1001 words

The Crusades

Though the causes of the crusades can easily be distinguished the one cause can not be effectively since there is always something that will contradict it. The crusades took place because of the rivalry as well as the clash of cultures between the Catholic Church and the Muslims, they both wanted power, the crusaders wanted more land, and more wealth and both parties wanted to be closer to the Armageddon.

It can easily be determined that there was a rivalry between the Catholics and the Muslims. Reading the view of each other in the 11 century shows that they really didn't get together well. There are many reasons for this understatement. First their religions were essentially the same thing, though the Muslim point of view stated that Mohammed was the chosen one. Even though Christ was a man of God the Muslim point of view didn't accept him as the chosen one. The Christians point of view was that of the opposite they don't even believe that Mohammed had the word of God and that it was Christ, the true saviour. First hand documents of the Muslims and the Catholics have very biased points of view and are very hard to understand what really happened. The Muslims claimed to be healers with the more accurate way of living with practising science and maths, their view of the Christians was people who live to far north the cold shrinks their brains resulting in poor eating habits needs as well as a lack of intelligence causing ignorance and stupidity. The Christians also viewed the Muslims with a certain bias such as they had viewed the Muslims as money hungry cannibals, mention was made that the Muslims would rip open their heels and rip out their intestines for money both very disgusting habits. Since they were fighting each other and killing each other maybe the way of attacking beliefs and cultural background is a way to minimise the way they look at each other so when in battle your not as hesitant to kill each other. However this could be a 20th century view instead of the 11th century belief systems.

Both the crusaders and the Muslims wanted power. In an interesting contradiction the church wanted to reunite Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire with the Roman Catholic Empire giving the church more power. Then there could be that the pope really wanted the Holy Land back. Though there is really no hard evidence saying that this was the case it is felt that they really wanted more land, expanding into the broken off Byzantine Empire. This taken from Pope Urban's speech about how people raised spears against each other instead let's join and battle against the real enemies, the Turks. This really doesn't mean anything at first glance, but the mention of raising spears against ourselves instead let's ban together and destroy the enemy. This would imply let's have the two empires form one and battle the Turks and then we can get the Holy Land back as well as have more land which equals more power. Another interesting point is from the crusaders themselves. They stated that if they had gone and conquered the Holy Land they would receive land and money this all ties in with power, since at the present time all they had was the Feudal system meaning they would govern their own system.

The crusaders wanted more land. Though this maybe one of the deciding factors distinguished between the knights and their serfs, it probably wasn't a real cause. Many crusaders wanted to govern their own piece of land in a new area and so decided to fight being guaranteed piece of land and forgiveness for their sins. All this ties in with power. It is stated that power, land and money are all the same. In essence they are the same and that was the view of the crusaders.

Both fighting parties were not just fighting for a piece of land they both wanted to be closer to the end, the Armageddon. Armageddon is the beginning of the end and from the Christians point of view when Christ returns to Earth he will pick up the true Christians and take them to heaven and there they will stay while the world perishes. "The end of the world is near. The days of the Devil are at hand. If when he comes he finds no Christians in the East, as at this moment there are none, then truly will there be no man to stand up to him." The last bit is hard to determine what he is trying to say though it gives a definite answer that in religious terms that the end of the world is going to come any moment and there is no one to welcome Christ which would be a sin in itself. From the Muslim point of view it is the Judgement day at the dome of the rock, and that it was Mohammed that was chosen by god to carry his word to the people.

The theory given might not be the correct reason why the crusades took place. In actuality it only brushes the surface of the reasons. During the seven crusades that the western people went on they must have been completely obsessed with their growing wealth, and estate which would give them power or they really wanted to be close to the end of the world. The crusaders may even had a personal grudge against the Muslims and killing them seemed appropriate. Though pinpointing a series of causes is extremely difficult. Some of the reasons for the crusades was because of the rivalry and the clash of cultures between the Catholic Church and the Muslims, they both wanted power, the crusaders wanted more land, and more wealth and both parties wanted to be closer to the Armageddon. This only scratches the surface.

submitted by chris dutka