Christian Muslim Conflict Essay Research Paper The

Christian Muslim Conflict Essay, Research Paper

The conflict between the Christians and the Muslims, between 1098 and 1229, was

the result of political unrest; which was fueled the Muslims migrating into the

Christian holy lands, lead by Pope Urban II and carried on, throughout latter

centuries by his followers. What follows is a story of war, holy visions,unholy

alliances, promises made with fingers crossed, sieges and slaughters, the

details of which fill volumes. Christianity, in its infancy, was a very

threatened state. It was enriched with radical ideas that called for the worship

of a single god in place of the many dieties that had ruled for centuries

before. These radical concepts took a while to sink in and become the root of

what would be the modern era. The world of the latter 9th century and early 10th

century was in a state of turmoil, resulting from the recent adoption of

Christianity as the official religion of the modern world. In order to cement

its hold on the masses, the political heads of the day decided to quell all

internal conflicts and unite against an enemy whose destruction would help to

further develop the hold that the Pope, and the church, had on the world. The

Muslims were originally a tight banded group of followers of Muhammad and the

religion of Islam. When the prophet Muhammad died, however, the group lost

it.s center and thus began to unravel a little and disperse. The Muslims

slowly began to integrate into the Christian .holy lands., threatening the

foundation of Christianity. This integration lead to unease and gave root to the

cause of the Crusades. It allowed for the Pope to issue official doctrine which

called for the removal of the muslims in a united effort by devout Christians. A

crusade is a holy war authorized, encouraged, and supported by the Pope in the

name of God and Christ. In order to justify a war, or the need for war, the Pope

proposed the issue as a defensive reaction to injury or aggression and as an

attempt to recover Christian territories lost to infidels. Pope Urban II

initiated the first crusade as an attempt to unite the conflicting Christian

territories against a single and foreign foe, the Muslims. Otto, better known as

Pope Urban II, was born around 1042 and died 29 July 1099. On 12 March 1088,

Otto was unanimously elected as Pope, taking the title of Urban II. His first

act was to proclaim his election to the world, and to acknowledge the princes

and bishops who had been loyal to Gregory, and ask for their continued

allegiance: he declared his intention of following the policy and example of his

great predecessor–"all that he rejected, I reject, what he condemned I

condemn, what he loved I embrace, what he considered as Catholic, I confirm and

approve". The First Crusade began in 1095 after the Byzantines, threatened

by Seljuk power, appealed to Pope Urban II for military aid. Pope Urban, hoping

to divert the Christian kings and princes from their struggles with each other,

and perhaps also seeing an opportunity to reunite the Eastern and Western

churches, called for a "Truce of God" among the rulers of Europe and

urged them to take the Holy Land from the Muslims. Interestingly enough, Pope

Urban II died before he could see Jerusalem fall to his crusaders. There was

also the Byzantine empire, ruling from Constantinople, whose emperor at this

time was Alexius Comnenus. To his East, the Turks were rapidly encroaching on

his empire, and had begun attacking pilgrims on their way to – and in -

Jerusalem, causing him great distress. He wrote to his friend Robert, the Count

of Flanders, in 1093, telling him about supposed atrocities committed by the

Turks on the Christian pilgrims, and Robert passed this letter on to Pope Urban

II. Urban, an opportunist, saw this as a perfect way to solve some of his local

problems. He personally promoted a Holy Crusade to reclaim the Holy Lands from

the barbarian Turks. Thus, the First Crusade was launched in 1095. The warriors

of the crusades were known as the crusaders. It was a mixed group of people:

civilians, soldiers, noblemen, mercenaries, adventurers, and peasants. Anybody

that felt religiously compelled could become a solider in the crusades. All that

was required to begin their journey towards their religious callings was to make

a public vow, which was not distinguishable from, and was always based on, the

vow to make a pilgrimage; crusaders and pilgrims had the same legal status,

being temporarily subjected to church courts and enjoying ecclesiastical

protection of their persons, properties and families. They also needed deep

religious convictions to guide them to victory, honor, and heaven. These

incentives were to good to pass up by many Christians. To Arab historians, the

Crusaders were a minor irritant, their invasion was one of a more barbarian

incur

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