The Crusades part 1 (before the actual first crusades)

Knowledege about the people and empires that led to the first crusades.

What was the Byzantine Empire?

• The Byzantine Empire was the eastern part of the old Roman Empire.

• Its capital was Constantinople.

• The Byzantines were Christian, following the Eastern Orthodox Church.

• By the 11th century, the empire was becoming weaker and was facing threats from the Seljuk Turks.

• The emperor was the supreme leader of the Byzantine Empire. He had both political and religious authority.

What was the Holy Roman Empire?

• It was a large group of territories in central Europe, centred in modern day Germany. -

• It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor, who was an important Christian ruler.

• Before the First Crusade, Henry IV was emperor and was involved in a major power struggle with the Pope.

• Most people followed Roman Catholic Christianity and recognised the Pope in Rome as the head of the Church.

Who were the Seljuk Turks?

• The Seljuk Turks were a Muslim Turkish people who built a powerful empire across the Middle East and Asia Minor.

• They followed Sunni Islam.

• Became a major threat to the Byzantine Empire during the 11th century.

Who was Pope Urban II?

• Pope Urban II was the Pope from 1088 to 1099.

• He wanted to strengthen the power of the Papacy and improve relations between Western and Eastern Christians.

• In 1095, he called for the First Crusade at the Council of Clermont, encouraging Christians to help the Byzantine Empire and take back the Holy Land.

Who was Robert Guiscard?

• Robert Guiscard was a Norman leader who ruled southern Italy and Sicily.

• He was a Christian, but he was also a threat to the Byzantine Empire because he tried to expand into Byzantine territory.

• He fought the Byzantines in the 1080s, creating another problem for the Byzantine Emperor Alexios I.

Why was Jerusalem important to Christians?

• Jerusalem was the most important holy city in Christianity because it was where Jesus was crucified and resurrected.

• The Church of the Holy Sepulchre was believed to mark the site of Jesus' crucifixion and burial.

Why was Jerusalem important to Muslims?

• Jerusalem was an important holy city in Islam.

• Muslims believed that Muhammad travelled to Jerusalem during the Night Journey and ascended to heaven from the site of the Dome of the Rock.

What was the Great Schism and why did it happen?

• The Great Schism was the split between the Western Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church in 1054.

• There were disagreements about religious beliefs and Church authority, especially over whether the Pope should have authority over the Eastern Church.

What was the Papacy?

• The Papacy was the office and authority of the Pope, who was the leader of the Roman Catholic Church.

• Before the First Crusade, the Papacy was becoming increasingly powerful and wanted to increase its authority over Christian rulers and the Church.

What was the Battle of Manzikert?

• The Battle of Manzikert was a major battle in 1071 between the Byzantine Empire and the Seljuk Turks.

• The Seljuks, led by Alp Arslan, defeated the Byzantine army.

• Romanos IV Diogenes was the Byzantine Emperor.

What was the Muslim world like before the First Crusade?

• The Muslim world was large but divided between different rulers and groups. -

• The two main branches of Islam were Sunni and Shia, and there were rival Muslim states.

• This division meant there was no single Muslim leader controlling the whole region.

Who were the Fatimids and what did they believe?

• The Fatimids were a Shia Muslim dynasty that ruled Egypt and parts of the Middle East.

• They followed Ismaili Shia Islam.

• Believed that the 4th caliph after Mohammad- Ali was true as he married Mohammad’s daughter Fatimah.

• Their capital was Cairo.

Who were the Abbasids and what did they believe?

• The Abbasids were a Sunni Muslim dynasty that ruled much of the Muslim world.

• They claimed to be descended from al-Abbas, Muhammad's uncle.

• Their capital was Baghdad.

• They believed the first three caliph should be the political and religious leader of the Muslim community and were the true ones.