The first crusade 1096-1109 - Essay Example

The First Crusade 1096-1109 Introduction Crusades were the religious wars that were undertaken by Western European Christians against Middle East Muslims (Akbar 68). They took place between 1095 and 1292. The crusades were nine in number and they mainly intended to rescue the Holy Land (Jerusalem) and other Christian territories that had been captured by the Muslims. The term crusade is also used in describing religious, economic and political wars of between 1000 and 1600 in territories that were not within the Levant (Eastern Mediterranean). In these regions, the crusader wars mainly targeted the heretics, pagans and the excommunicated people (Khalidi 35) 1. Who is a crusader? According to most English dictionaries, a crusader is someone who is hard-working with an objective of achieving something moral that he or she has been denied for along time. Maalouf argues that a crusader is somebody who is an advocate of reforms-social, religious, political and economic among others (Maalouf 21). However, from the historical and religious point of view, the term crusader is used to describe the Western European fighters who participated in the Medieval “Holy Wars” between Christians and Muslims. The Medieval crusaders believed that war was basically a fight between good and evil forces. It was a struggle for good goals and a good cause (Gibb 816). Thousands of soldiers were recruited as crusaders simply through taking vows using the cross of Jesus. The term “crusade” itself is derived from the French language and it means taking up the cross. Therefore, the crusaders were expected to use all means in defending the cross of their master-Jesus. After taking vows, the Roman Catholic Pope normally blessed the army and gave them a plenary indulgence before sending them out. Another important thing to note is that since most of the crusader armies were from France, the Muslims commonly referred them to as the Franks (Akbar 166). 2. What were the causes of the First Crusade? Historians and other writers have suggested various circumstances and events that led to the emergence of the First Crusade. To begin with, one of the causes of the First Crusade was the massacre of about 3000 Christians who had made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Visiting places that were thought to be sacred was a common practice upheld by early Christians. Of particular importance was the city of Jerusalem. Since the time of Emperor Constantine, pilgrimage to Jerusalem was highly embraced by most economically able Christians. According to Khalidi, this city was thought to be holy due to the fact that it was the place where most events surrounding Jesus’ nativity, crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection took place (Khalidi 82). Therefore, for Christians, visiting Jerusalem was a blessing than just a mere experience. The city of Jerusalem was under the rule of the Saracen Caliphs, a Moslem Jihad group, since 638 AD. However, up to the tenth century, Christians could still be allowed to visit the Holy city. The caliphs encouraged the Jerusalem pilgrimage and made it one of the main sources of their revenue. At the dawn of the eleventh century, everything changed. A serious Muslim group comprising the Seljukian Turks from the ancient kingdom of Persia fought the Caliphs out of the region. Unaware of the change in power, about three thousand pilgrims to Jerusalem were caught unaware and persecuted. Jerusalem was captured by the Seljukian Turks in 1065 and all its holy and important places were destroyed (Al-Athar 109). This news was sadly received by Western Europe Christians. At the same period, the Normans had permanently settled in France and conquered England and the entire Roman Empire. The next step for them now was to conquer more kingdoms in order to satisfy their insatiable desire of expanding their territories. Therefore, their leaders began to strategize on how to conquer the entire Mediterranean region and take away Jerusalem from the hands of the Islamic Fatimids and the Seljuk Turks (Jayyusi and Ansari 41). Religious conviction among the followers of different religious faiths was another factor that prompted the First Crusade (Maalouf 173). Both the Muslims and Christians wanted to outdo one another as each group thought that its own faith was the true one. In fact it was religious conviction that turned pilgrims into warriors who were ready to use all means in defending their faith. These convictions ignited the First Crusade and managed to sustain it. In some parts of Western Europe, there existed a group of people called the Teutonics. Among these people, the barbarian instincts of fighting were still intact. As Gibb