European crusades
European crusadesFirst Crusade
In The middle of the Eleventh Century The tranquillity of the
eastern Mediterranean seemed assured for many years to come, but
little did the people know what was ahead . This, thus embark us on a
journey back into the First Crusade. In this paper I will be
discussing the events that lead up to the first in a long line of
crusades. I will also be mentioning the lives of some of the
crusaders through letters that they wrote. The crusades were a time
of confusion for most people, yet today we look back at them as a
turning point.
The Crusades were Christian military expeditions undertaken
between the 11th and the 14th century to recapture the Holy Land from
the Muslims. The word crusade, which is derived from the Latin crux
("cross") , is a reference to the biblical injunction that Christians
carry their cross . Crusaders wore a red cloth cross sewn on their
tunics to indicate that they had assumed the cross and were soldiers
of Christ .
The causes of the Crusades were many and complex, but
prevailing religious beliefs were clearly of major importance. The
Crusaders continued an older tradition of the pilgrimage to the Holy
Land, which was often imposed as a penance . Now, however, they
assumed a two roles as pilgrims and warriors. Such an armed pilgrimage
was regarded as a justifiable war, because it was fought to recapture
the places sacred to that of the Christians .
Jerusalem had been under Muslim rule since the 7th century,
but pilgrimages were not cut off until the 11th century, when the
Seljuk Turks began to interfere with Christian pilgrims. For
Christians, the very name of Jerusalem evoked visions of the end of
time and of the heavenly city. To help rescue the Holy Land fulfilled
the ideal of the Christian knight. Papal encouragement, the hope of
eternal merit, and the offer of indulgences motivated thousands to
enroll in the cause .
Political considerations were also important. The Crusades
were a response to appeals for help from the Byzantine Empire,
threatened by the advance of the Seljuk Turks. The year 1071 had seen
both the captures of Jerusalem and the decisive defeat of the
Byzantine army at Miniskirt, creating fear of further Turkish
victories . In addition, the hopes of the Papacy for the renunciation
of East and West, the nobility's hunger for land at a time of crop...
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