Motives Of The Crusades Essay

The aspects and the motives of the crusades have caused heated debates where historians are determining the major motives of the Crusades. The Crusades were primarily caused by religious devotion, political gain and economic benefit. The question was that, which of the two factors had served as more of a catalyst. The Crusades were constructed on the basis of devoting to the religion of Christianity and leaders protecting their people and the future of their empire and leadership. Despite there being two motives, the aspect of religious devotion outweighs political gain and economic benefits.

The Crusades were principally a definition of Papal authority. One of the factors in causing the Crusades was economic benefit and political gains. Crusaders would

Looking at a wider perspective, when the Christians had taken over Jerusalem from the Muslims, the Islamic leader was urging his people to retake what they believed was rightfully theirs. The quote “God has received nothing from us in the way of adoration” illustrates how the Muslims wanted to demonstrate religious devotion to their God. As time went on, losing the Holy Land would be too shameful for Christendom, so with the Pope’s blessing, dozen of thousands of men marched toward Jerusalem. It is visible that the Crusades were primarily caused by religious devotion.

Popes had used the Crusades as a tool in order to achieve and fulfil religious, political and economic aspects. They had used spiritual rewards and utilising the desire of exploring in Crusaders, thousands of men participated in the Crusades. The Crusades had caused multiple debates where historians have argued which of the two major motives played as more of an active agent. However, the religious devotion aspect outweighs the political and economic benefits and serves as the catalyst of the