk capital in Anatolia surrendered to Alexius.
The Fall of Jerusalem
Even though the relationship between the Crusaders and Byzantine leaders worsened, they joined together and marched to Anatolia to capture the great Syrian city of Antioch. They succeeded and began their march towards Jerusalem and occupied Egyptian Fatimids. Then they forced the city government to surrender Jerusalem also, Crusaders attacked hundreds of women, children and men of Jerusalem for acquiring it. And finally, they acquired it.
Second Crusade (1147 - 1149)
The crusaders achieved their goal in the first crusade in an unexpectedly short period of time and many crusaders departed from their homes to conquer territories. The crusader’s states were Jerusalem, Antioch, Edessa and Tripoli. Till 1130, Crusaders ruled the holy land meanwhile, Muslim forces gained power and stood against Christians for attaining their own holy land again.
In 1144, the general of Seljuk, Zangi, the governor of Mosul captured Edessa and Muslims acquired the northernmost Crusader state. Then the Crusaders called another Crusade led by two great rulers, King Louis VII of France and King Conrad III of Germany and started the Second Crusade in 1147.
In October 1147, the Turks destroyed Conrad’s forces located in Dorylaeum. Dorylaeum was the place where great Christians got victory during the First Crusade. Initially, Louis and Conrad managed and assembled their armies at Jerusalem to attack Damascus with an army of 50000 people. Meanwhile, Damascus’ ruler asked help from Nur al-Din, Zangi, who was the successor of Mosul. At the end of the Second Crusades, Muslims defeated the Crusaders. In 1154, Nur al-Din joined hands with Damascus and expanded their territory.
Third Crusade (1187 - 1192)
Crusaders of Jerusalem made numerous attempts to capture Egypt. In 1169, Nur al-Din’s acquired Cairo and forced the Crusader army to evacuate from the place. After the death of Shirkuh, Saladin came to power and began a campaign after the death of Nur al-Din in 1174.
In 1187, Saladin stood against the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem and destroyed the Christian army in the battle of Hattin. At the end of this battle, Saladin brought the majority of the territory under his control.
Muslims easily defeated the Crusaders kingdom, because of the ageing Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, King Philip II of France, and King Richard I of England. In September 1911 in the battle of Arsuf, Richard’s forces defeated Saladin. This was truly known as the true battle of the Third Crusade.
After recapturing the city of Jaffa, Richard started establishing the control of Christians in some regions and approached Jerusalem, but he refused to siege the city. At the end of September 1192, Richard and Saladin agreed to sign a peace treaty about the re-establishment of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.
Fourth Crusade: The Fall of Constantinople
In 1198, Pope Innocent III invited a new crusade to face the struggles created by Europe and Byzantium. He sent the Crusaders to divert their mission and make the fall of Byzantine emperor, Alexius III and Pope Innocent II became Alexius IV in mid of 1203. Then, Alexium IV attempted to submit the Byzantine church to Rome but he could not make it. In the early of 1204, Alexius IV was killed in his palace. Then, Crusaders declared war on Constantinople and defeated them. This made the fall of Constantinople at the end of the fourth crusade.
Final Crusades (1208-1271)
Various Crusades took place in the 13th century, but none defeated Muslime forces from their holy land. In 1208 - 1229, the fifth crusades started. During that time, the Albigensian Crusade tried to force the heretical Cathari or the Albigensian sect of Christianity in France. In 1211 - 1225, the Baltic Crusades tried to overcome pagans in Transylvania.
In 1212, the Children’s Crusade took place, where thousands of young children were marched to Jerusalem. But many historians won’t recognise it as the actual crusade. But this movement never reached the holy land.
The crusaders attacked Egypt both from land and sea in the Fifth Crusade. As pope innocent III died in 1216, they got surrendered to Muslim defender Saladin’s nephew, Al-Malik al-Kamil in 1221.
In 1229, the sixth crusade began. During that time Emperor Frederick II agreed to have a peaceful transfer of Jerusalem to Crusader control. From 1248 to 1254, Louis IX of France built a crusade against Egypt, but he failed. This was named the seventh Crusade.
End of Crusades
In 1291, the remaining one crusader city Acre came to the hands of Muslim Mamluks. Minor crusades left out with limited goals.
Effects of the Crusades
At the end of the Crusades, Muslims defeated the Europeans. During this period, the Roman Catholic Church experienced huge wealth, but the power of the pope was elevated after the end of the Crusades.
As a result of the Crusades, trade and transportation improved. This war created a constant demand for transportation and supplies in the manufacturing and shipbuilding sectors. After the Crusades, many historians started showing interest to learn about Europe, because it may have paved the way for the renaissance. However, Islam followers were considered the Crusaders as immoral, bloody and savage.
Did You Know?
There is one mosque in Dubai whose name is "Mary, The Mother of Jesus Mosque" and the earlier name of this mosque was "Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Mosque" and it was built in 1989 and it was renamed in 2017. This mosque is a beautiful example of showing peaceful coexistence of two religions i.e Islam and Christianity.
