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Motivations For The Crusades And Today

2524 Words11 Pages

Nate Babcock
Dr. Peterson
FYS 101
1 May, 2023
The Early Motivations for the Crusades and Today

Christians embarked on a journey in 1096 that would transform the political and cultural environment of the Mediterranean region and cause a fervorous upsurge throughout Europe. Historians, authors, and film producers have all been enthralled with the mythical tale of the First Crusaders for many years. Why did these people decide to leave behind their homes, families, and means of support in order to travel long distances and incur significant dangers to go to a distant land? Was it largely a pursuit for power and fortune, or was it a quest for honor and glory? Many say that the Earliest Crusader’s motivations were a variety of complex motivations, …show more content…

Christians viewed Muslims as a lesser race which draws parallels to modern-day racial stereotypes. In light of this viewpoint, the First Crusaders' ambition to free Jerusalem from Muslim authority as well as their goal to protect Christian access to the region's sacred places had a considerable impact on them. One of the key motivations of the Crusaders was the quest of material wealth. Many of the crusaders were poor, landless knights or peasants who regarded the trip as a chance to become rich and powerful. Many Crusaders believed that the land of the infidel was rich in plunder and that the Holy War provided a chance to acquire wealth, land, and glory. Land, treasure, and other tangible benefits were promised to the Crusaders in exchange for their …show more content…

The land's rich history makes it the most desirable place for Christians to be at the time. They therefore ascribed great spiritual worth to its conquest and dominance. Many Western Christians thought that making a journey to Jerusalem was crucial to their salvation since they were so worried about their future. The Crusaders thought they were carrying out God's will, and many thought they were defending Christianity itself. By taking back Jerusalem, the Crusaders thought they would cleanse the Holy Land of the “pollution" of Muslim rule and return it to its rightful Christian owners. The desire for the globe to become Christianized throughout the Middle Ages was expressed in the Crusades. The Crusades were considered as a means to accomplish this goal, with the conquering of Jerusalem seen as an essential first step. Creating a Christian dominion in the Holy Land was the ultimate objective of those who were crusading in order for Christianity to thrive and flourish there. The Crusades were influenced by political and social elements in addition to these theological reasons. The ambition of the European aristocracy to achieve fame and grandeur by military conquest was one such reason. The Crusades provided an opportunity for knights to win fame and wealth, and to demonstrate their martial prowess. Also oddly enough the Crusaders' conviction in the

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