The Crusades – questions.

  1. When were the Crusades? What were they? Which city was the objective of many crusaders?
  1. What motivated crusaders? What encouraged people to go on crusades?
  1. How did the Seljuk Turks differ from the Fatimid rulers of Syria, Egypt & Palestine? Why was this significant?
  1. Where did the Turks originate?
  1. What happened at Manzikert?
  1. What were pilgrimages, and why did people go on them?
  1. Who was the Byzantine Emperor who asked for military help from Western Europe? Who was his daughter?
  1. What happened at Clermont in 1095?
  1. Who was Adhemar? Who was Peter the Hermit? Why were these men important in the early crusading movement?
  1. Why didn’t the first proper crusading army leave Europe until 1096?
  1. Name the leaders of the 1st Crusade. Where did most of them come from?
  1. How were crusading armies recruited & organised? How big was the First Crusade army?
  1. What happened to the Jews of Jerusalem after the crusaders captured the city in 1099? Why do you think this happened?
  1. What happened at Belgrade? Why did this happen?
  1. How were Muslim forces recruited & organised? What were “Saracens”?
  1. What were the similarities & differences between Crusader and Seljuk forces? Consider weapons, armour, battle tactics etc…
  1. Who/ what were the Assassins? Why were they so called? Who was the “Old Man of the Mountains”?
  1. What were the “LatinKingdoms”/ “Outremer”?
  1. Who was Sal’ah-Din? What was his race? What were his motives?
  1. Who were the Knights of the Temple, & The Knights of the Hospital of St John? What were their motives? What did they do? What were Kerak, Belvoir, & Krak des Chevalliers?
  1. What happened at the Horns of Hattin?
  1. Who were the leaders of the 3rd Crusade?
  1. What happened at Arsuf?
  1. Why did Richard I & Sal’ah-Din respect one another?
  1. What happened to Richard I en route home from the 3rd Crusade?
  1. Where else, apart from the Middle East, did “crusades” take place during the Medieval period? Against whom?
  1. Why did the crusading movement eventually end?
  1. Explain the following terms:
  • Jihad
  • Holy War
  • True Cross
  • Infidel
  • The Military Orders/ Monks of War
  • Byzantium
  • Seljuk
  • Scimitar
  • Hermit
  • Holy Places
  • Saracen
  • The Levant
  1. List some of the long-term consequences of the Crusades.
  1. Crusades: Christian European defensive wars, or an early example of colonialism – what do you think?