Video Lesson

Lesson Objectives

After learning this lesson, you will be able to:

• understand the causes, results and long-term impacts of the Crusades.
• list down the participants of crusade wars

Brainstorming Questions

What do you know about crusade wars and its impacts?

Key terms and Concepts

Main Features of the Middle Ages

Feudalism in medieval Europe was a decentralized system where powerful local lords granted land to lesser lords in exchange for loyalty and service. This system evolved differently across regions and over time. It began as early as the 4th century in parts of the Roman Empire, resembling later serf-lord relationships seen in the Middle Ages. Peasants known as coloni provided labor to landlords and were tied to the land, akin to serfs. In central and eastern Europe, serfdom developed later but became more widespread and enduring than in Western Europe. In Russia, serfdom persisted until its abolition in 1861.

Under the medieval feudal economy, a lord controlled a manor, which was the economic center of European society. Manors were self-sufficient, producing nearly everything necessary for the people living there. Peasants, mostly serfs, resided and worked on the manor under the lord’s authority. Serfs were tied to the land and could not leave without permission; if the manor changed ownership, serfs remained with it. The lord retained direct control over part of the manor known as the demesne, which was farmed by serfs who provided compulsory labor without pay. Peasants also paid feudal dues to the lord, including goods like cheese, eggs, and cloth, or cash. Additional fees were charged for using the lord’s facilities like wine presses and mills, and peasants were responsible for maintaining the lord’s infrastructure. The lord exercised legal jurisdiction over the serfs, adjudicating crimes and imposing fines or severe punishments, such as hanging for serious offenses like murder.

In return for their labour and other payments, peasants were allowed to cultivate some of the land of the manor to support themselves and their families. They were also given protection by their lord from raids or warfare. Although they were not free to leave the manor without the permission of the lord, they could not be forced off the manor.

In medieval Europe, feudal society was rigidly divided into two classes: the privileged upper class and the unprivileged lower class. At the top of the hierarchy was the king, followed by powerful lords who received plots of land, or fiefs, from the king in exchange for allegiance and military service, a relationship known as vassalage. With kings often weak, local lords assumed governance within their territories, making laws, collecting taxes, administering justice, and leading military campaigns according to their own discretion. The great lords further distributed land to lesser lords, who in turn pledged loyalty and military support, sometimes repeating this process down through several tiers of nobility.

In the Early Middle Ages, cavalry, known as knights, became essential in warfare due to their expertise in mounted combat, armor, shields, lances, and swords. Kings and lords rewarded knights with land in exchange for their military service, which provided them with the resources needed for their equipment and horses. By the Late Middle Ages (1350-1500 A.D.), knights adhered to chivalry, a code emphasizing bravery, loyalty, honesty, and fair combat. Chivalry also dictated honorable treatment of captured knights, allowing for ransom payments and humane treatment in captivity.

In medieval society, noble women played significant roles, especially when men were absent due to war. They managed the household, supervised vassals, and handled agricultural and medical tasks. Some women even participated directly in defending their estates during conflicts. Despite restrictions on inheritance rights under feudalism, a few noble women were politically active, particularly from the 11th to the 15th centuries. Inheritance typically favored eldest sons, but women occasionally inherited fiefs directly or received land as part of their dowries.

During the Middle Ages, peasants, or serfs, formed the largest social group and endured serfdom and corvee labor under lords. Their lives were arduous, with minimal personal resources after meeting obligations to their lords, leaving little time for leisure or education. Serfdom was hereditary, limiting social mobility for generations, and peasants relied on lords for protection, justice, and governance.

The influence of the Church in medieval Europe was profound, leading to the region being known as Christendom. By the 11th century, the Church had strengthened its independence and intervened extensively in state affairs. The establishment of the College of Cardinals in 1059 underscored the Church’s autonomy in electing popes, asserting authority above secular rulers. The Roman Catholic Church was also the largest landowner in Western Europe during this period, receiving fiefs from rulers and lords in exchange for services provided by clergy. Many bishops and high-ranking clergymen were nobles who administered extensive estates similar to secular lords.

The manorial system began to decline when trade and towns revived. Trade and urban business brought back an economic system based on money. Manorialism ended first in Western Europe. But it continued as late as the 19th century in some parts of central and Eastern Europe.

Revival of Trade and Towns

As the demand for goods increased, trade began to revive during the 11th century. Tows appeared along main trade routes. Most early towns developed near a fortified castle, church or monastery, where merchants could stop for protection. The location of natural resources was another factor for the growth of towns.

During the Middle Ages, urbanization grew as peasants left manors in search of opportunities in towns. Cities expanded, accommodating a diverse array of occupations such as weavers, shoemakers, bakers, butchers, carpenters, and traders. Craftsmen produced goods for sale by merchants to town residents, while some peasants continued farming to supply food to urban dwellers. The rise of medieval towns, driven by trade, fostered a flourishing environment for craftsmanship and commerce. By 1000 AD, this urban development gave rise to a new social class known as the middle class, comprising merchants, traders, and artisans who occupied a status between the nobility and peasants.

