Download The Crusades Document 1: The Crusades 1) Predictions: Based on

The Crusades
Document 1: The Crusades
1) Predictions:
a. Based on your knowledge of world religions, and based on what you see in the above
image, what do you predict The Crusades were?
b. What can you predict is one economic, social, and political benefit to having a specific
religion control an area of land?
2) When, if ever, is it necessary to convert people to believe what you believe? Is it ever okay to be
violent with someone who has different beliefs? Explain your answer in 2-3 complete sentences.
Document 2: Crusaders Map
3) Use the map above to answer the following:
a. Where did the Crusades start?
b. Where did they end?
4) Based on your knowledge of world religions, why is the ending point of the Crusades a significant
religious location? Why did the Crusaders want to control this city? (Explain in three wellconstructed sentences)
Document 3: An Overview of the Crusades
Three major religious groups all claimed Jerusalem, in the land of Palestine, was 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 Urban II called for a crusade. He assembled
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 expert fighting skills. 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. Pope Urban II 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, regardless of rank or background, appear to be a unified army. It reminded the
crusaders that they were fighting for a holy cause. The red cross was added to flags and banners, as well.
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 crusaders took control
of Jerusalem. Some men stayed, some headed home. Those who returned brought back new foods, culture, and ideas
learned during their travels.
More Crusades: The Christian control of Jerusalem after the victory in the First Crusade was a short-lived. 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 excuse for acting this way was that they needed money to defend Constantinople from the
Muslims, 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, others 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 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.
Questions for Document 3
5) What were the Crusades? Is this what you predicted they were in Document One?
6) Why did Pope Urban II create the Crusades?
7) In the above reading, it states that citizens who went to save the city of Jerusalem were
“volunteers.” What reward do you predict the Catholic Church could promise to these volunteers to
encourage them to join?
8) Based on the reading, were the Crusaders successful in taking back the city of Jerusalem? Cite
specific quotes from the reading to defend your answer.
9) In your opinion, how should Christians today view the Crusades?
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, footsoldiers 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.
10) Give at least two reasons why Pope Urban II wanted Christians to go to the Middle East to fight?
11) What reward does the Pope promise to those who participated in the attempt to end Muslim
control of Jerusalem? (Use specific information from the reading)
12) What is your opinion of Pope Urban’s 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.
13) What were two specific economic benefits of fighting in the Crusades?
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.
14) Based on the above excerpt, what was the issue that Christians had with the Jewish people they
encountered on their way to Jerusalem?
15) According to the reading, what could a Jewish person do if they wanted to live after an encounter
with a Crusader?
16) Based on what you read in Documents 3 and 4, how do you think the Pope reacted to the way
Christians treated Jewish people during the Crusades? (Explain your answer using specific
quotes from the readings in at least two complete sentences)
Document 7:
17) Based on the above image, who does the Pope begin to recruit to be Crusaders? How do you
know?
18) Why would the Pope start recruiting this group of people?
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
Questions for Document 8
19) According to this passage, which children were targeted to join the Crusades and why? (Use
specific quotes form the 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? (Explain your answer in 3 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
22) According to the above document, how important are the Crusaders in Islamic history?
23) According to this passage, why are the Crusades so important in Christian history?
Final Writing Assignment:
In a five sentence paragraph, explain why Christians believe the Crusades to be such an important part of
history and Muslims do not?
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Final Writing
Assignment:
In a five sentence paragraph,
explain why Christians believe
the Crusades to be such an
important part of history and
Muslims do not?