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What were the Consequences of the Crusades?Read the consequences. For each one, give a score from -5 to 5 based on whether it is overall negative or positive for the world. Then decide what you think are the three most significant consequences and star them. Explain your choices in your book.Europeans learned many things from Muslims, such as making magnetic compasses, Arabic numbers (like the ones we use now), ideas to improve medical treatment, and translation of old Greek and Roman books which had been lost in the west. As well as new ideas, Crusaders brought back a lot of Arabic words which enriched Europe’s languages. Examples of Arabic derived words include: Chemistry, alcohol, and algebra.The power of kings increased, because if someone (baron OR villein) died while on crusade and there was no-one to inherit it, the king took over the land. Many kings also used the crusades as an excuse to raise taxes. Popes became less powerful, as the kings began to lead crusades by themselves (sometimes without the Pope’s agreement!).Orders of knights like the Knights Templar and Knights Hospitalier developed. They invented some of our methods of banking so pilgrims to the Holy Land didn’t need to carry money – they could deposit it with the Templars at home and then collect it when they got to the Holy Land. However, they became too rich and powerful, so a French King had all the Templars arrested and executed!A stronger shared Christian identity in Europe developed, as they felt they shared a common culture. This was good for some, but it led terrible persecution of Jews and Muslims, who were killed, exiled or forced to become Christian. In modern times, since migration of other non-Europeans into Europe, it has led to some people finding it difficult to accept non-Christians, leading to racism and islamophobia.Heresies inside Christendom were prevented for a while. However, in 1517, Protestantism began, meaning the Catholic church lost its domination. Without the crusades, it is likely this would have happened earlier.The Ottoman Empire (Turkey) became very strong and pushed into Europe. The border area between Catholic, Orthodox and Muslim communities in South East Europe was the site of the Bosnian War in the 1990s, where people of different religions tried to kill each other, because of the religious hatred built up during the crusades.The imagery of the Crusades is sometimes used to stir up religious hatred. For example, far right groups use the image of crusader knight to suggest that they are new crusaders. Meanwhile, in the Muslim world, leaders sometimes compare themselves to Saladin and show that they are fighting the ‘West’When the USA, UK and others invaded Afghanistan and Iraq in 2001 and 2003, President Bush claimed it was like a new crusade. This led to many in Muslim regions to feel like they were going to come under attack again in a new Crusade.During the Crusades, most of Europe became poorer, as they invested a lot of their money in fighting to get the Holy Land. However, some Italian city states (Italy was not unified) made a lot of money from trade and also got translations of Muslim books, as well as old Roman and Greek books. This helped spark the renaissance, which ended the Medieval times and made people start to improve art and science. Europe became fully Christianised. Spain was reconquered, and the possibility of an Islamic takeover was halted. It is possible that without the Crusades, Muslims may have taken over more of Europe. Difficult Words:Pilgrims – people who go on a journey to visit somewhere for a religious reasonProtestantism – people complained about the way Catholic Christianity worked and wanted to change things, eventually leading to people setting up alternative churches and types of Christianity.Persecution – treating people badly, verbally or physically abusing, or even killing themIslamophobia – hatred of Islam/MuslimsHeresies – religious ideas/practices which were not authorised by the Pope.Renaissance – Literally means rebirth – a period when Europe improved a lot in terms of arts, science and philosophy, and people began to questions a lot of things (including the Church) ................
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