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47. The Crusades
A 1The Crusades were a series of religious wars
Western European Christians (Roman Catholics)
fought against Muslims from 1095 to 1291.
2
Christians wanted to visit the Holy Land where
Jesus had lived, and to win the land back from the
Muslims. 3The Holy Land is the land between the
Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.
foreign place. 21The knights of the First Crusade
(1096-1099) captured Jerusalem and formed four
Crusader states in the Holy Land. 22ln spite of
this early success, and seven more Crusades,
European Crusaders could not maintain control of
the Holy Land.
B 4ln 638, Arab Muslims captured the city of
Jerusalem from the Byzantines. 5The Arab
Muslims allowed Christian pilgrims to visit the Holy
Land. 6However, in 1071, Seljuk Turks (Asian
Muslims) took over the Holy Land. 7The Turks
harassed Christian pilgrims and attacked the
Byzantine Empire's capital city, Constantinople.
G 23ln the Fourth Crusade, Western Crusaders
sought refuge in the Eastern Christian Byzantine
Empire capital of Constantinople. 24lnstead
of resting and preparing to fight the Turks, the
Crusaders sacked the town, killed Byzantines,
attacked women, and stole valuables and relics
(bones of saints).
8
C Although the Byzantine Empire was a Christian
empire, its Christians were Eastern Orthodox
Christians. 9Unlike Western European Christians,
Eastern Orthodox Christians did not recognize the
pope or the Roman Catholic Church in Rome as
the head of Christian religion. 10ln spite of these
differences, in an effort to save his empire from
invading Muslims, the Byzantine emperor asked
the pope—the leader of the Western European
Christians—for help.
D 11ln 1095, Pope Urban II called for a religious
war (crusade) to drive the Muslims out and to
guarantee safe travel for Christian pilgrims to
the Holy Land. 12Crusade comes from the Latin
word crux, or cross. 13The pope explained the
Crusade in terms of feudalism. 1l|Jesus was every
Christian's lord, and as vassals (servants), the
Christians were obliged to defend their lord's land.
E 15Crusaders sewed crosses on their clothing
and vowed to free the Holy Land from the Muslims.
16
ln return, the pope promised them forgiveness of
sins and everlasting life in heaven. "Each crusader
who died in battle would be a martyr, a saint who
went straight to heaven.
F 18The Crusades are known for heroic sacrifices,
but also for horrible cruelties and tragedies.
19
Historians have chronicled eight Crusades by
Western European Christians. 20Kings and lords
gave up the comforts and security of their castles
and manors to travel far and eventually die in a
H 25ln 1291, the Crusades ended. 26Muslims
retook all of the Holy Land, but Christians won the
right to visit the Holy Land without harassment.
I 27The Crusades brought Europeans to
distant lands and cultures—many for the first
time. 28Europeans were introduced to advances
in Islamic culture in science, medicine, and
architecture. 29They were also introduced to silks,
spices, sugar, and other exotic goods from Asia
that had been traded to merchants around the
Holy Land. 30Because of this, Europeans became
interested in foreign travel and foreign trade.
31
Foreign travel and trade led to new ideas and
created a larger merchant (middle) class. 32The
growing middle class would eventually demand
rights (protection) from over-reaching governments
and royalty.