How it all StartedWhy the people dicided to join the Crusade.
For Christians and Muslims, Jerusalem was the most important place on Earth.It was also known as the Holy Land. All Christians wanted to visit Jerusalem or any place important and related to Jesus. These travellers were known as pilgrims. In 1070 Arab Muslims rulled the Holy Land and allowed Christians to visit withought any fuss. (Which was very fair.) All this fairness and happiness unfortunately had to come to an end. The Turks who were very fierce and fought a lot, attacked Jerusalem and the Holy Land and took over all the land. The Turks had converted to Muslim already but they did not agree with the Muslims ruling the Holy Land already, they believed only Muslims could enter Jerusalem or the Holy Land. There were reports that the Turks tortured and beat the Christians. They even killed a few Christian pilgrim. They did all this to show them that it was 'their' land and never to come back (using the form of fear). Surviving Christians reported all the happenings and in 1096 Pope Urban II pursuaded kings, lords, soilders and even ordinary people to fight the Muslim Turks. Many people joined to fight for their Holy Land and for the religion. |
The Pope told them they would be doing good if they fought in the battle and anyone who died while fighting would go straight to heaven. To go srait to heaven was a very important thing for the people at this time so many dicided to go. These journeyes and battles were known as the Crusades which means 'WARS OF THE CROSS.'
7 Crusades were fought against the Muslim Turks between 1100 and 1250. |