Lesson 4: The Crusades (The Middle Ages)
🏰 Crusaders Invade the Holy Land
In the year 1095, the leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Urban II, gave a big speech. He stood in front of a crowd and said:
"God wants Christian people to take back the Holy Land!"
The Holy Land is where Jesus lived. It is very important to Christians, Jews, and Muslims. But at that time, the city of Jerusalem was ruled by Muslim armies.
Pope Urban II asked Christian knights and soldiers to go and fight. He said that if they died in battle, they would go to heaven. Many people believed him. They shouted,
"Deus Vult!" (Latin for “God wills it!”)
Soon, thousands of people from France, Germany, and Italy joined the First Crusade. They wore a red cross on their clothes.
🌟 Story: A poor man named Peter the Hermit said he had a vision from God. He rode a donkey and told people to follow him to the Holy Land. Thousands joined him—even farmers and children—but many were not prepared and died on the way.
The journey was long and hard. But in 1099, after many battles, the Crusaders took Jerusalem. They believed it was a great victory for God.
👑 Kings and Popes Lead the Crusades
After the First Crusade, more popes and kings helped lead new Crusades.
🧓 Popes:
Pope Urban II started the First Crusade.
Later Popes wanted to keep control of Jerusalem.
Popes told people they would be forgiven of sins if they went on Crusade.
The Pope had a lot of power. Even kings listened to him.
👑 Kings:
Some kings also led Crusades:
King Richard the Lionheart of England was strong and brave. He became famous during the Third Crusade.
He fought against Saladin, a wise and strong Muslim leader. They respected each other, even though they were enemies.
⚔️ Story: One time, Richard got sick. Saladin sent him fruit and ice to help him feel better. This showed honor and respect, even during war.
Other kings joined too:
King Louis IX of France led the Seventh Crusade.
But most kings failed to win new land.
⚔️ Later Crusades Fail
The First Crusade was a success, but later Crusades were not.
Muslim leaders, especially Saladin, were smart and strong. In 1187, Saladin took back Jerusalem. The Christians tried to win it again in the Second and Third Crusades, but they failed.
🧒 Story: In the Children’s Crusade, many young boys and girls believed God would protect them. But they never reached the Holy Land. Some were taken by bad men and sold as slaves. It was a very sad part of history.
The Crusaders had many problems:
Long travel with little food.
Fighting between Christian leaders.
Strong Muslim armies.
In the Fourth Crusade, Crusaders even attacked the Christian city of Constantinople instead of fighting Muslims. That made people lose trust in the Crusades.
🕊️ Crusades Change Europe
Even though the Crusades failed to keep Jerusalem, they changed Europe forever.
🌍 1. Trade Grew
Crusaders saw new things in the Middle East:
🧂 spices, 🧵 silk, 🍊 fruit, 📚 books, and 🧼 soap.
When they came home, they wanted more. Trade grew between Europe and Asia.
🧠 2. New Ideas
Crusaders learned medicine, science, and math from Muslim scholars. These ideas helped Europe grow smarter.
👑 3. Stronger Kings
Many knights and lords died during the Crusades. Kings took their land. This gave kings more power and helped make modern countries.
😔 4. Hatred and Pain
Some Crusaders attacked Jews and Muslims, even when those people were not soldiers. This caused hate and violence that lasted a long time.