Download Crusades – Primary Source Documents

Name ______________________________ Per ________
Ms. T: World Studies: The Crusades DBQ
Document 1: The Crusades
1)
Predictions: Based on this image
a. Based on what we have learned about world religions, and based on what you see in the above image, what
do you predict The Crusades were?
b.
2)
What can you predict is 1 economic, social and political benefit to having a specific religion control an area of
land?
When, if ever, is it necessary to convert people to believe what you believe? Is it ever OK to be violent with someone
that has different beliefs? Explain your answer in 2-3 complete sentences.
Document 2
3)
Based on the above map, where are the Crusades starting? Where are they ending?
4)
Based on your knowledge of World Religions, why is the ending point of the Crusader a significant religious location?
What do you predict the Crusaders want with this city? Why? (explain in 3 well-constructed sentences)
Document 3: An Overview of the Crusades
Three major religious groups all claimed Jerusalem in the land of Palestine as their holy city.
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To Christians, it was the place where Jesus was crucified and ascended to heaven
To Muslims, it was the place where Muhammad ascended to heaven
To Jews, it was the site of the ancient temple built by Solomon
In 600 CE, Arabs (Muslims)entered the city and took control. The Arabs allowed Christian and Jewish pilgrims to visit Jerusalem.
In fact, Jews and Christians could live in Palestine as long as they paid their taxes like everyone else.
The First Crusade: The Problem: Around 1095, a new group of Arabs (Muslims) took control of Jerusalem. They closed the city
to Jewish and Christian pilgrims. The Solution: The Pope acted. He called for a crusade - a volunteer army whose goal was to
retake Jerusalem. Many people volunteered. About 30,000 men left Western Europe to fight in Jerusalem.
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For knights, this was a chance to use their fighting skills, something they enjoyed and did well. They were delighted to
have such a worthy battle to fight.
For peasants, this was a chance to escape from their dreary life in the feudal system. The pope promised that if they
died while fighting a holy crusade, they would automatically be welcomed into heaven.
For others, it was a chance to have an adventure, and perhaps even to get rich.
Sign of the Crusade - The Red Cross: Each crusader had a huge red cross, made out of fabric, stitched onto their shirts or
armor. It made all crusaders, irrespective of rank or background, appear to be a unified army. It reminded the crusaders that they
were fighting a holy cause. The red cross was added to flags and banners
The Results: After about two years of harsh traveling, hunger, disease, freezing weather, and quarrels amongst themselves, the
crusaders finally arrived in Jerusalem. After a two-month siege of the city, the city fell. The crusaders had won back Jerusalem.
Some men stayed. Some headed home. Those who returned brought back new foods and new forms of culture.
More Crusades: It was a short victory. Less than 50 years later, Muslims once again conquered Jerusalem. Again the pope
called for a crusade to take back the city.
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The Second Crusade lasted from 1147-1149. It was not successful.
The Third Crusade lasted from 1189-1192. It was not successful.
The Fourth Crusade lasted from 1202-1204. Instead of attacking Jerusalem, the crusaders attacked Constantinople.
They stole statues, money, paintings and jewelry. They burned libraries. They destroyed churches. Their ridiculous
excuse was that they needed money to defend Constantinople from the same fate as Jerusalem, as well as to fund the
rescue of Jerusalem. The people of Constantinople did not find this excuse acceptable, and they were filled with hatred
for the west.
The Children's Crusade in 1212 was a terrible tragedy. Many thousands of French and German children died trying to
reach Jerusalem. They believed God would help them because they were children. Many died of hunger. Other froze
to death. When the survivors reached the Mediterranean Sea, they expected the waters to part and let them pass.
When this did not happen, those who were left returned dismally home.
Over the next 70 years, there were several other crusade attempts, but they were motivated more by personal gain
than by religious purpose. None succeeded. By 1291, 200 years after the first crusade, European leaders lost interest.
Western Europe never admitted defeat. They simply stopped asking for new crusaders.
5) In your own words, and it 2 complete sentences, explain what the Crusades were? Is this what you predicted they were?
6) In the above reading, it states the citizens who went to save the city of Jerusalem were “VOLUNTERRS.” What reward do you
predict the church could promise to these volunteers to encourage them to join?
7) Based on the reading above, were the Crusaders successful in taking back the city of Jerusalem? Site specific quotes from
the reading to defend your answer.
Document 4: The Pope Promises Eternal Rewards
…."Although, O sons of God, you have promised more firmly than ever to keep the peace among
yourselves and to preserve the rights of the church, there remains still an important work for you to do.
Freshly quickened by the divine correction, you must apply the strength of your righteousness to another matter which concerns
you as well as God. For your brothers who live in the east are in urgent need of your help, and you must give them the aid which
has often been promised. For, as the most of you have heard, the Turks and Arabs (Muslims) have attacked them and have
conquered the territory of Romania [the Greek empire]. They have occupied more and more of the lands of those Christians, and
have overcome them in seven battles. They have killed and captured many, and have destroyed the churches and devastated
the empire. If you permit them to continue the faithful of God will be much more widely attacked by them. On this account I, or
rather the Lord, begs you as Christ's children to publish this everywhere and to persuade all people of whatever rank, foot-
soldiers and knights, poor and rich, to carry aid promptly to those Christians and to destroy that vile {disgusting} race from the
lands of our friends... Moreover, Christ commands it.”
