Crusades

Question 1

What city is the holy place for Christianity, Judaism and Islam?

Answer 1

Jerusalem!!
1. Christians = where Jesus lived, preached, died, ascended to heaven.
2. Muslims = where Mohammed ascended to heaven.
3. Jews = ancient spiritual centre and place of first Jewish temple.

Question 2

what were the Crusades?

Answer 2

A series of military campaigns Europeans fought against the Muslims.

Question 3

What triggered the Crusades?

Answer 3

1. The Emperor of Constantinople asked Pope Urban II for help in preventing the Muslim Seljuks from gaining control of Turkey.
2. The Seljuk invasion led to a breakdown of law and order in Palestine (the Holy Land).

Question 4

Why did Pope Urban II encourage the Crusades?

Answer 4

1. To provide safety for Christian pilgrims
2. Bring Jerusalem under Christian rule
3. To unify the Catholics and Orthodox Church
4. To provide activity for young landless European Knights after the breakdown of Charlemagne’s empire.

Question 5

Did the Europeans win the first Crusade (1096-1099)?

Answer 5

Yes!!
- They captured Jerusalem because of Muslim disunity.
- Europeans established it as one of four Crusader-controlled states which were called Outremer.

Question 6

What caused the 2nd Crusade (1147 - 1149)?

Answer 6

• Muslim leader Zengi took control of one of the Outremer states, Edessa.
• Pope Eugenius II declared a 2nd crusade.
• This crusade failed to win back lost territory.

Question 7

What caused the 3rd Crusade (1187-1192)?

Answer 7

• Muslim leader Saladin captured Jerusalem in 1187.
• Pope Gregory IV appealed for another Crusade.

Question 8

What was the outcome of the 3rd Crusade?

Answer 8

• King Richard I realised he couldn’t win back Jerusalem so he came to an agreement with Saladin.
• The agreement:
  1. Ensured safety of Christians in Jerusalem
  2. Allowed Crusaders to keep control of their cities along eastern Mediterranean
  3. Promised Muslim/Christian religious tolerance in each other’s territories.

Question 9

How many Crusades were there altogether?

Answer 9

8… but after the 3rd one they all were failures. They ended in 1291.

Question 10

Why did Knights want to go to the Crusades?

Answer 10

1. To be cleansed of sin - to go straight to Heaven.
2. Opportunity to make money, take lands and plunder loot - $$$
3. Were forced to by their lord.

Question 11

How did Europe benefit from the Crusades?

Answer 11

1. They expanded their trade into the Middle East and Egypt - brought in spices, and silk, satin, cotton fabrics
2. Brought back Islamic knowledge and learning.

Question 12

What were some of the knowledge areas learnt from the Muslims?

Answer 12

Science, medicine, maths and engineering. Examples are:
1. The Astrolabe = measuring instrument used for finding info about time, latitude, positions of the Sun/planets/stars.
2. Medicine = recording patient’s medical histories and quarantining infectious people.

Question 13

How did Muslim learning become spread to Europe?

Answer 13

1. Crusades
2. Trade and cultural exchange
3. Scholars using Islamic libraries