History Chapter 1

• Jerusalem and Bethlehem are the two cities, which are considered holy by the Jews, Christians and Muslims. These cities were under Islamic rule in the eleventh century. Several wars were fought by the Christians in Europe in the eleventh century to regain hold on these cities. These wars are known as ‘Crusades’.
• The common people in Europe were highly inspired by the idea of being part of the wars, which were fought for the cause of religion. Pope, the highest authority in the catholic church announced that those who fought in the crusades would be forgiven for all their sins and would immediately go to heaven.
• Roman emperors were trying to bring the regions of Syria and Asia Minor under their rule. Rich merchants in Venice and Genova, the two trading centres in Italy wanted to establish their trade in the Central Asian market places. Thus, the crusades were supported by the rulers and rich traders in their own interest.
• The first crusade started in 1096 C.E., While giving a call for the second crusade, Pope Eugenius III sought help from the French King Louis VII and the German King Conrad III. Ultimately the crusaders were defeated by the Turks. In 1187 C.E. Saladin, the Sultan of Egypt defeated the crusaders by conquering Jerusalem.
• However, the crusades did not stop after that. In the course of time, totally nine crusades were launched. Despite the crusades, Jerusalem and the region around it remained under the control of Islamic rule.
• The failure of the Christian Crusaders can be attributed to the attitude of the Pope and the European rulers, who initiated the crusades mainly for their own vested interests. Besides, the other factors like common people losing faith, rift between the Pope and the European kings, dispute between the Pope and the German Emperor, non co-operation by the Emperor of Byzantium also caused the failure of crusades.
• Some historians feel that crusades led to the end of feudalism in Europe. People began to lose faith in Pope. The contact with the regions in Central Asia led to the increased trade and the new avenues were opened for the cities in Italy and Germany. It saw the rise of a new class of traders.
• The European warfare went through many changes. European nations acquired expertise in building forts, managing the forts as military outposts, building bridges, etc. European kings levied new taxes which were directly added to the royal treasury.
• Europeans were introduced to newer types of plants, fruits, perfumes, etc. Europeans adopted many Arabic words used in alchemy, music and commerce.