The Crusades: Conquest, Conversions, and Cultural Exchange
The Crusades were a series of religious wars organized by the Christian Latin Church during the late 11th century in response to Islamic expansion and in their desire for Christian rule of Jerusalem.The crusades brought trade routes to European cities, religious tensions, and hygiene and farming practices and knowledge to European regions.
According to the article, “The Real History of the Crusades,” by Thomas F. Madden, the motivation for the crusades sparked from the aggression of Isalmic’s leaders in their conquest to expand and dominate Christianity. Madden said that after the death of Prophet Mohammed, Islamic leaders fought hard to spread their faith. He said, “The warriors of Islam struck out the Christians shortly after Mohammed’s death. They were extremely successful. Palestine, Syria, and Egypt once the most heavily Christian areas in the world quickly succumbed. In the eleventh century, the Seljuk Turks conquered Asia which had been Christian since the time of St. Paul.” Islam was taking over historically Christian regions which worried Christian leaders greatly. According to Madden, “ Christianity as a faith and culture had to defend itself or be subsumed by Islam.” Christians leaders believed they had to fight against Islamic leaders to protect and preserve their faith and influence.
Christians leaders especially wanted to liberate the land of Jerusalem from Muslim control. The article, “The Crusades: A Brief History ( 1095-1291) by Robert Jones, talks about how Jerusalem had been under Muslim control for centuries and how Pope Urban II wanted the land back under Christian rule. Jones said, “In November of 1095, he called for the liberation of Jerusalem, which had been under Molsem control for 400 years. Pope Urban II believed that the city of Jerusalem had been suffering under Muslim control and that all those we fought to liberate Jerusalem would receive salvation. The article said that in a letter Pope Urban II said, “We know you have already heard from the testimony of many that the frenzy of the barbarians has devastated the churches of God in the east. and has even - shame to say - seized into slavery the holy city of Christ, Jerusalem.” He believed that Isalmic leaders were destroying Christian churches in Jerusalem and enslaving Christian citizens. He also believed that all those who helped liberate Jerusalem in good faith would receive the reward of salvation. In his letter Urban II said, “Anyone who sets out on that journey, not out of lust, or worldly advantage but only for the salvation of his soul and for the liberation of the church, is remitted in entirely all penance of his sins.” Urban II wanted the city of Jerusalem free of Isalmic rule and under Christianity instead. He motivated European Christians to go to war for Jerusalem by telling them that if they fight for the liberation of Jerusalem all of their past sins would be forgiven and they would go to heaven.
The Crusades continued for over 200 years on and off, ultimately the land of Jersulaem stayed under Muslim rule. However, the Crusades still had positive impacts on Christian European cities. The article, “How Did the Crusades Affect by Christianity,” by Ryan Watson, talks about how the Crusades made trading easier in Europe. Watson said, “ Because the financing of the crusades was so expensive and individual knights were responsible for their own transportation and costs, new ways of moving money around was needed. Several cities, such as Venice, Genoa, and Pisa, became immensely wealthy in transporting knights and acquiring new trade routes.” The Crusades led to creations of trade routes in European cities which greatly improved their economy. The article, “ Cross-Cultural Trade and Cultural Exchange During the Crusades,” by the website, “The Sulcan and the Sainc,” talks about how as trade increased Europeans were able to travel more and import more goods. The article said, “Trade increased as Europeans traveled more and became more familiar with exotic goods. Increased contact and trade was part of the reason for the rise of the towns and cities in western Europe, starting in Italy.” The crusades played a significant role in the rise of European towns. There was more trade and citizens of European towns were able to increase their connections by being allowed to contact other citizens more.
The crusades led to an increase of religious tensions in Europe. Christians wanted to protect the holy city of Jerusalem, and they believed they had to fight hard against any group that opposed their beliefs. The article, “ The Crusades, Even Now,” by Karen Armstrong, talks about how during the crusades there was an increase in violence from Christians against Jewish communities and how tensions between Christians and Muslims rapidly spiked. Armstrong said, “One of the first armies to leave Germany for Jerusalem attacked all of the Jewish communities along the Rhine Valley in 1096. As western Christians invented a new identity for themselves, Jews became the demonic “other.” Christians attacked Jewish communities during the crusades and spread outrageous and dangerous beliefs about them. Armstrong said they spread the belief that the Jewish people were out to hurt Christian children. Armstrong said, “The belief that Jews used the blood of Christian children to make matzah at Passover first surfaced in England in 1191, when Richard Lion-Heart took the cross and prepared to lead the Third Crusade. Armstrong makes it clear that Christians wanted Jewish communities to be attacked and killed as they believed they got in their way of taking over Jerusalem.
Tensions between Christians and Muslims also increased greatly during the Crusades. According to Armstrong, Islam was viewed as the enemy of the West. Armstrong said that the Christians showed no mercy in their attacks against Muslims. Armstrong said, “When the first Crusaders captured Jerusalem in July 1099, they slaughtered some 30,000 of the city's Jewish and Muslim inhabitants in two days. At the Haram al-Sharif, the third holiest place in the Islamic world, an exultant witness reported that the blood reached the horses' knees.” Christians were very aggressive when fighting for Jesualem during the crusades. They also spread ideas that Muslims were their enemy and that they must take Jerusalem back from them.
While the crusades brought violence and tensions between different religious communities the crusades also led to the spread of knowledge within these same communities. Armstrong talks about how Arab taught hygiene practices to European settlers. Armstrong said, “In the lands, the Crusaders had taken, the local Europeans civilized the European settlers: they taught them to take baths. The Arabs also taught the crusaders how to process sugar from canes and provided European merchants with a variety of luxury goods to ship home.” The crusades led to an exchange of knowledge. Europeans obtained better hygienic practices from Arab communities and learned how to process sugar from canes which would benefit their economy.
The crusades were a time of violence and tension. Religious groups fought for the freedom of Jerusalem which led to anger between them and dangerous lies were formed. Violence was rapid and many lives from different religious communities were lost. On a lighter note, the Crusades brought better trade routes to European citizens and the exchange of cultural knowledge and practices.
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