All who die by the way, whether by land or by sea, or in battle against the Muslims, shall have
immediate remission {forgiveness} of sins. This I grant them through the power of God with which I am
invested. Oh what a disgrace if such a despised and base race, which worships demons, should conquer a
people which has the faith of omnipotent {all-powerful} God and is made glorious with the name of Christ!....
SOURCE: Pope Urban II, 1095.
8) Give at least 2 reasons why Pope Urban II wants Christians to go to the Middle East to fight?
9) Using specific quotes from the above reading, what reward does the Pope promise to those who participate, or even die, in
ending Muslim control? What is your reaction to this promise?
Document 5- Why Become a Crusader?
We have already forgotten the places of our birth; already they have become unknown to many of us, or, at least, are
unmentioned. Some already possess here homes and servants which they have received through inheritance. Some have taken
wives not merely of their own people, but Syrians, or Armenians, or even Saracens (all Muslims) who have received the grace of
baptism….Our parents and relatives from day to day come to join us, abandoning, even though reluctantly, all that they possess.
For those who were poor there, here God makes rich. Those who had few coins, here possess countless coins ; and those who
had not had a home, here, by the gift of God, have one here. SOURCE: Chronicles of Fulk of Chartres, late 11c.
10) What are two specific economic benefits of fighting as a Crusader?
11) In your opinion, do you believe God would economically provide for people that kill non-Christians for the Crusades?
Explain your answer in 3 complete sentences?
Document 6: Christians Encounter Jews
….“At this time, Christians, who are arrogant people of strange speech (and a nation bitter and impulsive Frenchmen and
Germans), set out for the Holy City of Jerusalem , to expel (get rid of) all Muslims living there. They came in large numbers until
the number of men, women, and children exceeded a locust horde {large group} covering the city.…Now it came to pass that as
they passed through the towns where Jews lived and they said to one another: ‘Look now, we are going a long way to seek out
the Muslims when here, in our midst, are the Jews—they whose forefathers murdered and crucified Christians for no reason. Let
us first avenge ourselves on them and exterminate them from among the nations so that the name of Israel will no longer be
remembered, or let them adopt our faith.
SOURCE: The Jewish chronicler, Solomon bar Samson, 1096.
12) Based on the above excerpt, what is the issue that Christians have with the Jewish people they encounter on their way to
Jerusalem?
14) According to the reading, what could a Jewish person do if they want to live this encounter?
15) Based on what you learned in Document 3 & 4, how do you think the Pope reacted to the Christians acting this way when
they met Jewish people during the Crusades? Explain your answer using specific quotes from the readings and in 2 complete
sentences.
Document 7:
16) Based on the above image, who does the Pope begin to recruit to be Crusaders? How do you know?
17) Why would the Pope start recruiting this group of people?
18) Do you believe today, our government recruits all people equally to fight military battles or do you believe they target certain
groups of people to recruit? Explain your answer in two complete sentences.
Document 8:The Children’s Crusade
The history of the Children’s Crusade has been shrouded in mysterious silence, probably for a variety of reasons: in part,
because the participants were mostly children with little or no education and of the lower social strata, and were unable to readily
commit their experiences in writing; in part, because nearly two decades passed before anyone knew what had happened to
many of them; in part, because the Children’s Crusade is a conundrum, that is, something difficult to fully understand and explain
without challenging our notions of "acceptable" conduct; and in part, because many of the writers of the day would have had to
stare straight into the face of their own failure to protect those children. Nevertheless, the sheer numbers of the participants and
the incredible sacrifices made by them, cries out for their story to be told.http://www.salvemariaregina.info/Reference/children's%20crusade.htm
19) According to this passage, which children, specifically, were targeted to join the Crusades and why? (use specific quotes
form the above passage).
20) Why is the story of these children undocumented?
21) Do you believe there are places in the world today where children are being thrown into similar situations? Who should
document their story? DO you think it will get documented? Explain your answer in 3-5 well-constructed sentences.
Document 9 – A Muslim Perspective of the Crusades
The importance placed on the Crusades in Europe is a direct reflection of the fear of Islam at the time, and its overwhelming
presence as a superior civilization and power. And this idea survived until at least the beginning of this century.
The presence of the crusades in Muslim history and society, by contrast, is relatively low-key. Islam may have dominated
European thinking; but for the Muslims, the Europeans were just another minor pest of an enemy, even allowing for the
occupation of Jerusalem. This is a point which Hillenbrand, in this otherwise excellent book, fails to appreciate, particularly when
she comments on the relative lack of work done on the crusades in Muslim historiography compared to European. This failure is
all the more surprising as she specifically highlights and recognizes another aspect of the same point: the increased awareness
of the crusades in modern Muslim thinking, which she correctly attributes to the west's recent rise as a dominant factor is Muslim
affairs, including the loss of Palestine again. - http://www.imamreza.net/eng/imamreza.php?id=5486
21) According to the above document, how important are the Crusaders in Islamic history?
22) According to this passage, why are the Crusades so important in Christian history?
23) In a paragraph, explain why Christians believe this to be such an important part of history and Muslims do not?