Answer: The Crusades were religious wars fought between the Christians of Europe and the Muslims from 1096 to 1291 for control of Jerusalem, the holy city.
Causes:
- Jerusalem, the holy place of the Christians, came under the Seljuk Turks, who harassed Christian pilgrims.
- The Byzantine emperor asked the Pope for help against the Turks, and Pope Urban II called upon Christians in 1095 to free the holy land.
- Feudal lords and knights hoped to win new lands and wealth, and Italian merchants of Venice and Genoa hoped to gain trade in the east.
- Religious zeal and the promise of forgiveness of sins inspired common people to join.
Effects:
- Europe came in contact with the advanced Arab world and learnt about its science, mathematics, medicine and the works of Greek thinkers.
- Trade with the east grew; Italian cities like Venice and Genoa became rich, and demand for eastern spices and goods increased.
- Many feudal lords died or became poor, so feudalism weakened and the power of kings increased.
- New knowledge and wealth helped prepare the ground for the Renaissance; and when the Turks later closed the land route (1453), Europeans searched for new sea routes to the east.
