Between the 11th to 13th centuries, a military expedition by European Christians move to retake areas in the holy land captured by the Muslims. The city of Jerusalem is a holy place to Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. Between the year 1096 and the late 1200s, Christians fought a series of wars against Muslims, the followers of Islam. These wars were called the Crusades. The Crusades were fought for control of the Holy Land, and the Soldiers who engaged in the war were called Crusaders.
Many Christians in Europe, including women and children volunteered to fight in the crusade because of the idea that the Holy land was the foundation of Christianity and should be ruled by Christians. While some fought because of the merchandise and fame.
The first crusade, which began in 1096, was a success with the aim of setting Jerusalem free. The influence of the crusade also established a western Christian military in the Near East, which lasted for about 200 years. The crusaders were named, Outremer, which means beyond the seas in French. The French took the larger number of the crusaders and that was why the name Outremer was referred to as franks. The leadership of the crusade, though lead by Godfrey of Bouillon, was obscure as there was no obvious or widely accepted leadership. The uncertainties divided the crusaders into factions.
In the 12th century, Muslims soon fought back, and thereby calling for another crusade, the second crusade. Having lasted for two years, the trained Muslims defeated the crusaders.
The Third crusade started after Saladin, a Muslim general, reconquered Jerusalem. The crusade was led by the Europe’s top warriors like king Richard I of England. But the crusaders retreated after been exhausted in the desert where the fight took place. Other crusades remained a failure as the crusaders also lost the lands around Jerusalem.
However, one of the most important effect of the Crusades was economic. The Italians prospered from the transportation of Crusaders. Trade passed through the Italians to Europe with bountiful profits. This caused the other European powers like Portugal and Spain to seek routes of trading to India and China.
Explorers like Christopher Columbus helped open some of the world to European trade dominance.
Now, here is where am going, after the lost, death, disease, accidents and injuries faced by the crusaders. The crusades left a legacy of strife, bitterness and misunderstanding between Christians and Muslims that has not yet gone away.
Our worlds, from religious to territorial, have been divided and wounded by this events. People have passed on the wounds from generation to generation. The crusades was birthed the wars between the west and mid-east, with Muslims and Jews taking the greater portion of the sufferings. A lot of people lost their lives, while the ones who survives were enslaved. Territories were under heavy taxes. Cities, landscapes, technologies and research were destroyed and stopped. Ideologies about religions grew amongst the people from either sides.
As the crusaders who were seen as Christians, built an image on the faith, Christianity, as their reputation was tinted while they fight to fulfil their goals of take territories, and was soon seen as a moral authority that isn’t working in what it profess.
My point is not to dig out old roots and lay blame on Christianity, but that we (Christians) may see the need to send apologies to every victim’s descendants either by territory or individually. I know some Christians who have made this their assignment to apologize to people and territories, in other to heal the wounds that have remained in the wall of the heart of the descendants of this victims. Our reputation and image as Christians really matter to the humanity we live with.
We might feel that it all over as it been over seven (7) centuries behind, but we shouldn’t trivialize the power of information (through history), even though the whole scene is not played out before us.
As Christians, take up the responsibility to apologize to everyone (individual or people) who you think can be part of the lineage of victims. Your relationship with any can be awesome, but what about the reputation and image of Christianity.
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