Conclusion
This article explained what were the crusades, who were the crusades and how all the eight crusades happened with the effect of the crusades in detail. In simple words, the crusades were simply meant to the religious wars that occurred between the Christians as well as Muslims in order to protect their holy sites.
FAQs on Crusades
1. What is the historical definition of the Crusades?
The Crusades were a series of religious and military campaigns that took place primarily between the 11th and 13th centuries. Sanctioned by the Latin Church, they were initiated by Western European Christians with the main objective of reclaiming the Holy Land (areas around Jerusalem) from Muslim rule. However, their scope also included campaigns against other groups in Europe.
2. What were the primary motivations behind the Crusades?
While religious fervour was a key driver, the motivations for the Crusades were complex and varied. They included:
- Religious Zeal: A desire to reclaim Jerusalem and other holy sites for Christianity and to aid the Byzantine Empire against the Seljuk Turks.
- Political Ambition: The Papacy sought to increase its influence over secular rulers and unite Christendom under its leadership.
- Economic Incentives: Nobles and knights sought land and wealth, while merchants, especially from Italian city-states, saw opportunities for new trade routes and markets.
- Social Factors: Feudal society provided a large number of landless knights who saw the Crusades as an opportunity for glory, salvation, and adventure.
3. How many major Crusades were there and what was their general timeline?
Historians traditionally count eight or nine major Crusades to the Holy Land between 1096 and 1291. Key campaigns include:
- The First Crusade (1096–1099): The most successful from a military perspective, resulting in the capture of Jerusalem and the establishment of Crusader states.
- The Third Crusade (1189–1192): Known as the 'Kings' Crusade', it featured prominent leaders like Richard the Lionheart of England and Saladin.
- The Fourth Crusade (1202–1204): Infamously diverted, leading to the sack of the Christian city of Constantinople.
4. What were the 'Crusader States'?
The Crusader States were four feudal territories established by Christian nobles in the Eastern Mediterranean following the First Crusade. They were created to consolidate Christian control over the region. The four primary states were:
- The County of Edessa
- The Principality of Antioch
- The Kingdom of Jerusalem
- The County of Tripoli
5. Was there a clear winner of the Crusades?
No, there was no single, clear winner, but in the long term, Muslim powers achieved their primary goal of expelling the Crusaders. While the First Crusade was a significant military victory for the Christians, subsequent crusades were largely unsuccessful in maintaining a permanent hold on the Holy Land. By 1291, Muslim forces, particularly the Mamluks, had recaptured all Crusader territories. The conflicts were devastating for all sides and had complex, lasting consequences that make a simple declaration of 'winner' inaccurate.
6. What were the most significant long-term effects of the Crusades?
The Crusades had profound and lasting effects on both Europe and the Middle East. Key impacts include:
- Increased Trade: They stimulated trade between the East and West, introducing new goods and ideas to Europe.
- Cultural Exchange: Despite the conflict, there was a significant exchange of knowledge in science, mathematics, and medicine from the Islamic world to Europe.
- Political Changes: They contributed to the power of monarchs and the decline of feudalism in Europe, as many nobles died or sold their lands to fund their campaigns.
- Religious Tensions: The wars created centuries of deep-seated animosity and mistrust between the Christian and Muslim worlds.
7. How did the Crusades influence the relationship between Christians and Muslims?
The Crusades dramatically worsened the relationship between Christian and Muslim communities, creating a long history of mutual hostility and suspicion that has influenced perceptions to this day. They marked a period of intense, religiously-justified warfare that left a legacy of grievance. Furthermore, events like the sack of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade also deepened the divide between Western (Catholic) and Eastern (Orthodox) Christians, contributing to the long-term consequences of the East-West Schism.
8. Were the Crusades purely religious wars, or were other factors involved?
No, the Crusades were not purely religious. While religious rhetoric was the primary justification and a powerful motivator, many other factors were at play. Political power struggles, both within Europe and between the Papacy and secular kings, were a significant element. Economic motives, such as the desire for new trade routes, wealth, and land, drove many participants. For individual knights and soldiers, the promise of adventure, social advancement, and plenary indulgences (forgiveness of sins) were also powerful draws.
9. How did the Crusades contribute to the Renaissance in Europe?
The Crusades indirectly helped create the conditions for the Renaissance. By increasing contact with the East, they stimulated demand for goods like spices and silks, enriching Italian city-states like Venice and Genoa that controlled these trade routes. This accumulation of wealth created a powerful merchant class that became patrons of the arts and sciences. Furthermore, the reintroduction of classical Greek texts, preserved in Islamic culture, sparked a renewed interest in learning that was central to the Renaissance and Reformation.
10. What role did military orders like the Knights Templar play during the Crusades?
Military orders were a unique feature of the Crusades, combining religious vows with military duties. The most famous of these, the Knights Templar, was founded to protect Christian pilgrims travelling to the Holy Land. They quickly evolved into an elite fighting force, playing a crucial role in many battles. They also developed a sophisticated international banking system, becoming incredibly wealthy and influential until their eventual suppression in the 14th century.
