Why did Latin Christians fight Muslims 1071-99? Flashcards
(18 cards)
what are 3 reasons why Latin Christians fought Muslims 1071-99?
- Religious Duty & Sanctified Violence
- Economic Gains
- Feudal and Social Obligations
what is a limitation to the theory that Latin Christians fought Muslims 1071-99 due to feudal and social obligations?
‘Holy War’ was technically voluntary as it was undertaken as a religious act (a form of penance). Nobody could, in theory, be compelled to take part.
what are 2 limitations to the theory that Latin Christians fought Muslims 1071-99 due to economic gains?
- Money plundered from Mahdia in North Africa in 1087 was spent on the cathedral of Pisa and to build a new church.
- Cost of crusading (1095-99) e.g. J. Riley-Smith claimed = five times annual income.
what are some limitations to the theory that Latin Christians fought Muslims 1071-99 due to religious duty?
- The Normans already intended to conquer Sicily prior to papal blessing; they had no scruples about attacking Christian Southern Italy.
- Ebles of Roucy, who had led one of the papally-backed expeditions, was happy to plunder the church in Reims and over 100 complaints were made about him to the French king
- Famous Christian champion, Rodrigo Diaz (El Cid) was happy to fight for Muslim leaders against Christians (as well as the other way).
- Alfonso VI of Leon supported a Muslim client ruler, al-Qadir, in Toledo and later set him up in Valencia after 1085.
- Normans made deals with Muslim leaders and established a highly religiously tolerant society in Sicily.
what events 1071-95 suggest that Latin Christians fought Muslims 1071-99 due to religious duty?
- People were influenced by the Peace and Truce of God movements
- The ‘milites Christi’ saw their warfare as holy as they fought for the interests of the pope, which extended into Spain.
- 1059: Pope Nicholas II had given the Normans the task of re-conquering Sicily for Christianity
- Pope Alexander II had promised indulgence for those who fought in Spain in 1063 and Gregory VII repeated this in 1073, 1078 and 1080.
- Hard-line Muslim Berbers from North Africa (Almoravids) threatened Christians in Spain from 1086.
- 1087: Pope Victor III supported the campaign against Mahdia
what movement may have meant Latins were encouraged to fight Muslims 1071-99?
Peace and Truce of God
which group fought Muslims due to religious duty 1071-99?
milites christi
which popes promised indulgences for Latins who fought Muslims 1071-99?
Pope Alexander II had promised indulgence for those who fought in Spain in 1063 and Gregory VII repeated this in 1073, 1078 and 1080.
which pope supported the campaign against mahdia 1087?
victor iii
what evidence is there 1095-99 that Latins fought Muslims due to religious duty?
- Peter the Hermit leader of People’s crusade
- Urban II had asked people to go at Clermont in November 1095 and received a large turnout
- Crusaders took a pilgrim vow, describing themselves in charters and letters home as ‘pilgrims in arms.’ They wore the sign of the Cross on their clothing.
- Crusader Leaders were motivated by this
- Urban II promised that the previous sins pf participants would be forgiven.
- Urban II’s desire to limit violence between Christians and to redirect it against a common Muslim enemy is referenced in his speech at Clermont, most strongly in the version written by Robert the Monk and his desire to recapture Jerusalem, and the Holy Sepulchre specifically, is referenced most strongly by Guilbert of Nogent.
- The growing apocalyptic expectation associated with the coming of the year 1100 made the recapture of the Holy City more urgent to the papacy than normal.; Jerusalem was the most important pilgrimage site (Great German Pilgramige, Holy Sepulchre etc)
how many religious figures attended Urban II’s speech at Clermont?
13 archbishops, 225 bishops, and over 90 abbots present to spread the word throughout Western Europe.
which first crusader leaders were motivated by religious duty?
- Robert of Flanders’ (Count of Flanders) family had a history of pilgrimage to Jerusalem
- Godfrey of Bouillon (Duke of Lorraine) was personally pious
- Raymond of Toulouse (Count of Toulouse) was pious and seeking remission of his sins
- Adhemar (Bishop of Le Puy and papal legate) was the first bishop to sign up the the crusade.
- Raymond of Toulouse (Count of Toulouse) was a member of the milites Christi
what evidence is there 1071-95 that Latins fought Muslims for economic gains?
- Sicily was very wealthy and the Normans who conquered it became fabulously wealthy.
- Gregory VII promised that knights could keep the lands that they captured in Spain.
- In Spain many Christian warriors fought for whoever would reward them e.g. El Cid.
- 1085: capture of Toledo greatly extended and enriched the kingdom of Leon-Castile.
what evidence is there 1071-95 that Latins fought Muslims due to feudal and social obligations?
- Sicily conquered by 6 Norman brothers who took on the challenge together.
- Many of the knights who fought in 1073, 1078 and 1080 followed their French lords to Spain.
- The reconquest of Spain was driven by the kings of the Christian kingdoms there and many participants were therefore following feudal lords.
what evidence is there 1095-99 that Latins fought Muslims for economic gains?
- At Clermont, Urban II appears to have been aware that his audience might be attracted the the crusade by avaricious impulses
- Emperor Alexius I had previously paid western knights to fight for him on his campaigns and many of these had returned to W. Europe speaking of the wealth of Byzantium
- Severe drought afflicted much of France before 1096, leading to a series of poor harvests and spread of famine
- While the crusade was being preached, the region was hit by outbreaks of ergotism while the Levant was known as a ‘land flowing with milk and honey’
- It has been argued that younger sons were looking for lands as a consequence of spread of primogeniture
- Urban II promised them wealth and offered to protect their possessions in Europe during the crusade.
- Crusader leaders motivated by money
which crusader leaders seem to have been motivated by economic gains?
- Baldwin of Boulogne, younger brother of Godfrey of Bouillon, Duke of Lorraine, had left the church to be a knight and was seeking his fortune in the east
- Raymond of Toulouse (Count of Toulouse) planned to relocate to the Levant and took his family with him
- Bohemond (‘Prince’ of Taranto) was looking for land and wealth
- Tancred, nephew of Bohemond, was seeking lands and fortune
what evidence is there 1095-99 that Latins fought Muslims due to feudal and social obligations?
- People often undertook the crusade because of family ties; kinship was common in the lower ranks as well as the leadership
- Urban II knew if he recruited powerful nobles, then the knights in service to them would feel obliged to go on the crusade with their masters
- Social prestige attached with undertaking pilgrimage amplified by military nature and novelty of ‘crusade’.
- Crusader leaders motivated by social ties
which crusader leaders were motivated by social ties?
- Bohemond and Tancred were nephew and uncle
- Godfrey and Baldwin were brothers
- Stephen of Blois’ brother in law was Robert of Normandy and Robert of Flanders was his wife, Adela’s, cousin - Adela placed enormous pressure on him to participate
- Robert of Normandy (Duke of Normandy) was a very able warrior but poor administrator; he saw the Crusade as an opportunity to resurrect his reputation
- Godfrey of Bouillon (Duke of Lorraine) was in a poor position in the H.R.E. and not well liked by Henry IV
- Tancred was Bohemond’s nephew and travelled with him
- Raymond of Toulouse, Stephen of Blois, Godfrey of Bouillon and Robert of Flanders took many of his knights
- Some nobles - e.g. Fulk IV of Anjou - did not go themselves, but pressured their knights to participate
