Conquests, Crusades, and Persecutions, c. 1100-1300

Scholar Robert Bartlett

How Europe became a cohesive unit and how Europeans began to think of themselves as Europeans

Tancred de Hauteville

A minor aristocrat in Normandy, had twelve sons. Eight of them set sail for conquest on the Italian peninsula

Robert Guiscard (“the cunning/resourceful”)

Began as a bandit, but turned to conquest. Did well, then married really well: Sichelgaita

Sichelgaita

Venetian princess, married to Guiscard, conquesting power couple

Treaty of Melfi (1059)

Gained him the acknowledgement of the pope; the pope gave him the title of “Duke.” Hereafter, his endeavors were “crusades” as they had the pope’s sanction

Almoraved dynasty

Berbers who came to help al-Andalus, but stayed and took over, passed to Almohad dynasty

Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa

Castille defeats Muslims, were never really able to come back from this defeat

Grenada

Last Muslim stronghold in Al-Andalus

Normans

Pushed into Northern Italy (Sicily) (Byzantine)

Spanish Christians

Pushed into Al-Andalus (Muslims)

Germany

Pushed into Slavic territories (Eastern Orthodoxy)

Causes of the Crusades

1. Papal initiative

2. Inspired by the Peace and Truce of God Movement

3. Lay people sought redemption of sin

4. Desire for land with new primogeniture rules of inheritance

The Seljuk Turks

Originally from the steppes of central Asia, fierce horseback warriors who adopted Islam and conquered Persia and Baghdad. Also took over Byzantine Manizkert and Jerusalem from the Fatimid Caliphate. Forbid Christians from coming into the Holy Land. 

Crusader Kingdoms in the Holy Land

Edessa, Antioch, Tripoli, Jerusalem

Second Crusade

Largely to get Jerusalem back from the Seljuks, successful

Third Crusade

• Richard the Lionheart vs. Saladin

• After Saladin retakes Jerusalem at the Battle of the Horns of Hattin

• Richard the Lionheart tries to take it back

Fourth Crusade

• Goal was to conquer Muslim Egypt as a first step toward taking Holy Land

• Called by Innocent III, led by Flanders, looking to conquer Constantinople, because the Crusaders got crazy detoured

Trial of the Templar military order

Leaders burnt at the stake, the order is abolished

Albigensian Crusade

One of the inward crusades toward persecuting heretical Christians and Jews

Blood Libel

False accusation urging violence against innocent Jewish people