argues, these people believed that fighting was a normal practice in the human society (904). They normally went to war at the slightest provocation. Therefore, when the First Crusade broke out, the Teutonic lords and feudal knights were willing and ready to join any undertaking that conformed to their destructive feelings and their knighthood vows. They therefore embraced the First Crusade so much. The preaching of Peter, the Hermit from France, was another factor that set the platform for the emergence of the First Crusade. Pope Urban II had commissioned Peter to preach a crusade to Christian followers. Therefore, the Hermit preached to various crowds in Italy, France and the surrounding areas. He spread news about the persecution and suffering that their fellow Christians in other parts of the world were subjected to by their enemies-the Muslims (Akbar 189). Those who heard Peter’s message were strongly convinced that something needed to be done in order to restore the lost glory of Christianity. The threat posed by the Turks in the eastern front was another catalyst of the First Crusade. Whereas Peter the Hermit was busy arousing feelings in the west, the Turks were busy attacking the Christian Byzantine Empire in the east. They intended to capture Constantinople, the capital of the empire, and its holy artifacts. Following these events, in 1095, the Byzantine emperor, Alexious I Komnenos pleaded with the pope for military support in the eastern front. He told the pope that something needed to be done in order for Constantinople to be rescued from the hands of the Turks (Jayyusi and Ansari 56). The immediate cause of the First Crusade was the speech made by Pope Urban II at the Clermont Council in France (Khalidi 178). The pope spoke eloquently and emotionally of the humiliations and afflictions of the Asian provinces. He also gave details of the Turks’ conquest of all Asia Minor. Moreover, the pope explained how the Turks were planning to attack Europe Christians from the Hellespont shores. This speech touched many people and they vowed to take revenge. In the Clermont council, Pope encouraged the Latin Christians that participating in crusades was the will of God. The pope demonstrated how Jesus calls his followers to his defense by instructing them to leave their homes and families for the sake of eternal life. Therefore, he urged them to take a step forward in rescuing their fellow Christians. The pope promised them that if they died in the course of the holy wars their sins could be forgiven. Following this great and influential speech of Pope Urban II, a majority of the Western European Christians were ready to take weapons and rescue Jerusalem and their fellow brethren. It was resolved that a massive pilgrimage had to be made to Jerusalem with an intention of waging war against the infidels. The Red Cross became the official sign of the planned pilgrimage. Bishop Adhemar from Le Puy was made the spiritual leader of the first crusade (Maalouf 186). Pope Urban II’s narration of the problems that Christians in Asia Minor were undergoing had infuriated the Latin Christians to an extent that several small groups left for Jerusalem before a main expedition was organized. One of such groups found it difficult to reach Jerusalem and instead stopped in Germany and began fighting the Jews who had settled there. According to Akbar, thousands of Jews were slaughtered simply because they were non-Christians and that they were from the East (Akbar 216). This action is seen by many as the first Holocaust. Other informal crusades against the Jews were reported in France, England, Swabia and Lotharingian. On fifteenth August 1096, the first Crusade was officially effected with the departure of the first expedition. The crusader army left Italy and France and moved eastwards by land towards Constantinople. The army comprised of four main groups of crusaders who had left Europe through different routes. These groups were under the leadership of different personalities and their first destination was Constantinople. The groups took different times to arrive. The group that was led by Hugh of Vermandois was the first to arrive. Then the groups under the leadership of Godfrey of Bouli, Raymond of Toulouse and Bohemond of Taranto followed in that order. By the end of March 1097, all the groups had arrived at Constantinople. The crusaders were suspiciously welcomed by emperor Alexious since Bohemond, the emperor’s traditional enemy, was part of it (Khalidi 190). All the same, after saving Constantinople from the Turks, the crusader army marched south via Anatolia. They managed to capture Antioch in June 2, 1098 and Jerusalem in July 15, 1099. After successful sieges, the crusaders established four crusader states along the coasts of Syria and Palestine. These were the County of Edessa, the Principality of Antioch, the Kingdom of Jerusalem and the County of Tripoli. 