The Crusades Dbq

In 1095 A.D, a historic battle took place in Jerusalem. This was the first battle that initiated a war that lasted 200 years and caused an estimated 200,000 casualties, all to seize control of land that was considered Holy. The battle was between two adversaries; one being the Crusaders, the other the Muslims. These numerous battles that took place were called the Crusades; however, the most important conflict was called the first Crusade. For one to comprehend the significance of the first Crusade, one must know why the Holy land was considered critical to control and the events that occurred during the battle.

To begin the conflict, the Muslims maintained control of the Holy land. The Muslims found this land to be Holy for countless reasons. One of them was the Qur’an, which

is the holy book of Islam. This book states that Moses proclaimed to the Children of Israel: “O my people! Enter the holy land which Allah hath assigned unto you, and turn not back ignominiously, for then will ye be overthrown, to your own ruin (Surah 5:21)." The Qur’an refers to the land as ‘Blessed.’ The Qur’an also states that Muhammad took a journey by night from the Grand Mosque of Mecca to Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is also known as “the Farthest Mosque” in Jerusalem. When Muhammad reached the Farthest Mosque in Jerusalem, he was presented with two cups. One of the cups held wine, and the other held milk. He examined both cups carefully and ended up taking the milk. After choosing the milk, the a?Angel Gabriel appeared to him and said, “Praise be to Allah, who guided you to Al-Fitrah (the right path); if you had taken wine, your Ummah would have gone astray.” During the life of Muhammad, Jerusalem was Islam’s first Qiblah, which was the direction in which the Muslims would face during prayer. The location of the Qiblah later changed to Mecca because it was an answer to the rejection the Jews had towards Muhammad. The Islamic people today still find Jerusalem to be Holy land (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Land).

The Crusaders tried to take control of this land, which they also considered to be Holy.

However, their reasons for believing the land was Holy were immensely different than the Muslims’. The Crusaders were of Christian faith and believed it to be the true religion. It started when the Roman emperor, Constantine, made Christianity the official religion. They believe that Jerusalem is Holy because the Bible states that Jesus, the Son of God, began Hhis ministry there. He was brought as a child to the temple and was “presented” (Luke 2:22). He also attended many festivals (Luke 2:41). According to the Gospel, Jesus preached to and healed many people in Jerusalem and brought many people to the Christian faith. The Bible also states that many people didn’t believe that Jesus was the true Son of God, so he was crucified for allegedly committing treason. However, three days after he was crucified and died, he rose from the dead and appeared to many people who believed in him. The religion of Christianity is one of the largest religions in the world, and many believe Jerusalem to still be Holy to this day

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_significance_of_Jerusalem).

On November 27, 1095, in France, Pope Urban II called for an army to help the Byzantines take control of Jerusalem from the Muslims. Those who were called were frightened, for the Muslims were a powerful and ruthless nation, but Pope Urban II assured to them, "All who die by the way, whether by land or by sea, or in battle against the pagans, shall have immediate remission of sins. This I grant them through the power of God with which I am invested (https://ecworlddynamics.wikispaces.com/Pope%20Urban%27s%20Speech).” The Crusaders first united in Constantinople in the autumn of 1096. They first besieged Nicaea while the Muslim leader, Kilij Arslan, was away. Later, they defeated a Muslim army led by Kilij at Dorylaeum. On their campaign to Jerusalem, a faction of Crusaders seized the city of Edessa, as well as Antioch. After capturing Antioch, the Crusaders decided to try and wait out the summer heat to attack again. Eventually, the generals became impatient and forced the continuation of the assault. Their next city to seize was Arqah. However, after three unsuccessful months of trying to take control, the Crusaders left for the city in which they had originally came for, Jerusalem. When they reached the Holy city on June 7, 1099, they found it heavily fortified. To capture Jerusalem, they began to build three immense siege towers. On July 13, the towers were finally completed, and they seized control of Jerusalem on July 15, 1099. Pope Urban II died on July 29, 1099, without hearing news of the Crusaders taking control of Jerusalem. This marked the end of the first Crusade, which was proceeded by eight other Crusades that lasted about 200 years of fighting for the H?holy land (http://www.umich.edu/~marcons/Crusades/timeline/summaries/First_Crusade.htm).

The Crusades finally ended in 1291 when the city of Acre fell to the Muslims. The Crusaders had lost the war, and the Muslims had regained control of the Holy land. However, even though they lost, they successfully extended the reach of Christianity and Western civilization. The Roman Catholic Church also experienced an increase in wealth, and the Pope gained more control and power after the Crusades ended. Trade and transportation also improved since the war caused a constant demand for commodities. This resulted in building of ships and manufacturing a numerous amount of traded materials. Many people became interested in travel and learning after the Crusades, which may have begun the Renaissance. However, with every good also comes some bad. Many Muslims, Jews, and other non-Christians were ruthlessly murdered. This resulted in bitterness for both nations for many years. The Crusaders were thought of as immoral, bloody savages in the Muslim world. The bloody conflict of the Crusades had an enormous impact on the Muslim and Christian civilizations. Even to this day, both religions are exceedingly hostile to each other, knowing what previously happened during the Crusades (http://www.history.com/topics/crusades).