EFFECT OF CRUSADES ON ECONOMY AND TRADE OF EUROPE
ABSTRACT
The Crusades which were initially wars between the Christians and the Muslims had several unintending effects on Medieval Europe. It was essentially a series of wars which morphed into a catalyst of change. Crusades firmly set Europe on the path of development. It changed the economy from a feudalistic one to one where wealth was distributed. In the obsolete feudal structure, a large portion of the wealth was amassed by the king, the nobility and the clergy who were only 2% of the total population. Crusades redistributed some of this wealth.
In those days, there was hardly any production. Agriculture was the major source of income. Thus, Crusades was like a breeze of fresh air for the European Economy. Crusades led to urbanisation, which led to new methods of transactions, which enhanced trade, which led to the growth of the middle class, which led to more and more avenues opening up.
Thus, the modern concepts of Globalisation and Liberalisation has its seeds in this era.
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However, the Byzantines did not just cease to exist. Instead the empire saw a short but quick resurgence in their economic fortunes due to the Crusades and the exchange of goods and gold from Muslim lands and the coastal trading towns that began to pop up in the Mediterranean. However, this financial resurgence did not last and the empire fell into financial decline within a few hundred years after the Wars.
Interestingly, it is believed that Pope Urban II was in fact motivated to initiate the First Crusade partly to avoid internal fighting among the European rulers and the nobility and instead fight a common enemy – the Muslims. (https://www.thoughtco.com/crusades-effect-on-middle-east-195596)
Crusades had a significant impact on the economy and therefore the way of life in Medieval
According to (document E) Life in the Middle Ages “ Was insecure, violence was everywhere and poverty was widespread.” The troubling experiences were so overwhelming that the Holy Roman Empire felt that it was necessary the Crusades. By promoting the crusades people would be able to focus their violence and energy to a greater cause. In addition, the
The crusades failed in their chief goal : the conquest of the Holy land. They also left a bitter legacy of religious hatred behind them. In the middle east, both Christians and Muslims committed appalling atrocities in the name of religion. This is important because that means that there were negative impact on the crusades. This is important because the results of that are negative, this is because muslims and Christian never agreed on the
DBQ: Question: Were the Crusades caused primarily by religious devotion or by the desire for political and economic gain? Document Usage: Political (3, 6), Economic (3, 4, 6) Counter: Religious (1, 2, 5). The Middle East was the powerhouse of the world, and due to Rome collapsing Europe lost some of their power. Christians desired missionaries and more power, they noticed the wealth in Dar-Islam and wanted it for themselves.
Some positive effects of the crusades were the Established communities that were created in the crusader states by European merchants. Trades between these European merchants/businessmen were still encouraged. “The Muslim rulers still encouraged trades” between the Europeans and the Muslims because it benefits both customer and seller/trader (document 5). Legacy’s of the crusades are still remembered and greatly make an impression on the future. Luxuries and more were brought to Europe when the crusaders returned.
However, some may say that they were a success since Christians brought back a lot of things which included spices and much more. The positive legacy of The Crusades was that trade still continued between Italian merchants. As stated in document 2, “... Italian Merchants kept these trade routes open. Our
Religion had a huge effect on the Crusades and how it played out in the long run the economy during the Crusades was changing a lot and for the better in some aspects. One thing that changed was the Increased trade in international trade across the Mediterranean which gave them more new products and increased sales. The products they got were Spices, sugar, dates, watermelon, lemons, Cotton cloth, Persian carpets, and other things too. Another thing that happened was Technology of Islamic achievements was now known in the west and east Europe giving them more ideas. paper, water wheels, and better castle buildings were also brought back to Europe.
Although the Crusades failed the Holy Land, they had a lasting outcome on the way the Europeans lived. This is (important/interesting/relevant) because When the Crusaders returned they Europe they had brought back spices, sugar, and silk; many nobles and merchants enjoyed the new products and wanted more of them Document 2 states that Merchants in Venice and other northern Italian cities built large fleets to carry crusaders to the Holy Land. And later used those fleets to open new markets in the Crusaders’
This was important because at that time there were not many trade routes between those areas, and if there were they would tax people not of their religion or culture. Document 5 gives a synopsis of different reasons Europeans may have wanted to participate in the Crusades, including opening new trade routes. These trade routes would allow the Christians to get more resources from the Middle East at a much cheaper and faster rate. A new trade route seemed to be crucial for the Christians. India and the Middle East had many resources to offer.
The Crusades were a violent series of battles that Christians fought against Muslims in order to gain back the holy land, Jerusalem. The Christians felt threatened by the intimidating rule of the Islamic Empire, and their response was the first Crusade. These attacks continued and grew unsuccessful throughout many years, and are often due to the intense bond between Christians and God, however there are other influences, like wealth and power. Some argue also that the actions committed during these events were not necessarily “barbaric”, considering the historical time period. The Crusades should be remembered as a series of attacks with a variety of motives and influences that were violent and barbaric.
The crusade was typically made up of peasants due to the numbers of soldiers. Even though the peasants weren’t very skilled, it still the job because in 1099 the Christians beat the Turks and took over the Holy Lands. This was a very important crusade because it slowed down the Muslims for a decent amount of time, it brought Christians together, and it changed the lifestyle of many people throughout that time. Victory was
The Political and Economic Gains of the Crusades In 1095, Pope Urban II called upon people to fight the Muslim control of Jerusalem. In response to his call for war, tens of thousands of peasants, nobles, and clergy gathered in Western Europe. From 1096 to 1099, armies of these people, called Crusaders, departed from Western Europe to Jerusalem. This would result in nine major Crusades, from 1095-1291.
The coins were worth too much, so the Carolingian silver penny was imitated and produced. The restart of Mediterranean trade made the gold coin to be possible and abundant again. 35) Crusades reflected the important of Christianity in Western Europe because it was a series of religiously inspired Christian military campaigns that were against Muslims. The Crusades limited fighting between the Christians during times of truce like Lent, which showed how the Christians valued their religion and were willing to protect their religion from violence or disagreements with other religions. 36)
A lot of crusaders didn 't even return home, one out of twenty crusaders returned. These are many things that happened in the crusades.
The Crusades were successful failures because they did not meet many of their goals, but left lasting effects. The Crusades was an attempt by the Roman Catholic Church to regain the Holy Lands from the Muslims. They believed they were fighting for god and all sins would be forgiven and defend the Byzantine Empire from the Turks. The first Crusade (1096 -1099) was successful for the Christians because they had a clear and organized religious based purpose. Crusaders the Christian armies were able to hold Jerusalem and in the process led to a massacre of Jews.
These sudden changes for so many people prompted an array of religious, political, and economic changes throughout medieval Europe. The Crusades greatly impacted the two religions involved. Christian attacks and massacres of the Muslims encouraged bitterness and hostility between these groups of people. In addition to fighting with the Muslims, passing Christian armies often massacred and sacked entire Jewish communities without any provocation.