3. Fundamentals of Edessa Following the death of his wife Godwera in the course of the First Crusade battles at Marash, Baldwin from Boulogne resolved never to return to Europe. He decided to create his own kingdom and spend the rest of his life in the Holy Land. Baldwin, therefore, left the rest of the crusader army at Heraclea and left for the Armenian lands, near the Euphrates. Here, he established links with the local Christians who came to like him so much. With the help of the Armenian Christians, Baldwin managed to capture the small cities of Ravendan and Turbessel. This made it possible for Baldwin to get access to Edessa (found in modern day northern Iraq). Edessa was under the control and rule of Toros who had captured it from the Turks (Jayyusi and Ansari 76). Al-Athar reports that it was during the beginning of 1098 that Baldwin arrived in Edessa and was adopted by Toros as his heir (Al-Athar 149).Toros feared that Kerbogha of Mosul, his enemy, could move to defend Antioch and if he succeeded, there was a high probability that he could destroy the city of Edessa. Therefore, one of the main reasons as to why Toros opted to adopt Baldwin is that he wanted him to come to his defense. This way, Baldwin was drawn into the Armenian politics. As an heir of the loyal throne, Baldwin thus became a co-ruler of Edessa. Due to his Greek Orthodox faith, Toros was hated by his subjects who comprised the Armenian and Jacobite populations. Toros’s subjects secretly planned to dethrone him and replace him with Baldwin. While Baldwin was away fighting the Turks who wanted to maintain their grip on Samosata, the people of Edessa rebelled against Toros and locked him in a citadel. Baldwin arranged a secret escape for Toros to Melitene, where he could be taken care of Lord Gabriel- his father-in-law. However, Toros was caught trying to let himself down from a window using a rope. He was shot dead by arrows (Khalidi, 194). On March 10, Baldwin ascended to the throne and enjoyed an overwhelming support and encouragement from the Armenians of Edessa. Baldwin established the County of Edessa. The county of Edessa was the first crusader state to be created. Meanwhile, Sultan Balduk, the ruler of Samosata, showered Baldwin with gold and other gifts in order for Baldwin to leave Samosata on his hands. Baldwin agreed on condition that Balduk becomes his subject (Akbar 238). Now, although Baldwin had deserted the crusader army and founded his own kingdom, he continued to support the activities of the crusaders. His kingdom acted as a shield that protected the crusaders to his south. For instance, Baldwin ensured that the crusaders were secure from the intrusive Seljuk forces that normally attacked from the western and upper Euphrates regions. When the crusader army was starving in the face of food shortage, Baldwin sent them huge supplies of a variety of various foods. When his own stocks became depleted, the Armenians generously came to the aid of the crusader army (Maalouf 133). Baldwin strengthened his allegiance with the Armenians by marrying an Armenian woman. As Al-Athar observes, this factor helped in strengthening his military position against his Turkish enemies as he maintained his two-year rule over Edessa (Al-Athar 192). All in all, during his reign over Edessa, Baldwin did whatever he could in order to ensure that his rule satisfied the demands of both the Armenians, who had installed him in power, and the crusader army. However, the County of Edessa itself was the least populated and the weakest militarily in the region. These factors made it vulnerable to frequent attacks from the surrounding Muslims. 4. Fundamentals of Antioch The city of Antioch is located halfway between the cities of Jerusalem and Constantinople. Due to its strategic position, organization and vastness, the crusaders could not capture Antioch through physical attack. They opted to use other means, such as, making use of traitors inside the city and blockading the city itself. All in all, the crusaders attacked Antioch in October 27, 1097 and the war took more than seven months. Antioch had a well organized army headed by Fakhr al-Mulk Radwan and Duqaq (Akbar 240). During this period, Bohemond had bribed Firouz, an Armenian guard who was in charge of the city towers and some of the city gates. The guard neglected his duties and one night he left one of the gates open and unattended. This made it possible for the crusader army to access the city on June 2, 1098. The crusaders killed thousands of the city inhabitants. This triumph lasted for a few