Crusades - The Religious Wars

The Crusades were a series of religious warfare between Christians and Muslims that began with the goal of gaining control of holy places cherished by both religions. Between 1096 and 1291, eight major Crusade expeditions took place. 

The deadly, violent, and often merciless struggles elevated European Christians status, making them significant protagonists in the Middle East land wars. Western Europe had evolved as a considerable force in its own right by the end of the 11th century, yet it still lagged behind other Mediterranean civilizations like the Middle East and North Africans Islamic Empire and the Byzantine Empire. 

The Pope called for Western Christians to take up weapons to help the Byzantines in retaking the Holy Land from Muslim dominion at the Council of Clermont in southern France in November 1095. 

The Crusades officially began with this event. Several religious knightly military organizations, such as the Knights Templar, Teutonic Knights, and Hospitallers, were founded during the Crusades. These organizations were tasked with defending the Holy Land and ensuring the safety of pilgrims going to and from the region.

In the first crusade (1096-1099), Peter the Hermit led an army of peasants to
the Holy Land. The Turks slaughtered them all. In 1099, an army of knights
commanded by Godfrey of Bouillon murdered Muslims and conquered
Jerusalem. The Crusaders slaughtered Muslims until the streets were red with
blood, according to legend. 

The collapse of Edessa startled Europe, causing Christian leaders in the West to call for a Second Crusade. The Second Crusade began in 1147, led by two great kings, King Louis VII of France and King Conrad III of Germany.

Invasion of the Holy Land by King Louis VII of France, but was defeated at Damascus. In the third crusade, Saladin, the Muslim monarch, regained Jerusalem in 1187. The Crusaders conquered Acres port.

They quarreled, however, and were unable to seize Jerusalem. Richard was abducted on the way home and held for ransom until February 1194, when the English paid for his freedom. The pope called for the fourth crusade in 1198.

He wanted to unify Christians from the West and the East under his leadership.
With the support of Venice, he diverted the Crusade and captured Constantinople in 1204. Christians fought each other. The Holy Land was conquered by several crusades. Around 1240, the knight Jean D Alluye journeyed to the Holy Land, although the details of his journey are unknown.

Louis IX, who died in Tunisia in 1248, supported the Seventh and Eighth
Crusades in 1248 and 1270, respectively. Sultan Baybars conquered Montfort
Castle in 1271, and the Crusader city of Acre fell to Sultan Baybars in 1291,
bringing the age of Latin Crusader kingdoms to an end.

Despite the legends surrounding Crusaders and the Holy Land, calls for new crusades were progressively dismissed in the following centuries. While the Crusades eventually resulted in European loss and Muslim victory, many claims that they were successful in spreading Christianity and Western civilization.

After the Crusades, the Roman Catholic Church grew in riches, and the Pope's influence grew. There's no denying that the Crusades years of violent struggle had a long-term impact on Middle Eastern and Western European nations and that their political and cultural views and opinions continue to affect political and cultural views and ideas today.


Written By - Grasha Mittal

Edited By - Vanshu Verma