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Church Reform and the Crusades

MAIN IDEA
CULTURAL INTERACTION The
Catholic Church underwent
reform and launched Crusades
against Muslims.

WHY IT MATTERS NOW

The Crusades left a legacy of
distrust between Christians and
Muslims that continues to the
present.

TERMS & NAMES

simony
Gothic
Urban II
Crusade
Saladin

Richard
the LionHearted
Reconquista
Inquisition

SETTING THE STAGE Some historians have called the period in Western

Europe between 500 and 1000 a dark age. Magyars seeking plunder pushed up
from the Danube River region. Vikings raided western European church monasteries. These groups destroyed many of these centers of learning. Around the
900s, however, a new spirit invaded the church and brought about a spiritual
revival in the clergy. Filled with new energy, the church began restructuring itself
and started massive building programs to create new places of worship.
TAKING NOTES

The Age of Faith

Monasteries led the spiritual revival. The monastery founded at Cluny in France
in 910 was especially important. The reformers there wanted to return to the
basic principles of the Christian religion. To do so, they established new religious
orders. Influenced by the religious devotion and reverence for God shown by the
new monasteries, the popes began to reform the Church. They restored and
expanded its power and authority. A new age of religious feeling was bornthe
Age of Faith. Still, many problems troubled the Church.

Following Chronological
Order Use a time line to
note important events in
the Age of Faith.

900
1500

Problems in the Church Some priests were nearly illiterate and could barely

read their prayers. Some of the popes were men of questionable morals. Many bishops and abbots cared more about their positions as feudal lords than about their
duties as spiritual leaders. Reformers were most distressed by three main issues.
Many village priests married and had families. Such marriages were
against Church rulings.
Bishops sold positions in the Church, a practice called simony
(SYmuhnee).
Using the practice of lay investiture, kings appointed church bishops.
Church reformers believed the Church alone should appoint bishops.
Reform and Church Organization Pope Leo IX and Pope Gregory VII enforced
Church laws against simony and the marriage of priests. The popes who followed
Leo and Gregory reorganized the Church to continue the policy of reform. In the
1100s and 1200s, the Church was restructured to resemble a kingdom, with the
pope at its head. The popes group of advisers was called the papal Curia. The
Curia also acted as a court. It developed canon law (the law of the Church) on matters such as marriage, divorce, and inheritance. The Curia also decided cases based
The Formation of Western Europe 379

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on these laws. Diplomats for the pope traveled through Europe dealing with bishops
and kings. In this way the popes established their authority throughout Europe.
The Church collected taxes in the form of tithes. These consumed one-tenth the
yearly income from every Christian family. The Church used some of the money to
perform social services such as caring for the sick and the poor. In fact, the Church
operated most hospitals in medieval Europe.
New Religious Orders In the early 1200s, wandering friars traveled from place to

place preaching and spreading the Churchs ideas. Like monks, friars took vows of
chastity, poverty, and obedience. Unlike monks, friars did not live apart from the
world in monasteries. Instead, they preached to the poor throughout Europes towns
and cities. Friars owned nothing and lived by begging.
Dominic, a Spanish priest, founded the Dominicans, one of the earliest orders
of friars. Because Dominic emphasized the importance of study, many Dominicans
were scholars. Francis of Assisi (uhSEEzee), an Italian, founded another order of
friars, the Franciscans. Francis treated all creatures, including animals, as if they
were his spiritual brothers and sisters.
Women played an important role in the spiritual revival. Women joined the
Dominicans, Benedictines, and Franciscans. In 1212, a woman named Clare and
her friend Francis of Assisi founded the Franciscan order for women. It was known
as the Poor Clares. In Germany, Hildegard of Bingen, a mystic and musician,
founded a Benedictine convent in 1147. Like friars, these women lived in poverty
and worked to help the poor and sick. Unlike the friars, however, women were not
allowed to travel from place to place as preachers.

CathedralsCities of God
During the medieval period most people worshiped in small churches near their
homes. Larger churches called cathedrals were built in city areas. The cathedral
was viewed as the representation of the City of God. As such, it was decorated with
all the richness that Christians could offer. Between about 800 and 1100, churches
were built in the Romanesque (ROHmuhNEHSK) style. The churches had round
arches and a heavy roof held up by thick walls and pillars. The thick walls had tiny
windows that let in little light.
A New Style of Church Architecture A new spirit in the church and access to
more money from the growing wealth of towns and from trade helped fuel the
building of churches in several European countries. In the early 1100s, a new style
of architecture, known as Gothic, evolved throughout medieval Europe. The term
Gothic comes from a Germanic tribe named the Goths. Unlike the heavy, gloomy
Romanesque buildings, Gothic cathedrals thrust upward as if reaching toward
heaven. Light streamed in through huge stained glass windows. Other arts of the
medieval world were evident around or in the Gothic cathedralsculpture, woodcarvings, and stained glass windows. All of these elements were meant to inspire
the worshiper with the magnificence of God. See the diagram on the next page to
learn more about Gothic cathedrals.
Soon Gothic cathedrals were built in many towns of France. In Paris, the vaulted
ceiling of the Cathedral of Notre Dame (NOHtruh DAHM) eventually rose to
more than 100 feet. Then Chartres, Reims, Amiens, and Beauvais built even taller
cathedrals. In all, nearly 500 Gothic churches were built between 1170 and 1270.