days before a large Muslim army led by Kerbogha of Mosul arrived in May 1098 and confronted the Christian crusaders. During this period, Peter Bartholomew, a prominent monk, claimed that he had discovered the Holy Lance inside the city (Jayyusi and Ansari 80). These claims encouraged the crusaders to continue with the war. They were seen by many as a sign of victory over the Muslims. The crusaders therefore marched out in readiness to face Kerbogha. Khalidi notes that Kerbogha’s main intention was to reduce the impact of the siege in the economy and general life of both the Antioch people and Muslims from the surrounding areas (Khalidi 213). In confronting Kerbogha, the crusader army received food and other material aid from devoted European Christian saints. Moreover, Tancred, Bohemand’s nephew, reinforced the crusader army with more troops. Meanwhile, there arose significant differences among Kerbogha’s army and allies. For instance, the Fatimid part of his army defected due to envy that Kerbogha would become very powerful if he could defeat the Christian crusaders. Due to his failure to harmonize such divisions in his army, Kerbogha was defeated towards the end of June 1098 following a fierce battle that was fought outside the Antioch city gates. The crusaders who participated in the battle of Antioch were faced with several challenges in the course of the struggle. One of the main challenges they faced is that personal ambitions among the different leaders of the crusade demoralized them. For instance, the French Franks and the Italian Normans never cooperated against the common enemy. Each group considered itself as a separate and sovereign nation (Al-Athar 222). Another main challenge faced by the crusaders was the break out of the plague which killed a large number of their army and war horses (Jayyusi and Ansari 83). This matter was worsened by lack of food which saw the crusaders resorting into cannibalism. Muslims in the areas surrounding Antioch were not ready to supply the crusader army with food. Despite these challenges, the remaining army managed to move forward with an aim of taking the crusade to Jerusalem. Bohemond was left in Antioch and he became the ruler of the city. Antioch became another crusader state and it was named the Principality of Antioch. 5. Fundamentals of the Kingdom of Jerusalem The crusaders arrived in Jerusalem on June 1099. They found out that Jerusalem had been recaptured from the hands of the Seljuks. It was now under the authority of the Fatimids and had been terribly ruined. At that time, the city of Jerusalem was characterized by aridity and lack of sufficient food supply. On the other hand, the crusaders lacked sufficient troops as their army numbered less than fifteen thousand soldiers. Moreover, the diverse origins of the crusader army and its differing loyalty to different authorities made it difficult for it to remain united in facing the Fatimids. All these problems made it difficult for the crusaders to blockade the city the way they had done at Antioch. They were only left with the choice of attacking Jerusalem directly (Akbar 263). In the initial attack, the crusaders managed to put down the outer wall of the city. However, they could not be able to access the city due to the strong inner walls. The arrival of Genoese marine soldiers boosted the morale of the crusaders. The mariners were skillful engineers and they helped the crusaders in making various war crafts and equipment. The Genoese engineers also erected two large siege towers over the walls of Jerusalem using boat timber (Khalidi 286). The final stage of assault on the city of Jerusalem was effected in the thirteenth day of July 1099. By 15th July, 1099, the crusaders had accessed the city through both the northern and the southern gates. After a successful capture of Jerusalem, the crusaders butchered and slaughtered a large number of the Muslims and the Jews who dwelled in the city. The native eastern Christians were neither spared. According to Maalouf, the main intention of the Crusaders was to make Jerusalem a Latin Christian city (Maalouf 146). In fact what happened in Jerusalem during the First Crusade has been described by many historians and other writers as one of the horrific massacres in the human history. Men, women and children were beheaded alike. The crusaders also destroyed mosques and some parts of the city itself. It is also reported that the crusader army even destroyed the Orthodox Christian saints’ monuments and Abraham’s tomb (Khalidi 287). The siege ended on July 20, 1099. The kingdom of Jerusalem was established and it became one of the small crusader states in the region. In order to maintain his piety, Raymond from Toulouse was reluctant to become the king of the new kingdom (Khalidi 287). Godfrey of Bouli was ready to take the position of secular leadership. However, many writers report that Godfrey neither accepted to be referred to as a king nor did he wear a kingship crown. He became just a simple political leader who led a simple life. All in all, in the kingdom of Jerusalem, Godfrey ruled over more than 50,000 people composed of Muslims, Jews and a few native Christians (Akbar, 265). 