In medieval towns and cities, the guild system became vital. Initially, merchant guilds, comprising artisans and merchants, held sway. However, artisans eventually formed their own craft guilds due to dissatisfaction with merchant guild control. Each guild represented specific occupations like weavers, bakers, or goldsmiths. Tensions occasionally arose between craft guilds and wealthier merchant guilds. Guilds implemented rules to protect their economic interests, ensure product quality, regulate work hours, and set prices. Women played active roles in crafts and trade, often inheriting workshops from family members. In trades like silk and wool production in Paris, women formed their own dominant guilds, surpassing men in numbers.

Medieval Culture: Art, Architecture and Education

In medieval towns, the concentration of people, increased trade, and travel opportunities fostered a flourishing of art and learning. The period’s major achievements included the construction of cathedrals and the establishment of universities. Until the 12th century, most Western European cathedrals were built in the Romanesque style, characterized by sturdy walls, robust columns, and rounded arches. Subsequently, Gothic architecture emerged, featuring tall towers, pointed arches, and innovative structural elements like flying buttresses.

Artists of many kinds applied their skills to the cathedrals. Expert wood workers carved panels on altars and pews. Sculptors cut stone statues of saints and martyrs, and chiseled out of stone devils and dragons called gargoyles. Craftsmen who worked in stained glass created real beauty. Most cathedrals that stand to this day are 500 or more years old.

The Christian church exerted significant influence over formal education during the medieval period in Europe, primarily through religious authorities. Monastery and cathedral schools were pivotal in education, where students studied subjects such as church music, theology, and Latin, which was the official language of the Western church. The curriculum also included the seven liberal arts, derived from ancient Greece and Rome, encompassing grammar, rhetoric, logic, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and harmonics. The Latin alphabet, adopted by most European languages except Greek and many Slavic languages, persisted as a dominant script across Europe. Modern languages like Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and Romanian evolved from Latin, contributing numerous Latin-derived words to the English language.

The first modern universities in Europe emerged in the 1100s, initially as communities of scholars organized into corporations with specific privileges and responsibilities. The University of Paris, which became the largest and most renowned in Europe by the 13th century, served as a blueprint for many northern European universities. These medieval universities predominantly used Latin as the language of instruction. Most of them evolved from guilds of teachers associated with cathedral schools, where students paid fees for education and degrees.

The Crusades (1096-1270)

The Crusades were series of Christian expeditions from Western Europe aimed at reclaiming Palestine, known as the Holy Land, where Jesus Christ lived. In the 11th century, Seljuk Turks from central Asia conquered Asia Minor, Palestine, and Syria, which were important to Christians. The Turks, who had converted to Islam, hindered Christian pilgrims’ access to the Holy Land, culminating in their victory over the Byzantine army at the Battle of Manzikert in 1071.

In 1095, Byzantine Emperor Alexius I sought Pope Urban II’s help against Muslim Turks in reclaiming the Holy Land. Pope Urban II responded by calling for a crusade at the Council of Clermont, delivering a passionate sermon urging European Christians to unite and reclaim Jerusalem. He promised both spiritual and material rewards to crusaders. Thousands of knights, along with ordinary men, women, and children, responded to the call, marking the beginning of the Crusades. The term “crusade” derives from the Latin word crux, meaning cross, as participants sewed the cross symbol onto their clothing.

Between 1096 and 1270, Western European and Byzantine participants organized eight major crusades with the goals of securing permanent control of the Holy Land and protecting the Byzantine Empire. Participants included kings of France, Germany, and England, along with nobles, knights, peasants, and townspeople. While religious zeal was a motivating factor for some crusaders, others sought wealth, land, trade opportunities in the Middle East, or the chance to acquire religious relics. The pope aimed to unify the church and redirect knights’ energies away from internal conflicts towards fighting Muslims.

The Crusaders’ efforts to establish lasting control over Jerusalem were largely unsuccessful. Although they initially recaptured Jerusalem in 1099 during the First Crusade, they couldn’t maintain their hold. In 1187, Jerusalem fell to Saladin and his Muslim forces, prompting the Third Crusade led by Frederick I (Barbarossa), Richard I (the Lion Hearted) of England, and Philip II (Augustus) of France. Despite their efforts, they failed to regain Jerusalem but negotiated with Saladin to allow Christian pilgrims access to the city.

During the Fourth Crusade, instead of fighting Muslims, the Crusaders diverted to aiding Venetian merchants in a conflict against Byzantine rivals in 1204. This led to the capture and looting of Constantinople, marking a significant deviation from their intended goals.

The Impacts of the Crusades

The Crusades had profound effects on Europe despite their failure to maintain control of Jerusalem. Trade flourished, particularly around the Mediterranean Sea, as European cities developed better ships and engaged in commerce with the Middle East. Venetian merchants, who initially transported crusaders, expanded their fleets and traded goods like sugar, cotton, and rice.

The Crusades also spurred the use of a money economy in Europe. Nobles and knights collected taxes in cash from peasants, leading peasants to engage in market activities to earn money, which undermined serfdom. Monarchs gained increased revenues and prestige, while the Pope’s authority grew. Europeans improved their mapping skills and began using magnetic compasses for navigation, fostering curiosity about new eastern lands. Marco Polo’s travels to China in 1271 furthered European interest in distant places and civilizations, contributing to a revival of global contacts. These developments played a role in advancing early capitalist relations in the early modern world.