The Crusades

What are the Crusades? The crusades were the holy wars of the Christians against the Muslims fought in the 12th and 13th centuries with the purpose of freeing Jerusalem (the holy city of Christians; holy sepulture - the tomb of Jesus) from the Turks. This was the time the number of pilgrims increased because (there’re the people expected the end of the world and visiting holy place were considered good works or solution. The Seljuk Turks moved westward from central Asia accepting Islam and by 1055 their leader was acknowledged as sultan (victor) of Baghdad. Their Khalif (successor of Mohammed) remain as the religious leader. The Seljuk Turks next conquered the Arab countries of Syria and Palestine and they brought under their controlled by 1071 they destroyed the Byzantine Empire (Eastern Roman Empire) in Armenia. (1453 the Turks conquered the fall of Roman Empire). Thus, we see the dominants of Islam in many (places) countries.

The causes of the Crusades: 

(1) The Christians live in an age of faith and they obeyed the pope implicitly without questioning anything. When the pope called for the crusades against for Muslims, they cried out “God wills it” and many of them mass very enthusiastically without a leader or proper equipment, only to be slaughtered by the Turks. 

(2) It was an age of pilgrimage. As long as the Arabs held the Jerusalem, the pilgrims were not troubled with (interfered with), they were (the pilgrims were) allowed to visit holy places and holy sepulture (tomb of Jesus) but this was changed when the Turks conquered Palestine. They annoyed the pilgrims in all possible waves. So, the pilgrims returned and reported to the pope. 

(3) The great famine in Europe “between” 1070-1085, there was series economic depression and people were ready to receive things. 

(4) The people of that age believed great value of religious relics (the remaining of the burial) and great values of pilgrimage to the holy based. 

(5) The Seljuk Turks who defeated Arabs in Palestine were much more religious fanatical, and they always persecuted the Christians pilgrims who came to the holy land. However, Peter the hermit (Roman Catholic a French monk) was one of the pilgrims, he returns to Rome and gave a message to pope by this time the pope received the appealed from the emperor of Constantinople. This resulted calling a council of the church at Clermont, where the pope preached the crusades; and pope appealed to the Christendom to march to Jerusalem and liberate the holy city. At once the people gathered under the leadership of peter the hermit. He mounted on an ass (donkey) went about calling for crusaders.

Seven Stages of Crusades: 

When the pope appealed the Christendom, the people responded it as God wills it.

1st Crusade (1095-1099): The real 1st crusade was started with the combine forces of the princes of Europe (different princes of Europe). This crusade was led by Godfrey and other leader. So, the 1st real crusades happen under Godfrey and other leaders. They reached Constantinople and next year after many attempts they finally captured Jerusalem, or succeeded in taking the city of Jerusalem in 1099. And they established a kingdom and Godfrey was made the king of Jerusalem, but he refused the name king. (He did not like the people calling him as king). But he called himself the Guardian of e holy sepulcher of Christ (Grave) instead of king. Humble servant of Christ of all the crusades the 1st was the most successful. After the death of Godfrey, his brother Baldwin became the king and took the title of king. The kingdom of Jerusalem lasted until 1187 (87 years). But there were many counters attacked by the Turks. Their kingdom was not Saud/peace.

2nd Crusade (1147-1149): Though they recaptured Jerusalem the Turks continued to trouble them and made many attempts to recaptured Jerusalem and the Turks were united and this kingdom (Jerusalem) was threatened with the grievous (worse) danger. Edessa (Turkey) (the part of this kingdom) was lost to the Turks in 1144. So, the 2nd crusade was called for by the news that the Turks were conquering the provinces of Jerusalem (kingdom of Jerusalem) and destroying the city itself. Under the preaching Bernard of Clairvaux, Louis 3rd of France and corned 3rd of Germany led a great army to capture the holy places. They met with many defeats, but finally reached the city of Jerusalem, but they could achieve nothing. They could not regain the lost territories. The 2nd crusade was a great disaster and the crusaders. 2nd crusade was a failure. They could regain nothing.

3rd Crusade (1188-1192): In 1187 Jerusalem was retaken by the Turks and the kingdom of Jerusalem came to an end. The 3rd crusade was led by three prominent kings’ these are; 1) Frederick of Germany, 2) Philip of France, and 3) Richard of England. The crusade Frederick was drawn and the remaining two kings Philip and Richard quarreled and Philip returned and went to his home. Richard did not succeed in bringing his army to Jerusalem. But he obtained the treaty (he made treaty) with the Saladin (king of the Turks) by which the Christian pilgrims gained the right / permission to visit the Holy Sepulcher.

4th Crusade (1201-1204): The 4th Crusade was worse than a failure; it brought a great harm to the Christian church. The Crusaders could not regain the holy land. And Constantinople was taken.

5th Crusade (1228-1229): In the 5th crusade the emperor Frederic 2nd (Germany) led an army to Palestine and obtained the treaty.

6th Crusade (1248-1254): This crusade was undertaken by Louis 9th of France, but he was defeated and taken prisoner by the Mohammedians.

7th Crusade (1270-1272): The 7th crusade was under the leadership of St. Louis of France Edward of England. But Louis died Tunis his son, he’s made peace and Edward returned home to England and he became king. This was generally regarded as the last of the crusades.

The Causes, Failure and Results of Crusades: 

(1) Political Reason: Politically the crusades were a failure. They attempted to free Jerusalem from Turks was a failure. Jerusalem was not liberated and Constantinople was weakened. 

(2) The kings and princes who led the Crusades had no unity or not properly organized and they marched towards without proper equipment and they quarreled each other’s, and work for their own interests and jealous of one another. Because they were fearful of successors of one another, in their suspicious area and half-hearted effort could achieve nothing. 

(3) Limited Views: They possess to no larger vision they all looked for an immediate result. As a result, crusades became a failure.