6. Why did the crusaders succeed? There are a number of reasons as to why the participants of the First Crusade succeeded. To begin with, majority of the crusaders were united by a common culture (Jayyusi and Ansari 108). Apart from the few Italian Normans, the rest of the crusader army originated from France and spoke the French language. That is why the crusaders were normally referred to as the Franks. A common culture and a common language enhanced an effective and positive communication among the crusaders. This meant that they could understand one another well and hence cooperate effectively in the battle field. The First Crusade was steered by able leadership that was able to organize the crusader troops effectively. The leaders of the First Crusade included Godfrey of Bouli, Raymond of Toulouse, Peter the Hermit, Robert of Normandy, Baldwin of Flanders and Bohemond of Taranto among other leaders (Khalidi 362). For easy management of the crusader army, these leaders were in charge of specific sections of the crusader army and the sections left Europe using different routes. According to Akbar, the Europeans had a greater cause that motivated them to participate in the First crusade (Akbar 91). They strongly believed that the crusade was a “holy war” and participation in such a war meant that they would be given tickets to Heaven. This was due to the fact that most of the participants of the first crusade were mainly criminals and peasants. Therefore, the First Crusade was as a sign of some hope that God would have mercy on them if they won the war. Despite financial and material hardships, this thinking enabled to manage their way forward. When the First Crusade broke out, most of the Islamic countries and the ruling powers of the time were disunited. They fought one another and they had been weakened by the time the crusade was launched. They could not combine their forces against the common western enemy. For instance, the Fatimids and the Seljuks attacked the Latin Christians separately. On the other hand, some cities under the control of Muslims had traitors who betrayed their fellow Muslims. A good example is Firouz who accepted a bribe to leave some gates of Antioch open for the enemy (Khalidi 363). Other writers argue that the first crusade caught most of the muslin rulers unaware. It was an unexpected event that came all over a sudden and the rulers were confused what they were really against. The crusader armies were many in number. The army comprised of more than 35, 000 crusaders. Whenever this army was starving of hunger, good Samaritans came to their aid. For instance, Baldwin supplied them with enough food when they were planning to attack Antioch. Moreover, the revelations made by some of their priests encouraged the crusaders and gave them hope of victory against their opponents. For instance, Peter Bartholomew’s claim of discovering the Holy Lance motivated the crusaders to move forward in hot pursuit of their enemies (Maalouf 207). Conclusion The First Crusade is considered by many as the most successful of all the nine crusades. This is due to the fact that it enabled the West to set up a power base in the city of Jerusalem for the very first time since the collapse of the Roman Empire. The crusade was really advantageous in that apart from enhancing the Latin Christians’ grip on the Holy City-Jerusalem- it opened several international trade routes between Europe and the Middle East. Moreover, the First Crusade led to the emergence of four new crusade states. These are the County of Edessa, the Principality of Antioch, the Kingdom of Jerusalem and the County of Tripoli. Works Cited: Akbar, Mohamed. The Shade of Swords: Jihad and the Conflict between Islam and Christianity. London: Routledge, 2003. Al-Athar, Dairat. Studies in the History and Archaeology of Jordan. Amman: Department of Antiquities, 2001. Gibb, Handson. The Encyclopaedia of Islam, volume 3, part 1. Leiden: Brill Archive, 1984. Jayyusi, Salma and Ansari, Zafar. My Jerusalem: Essays, Reminiscences, and Poems. Northampton: Interlink Books, 2005. Khalidi, Tarif. Arabic Historical Thought in the Classical Period. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2007. Maalouf, Amin. The Crusades through Arab Eyes. London: Saqi Books, 1999. Read More