Language of the Age of the Crusades Flashcards
A semi-nomadic people originally from Central Asia. They had converted to Sunni Islam.
Turks
A group of Turks that had adopted Persian culture and language, converted to Sunni Islam, and established an empire.
Seljuks
A Turkish dynasty that ruled in Northeast Syria within the Seljuk Empire.
Artuqids
A Turkish dynasty that rose to dominance in Northeastern Anatolia.
Danishmends
A branch of Islam that the Turks had converted to.
Sunni
A branch of Islam that rejected the Sunni interpretation regarding authority.
Shia
The ruling dynasty of Egypt until 1171. They were Shia Muslims.
Fatimids
The title of the chief political and religious leader of the Islamic community. There was only supposed to be one.
Caliph
An Arabic term denoting a military or political leader, it is synonymous with ‘prince’.
Emir
A Turkic word denoting a ‘governor’ or ‘guardian’.
Atabeg
An Islamic term that means ‘to struggle’ to conform with God’s guidance. It is commonly used to mean ‘Holy War’ although this is a huge simplification.
Jihad’
The common name for followers of Western Christianity (and the papacy) in the Medeival period.
Latins
The institution of the Bishop of Rome as head of Western/Latin Christianity.
Papacy
The relic that Christians believed was the object that Jesus was crucified on.
True Cross
A conflict between the Papacy and Latin rulers over who could appoint bishops.
Investiture Controversy
This was wielded by the Papacy due to its claim to be the spiritual successor of St. Peter. It was disputed by Eastern Christians.
Petrine Authority
Religious practices by Christians who were not members of the clergy.
Lay Piety
A doctrine of military ethics that aimed to ensure that war was morally justifiable to Christians.
Just War’
Warfare that was permitted and encouraged by a religious authority - a ‘Holy War’.
Sanctified Violence
A term used by historians to refer to the eastern remnants of the Roman Empire in the Medieval period.
Byzantium
A Byzantine term refering to the ‘civilised world’. At its centre was Constantinople.
Oikoumene
The collective term for the five ancient centres of the Christian world.
Pentarchy
A highly presitgious title for the spiritual leader of one of the ancient Christian centres.
Patriarch
An Eastern Christian people with their own separate religious traditions.
Armenians
The site of the tomb where Christians believed that Jesus had been buried and resurrected.
Holy Sepulchre
A relic that was not part of a saint’s body but was rather an object associated with them.
Brandea
An object that was believed to be associated with a Christian saint.
Relic
A term that literally means ‘overseas’ but refers to the Crusader states.
Outremer