380 Chapter 14

Evaluating
Courses of Action
How did the
popes increase their
power and
authority?

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Gothic Architecture
The master builders in France, where the Gothic style originated,
developed techniques of structural engineering that were key to
Gothic architecture: 1 ribbed vaults that supported the roofs
weight, 2 flying buttresses that transferred weight to thick,
exterior walls, 3 pointed arches that framed huge stained glass
windows, and 4 tall spires that seemed to be pointing to heaven.

Chartres Cathedral
The cathedral of Chartres (shahrt) is a
masterpiece of Gothic architecture. The
cathedral has hundreds of sculptures.
The stone carvings that frame every door
illustrate Bible stories. In this photograph,
you can see the cathedral has not one,
but two bell towers.

Stained Glass

SKILLBUILDER: Interpreting Visual Sources

1. Drawing Conclusions Pose and answer three questions about elements
in the style of Gothic architecture that might affect the sense of height
and light inside.
2. Comparing and Contrasting Think about stained glass windows you
have seen. Do they tell a story? What figures or events do they illustrate?

In addition to its sculpture

and soaring towers, Chartres
Cathedral has some of the
most beautiful stained glass
windows of any Gothic
cathedral in Europe. The
windows illustrate stories
from the Bible. As illiterate
peasants walked past the 176
windows, they could view
those stories. The window
above depicts the parable of
the Good Samaritan.

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The Crusades
The Age of Faith also inspired wars of conquest. In 1093, the Byzantine emperor
Alexius Comnenus sent an appeal to Robert, Count of Flanders. The emperor asked
for help against the Muslim Turks. They were threatening to conquer his capital,
Constantinople:
PRIMARY SOURCE
Come then, with all your people and give battle with all your strength, so that all this
treasure shall not fall into the hands of the Turks. . . . Therefore act while there is still
time lest the kingdom of the Christians shall vanish from your sight and, what is more
important, the Holy Sepulchre [the tomb where Jesus was buried] shall vanish. And in
your coming you will find your reward in heaven, and if you do not come, God will
condemn you.
EMPEROR ALEXIUS COMNENUS, quoted in The Dream and the Tomb by Robert Payne

Pope Urban II also read that letter. Shortly after this appeal, he issued a call for
what he termed a holy war, a Crusade, to gain control of the Holy Land. Over
the next 300 years, a number of such Crusades were launched.
Goals of the Crusades The Crusades had economic, social, and political goals as

The red cross

on his tunic
identifies this
knight as a
crusader.

well as religious motives. Muslims controlled Palestine (the Holy Land) and threatened Constantinople. The Byzantine emperor in Constantinople appealed to
Christians to stop Muslim attacks. In addition, the pope wanted to reclaim
Palestine and reunite Christendom, which had split into Eastern and Western
branches in 1054.
In addition, kings and the Church both saw the Crusades as an opportunity to get rid of quarrelsome knights who fought each other. These
knights threatened the peace of the kingdoms, as well as Church property.
Others who participated in the Crusades were younger sons who,
unlike eldest sons, did not stand to inherit their fathers property. They
were looking for land and a position in society, or for adventure.
In the later Crusades, merchants profited by making cash loans to finance
the journey. They also leased their ships for a hefty fee to transport armies
over the Mediterranean Sea. In addition, the merchants of Pisa, Genoa, and
Venice hoped to win control of key trade routes to India, Southeast Asia, and
China from Muslim traders.
The First and Second Crusades Pope Urbans call brought a tremen-

dous outpouring of religious feeling and support for the Crusade.

According to the pope, those who died on Crusade were assured of a
place in heaven. With red crosses sewn on tunics worn over their armor
and the battle cry of God wills it! on their lips, knights and commoners were fired by religious zeal and became Crusaders.
By early 1097, three armies of knights and people of all classes had
gathered outside Constantinople. Most of the Crusaders were French, but
Bohemians, Germans, Englishmen, Scots, Italians, and Spaniards came
as well. The Crusaders were ill-prepared for war in this First Crusade.
Many knew nothing of the geography, climate, or culture of the Holy
Land. They had no grand strategy to capture Jerusalem. The nobles
argued among themselves and couldnt agree on a leader. Finally an army
of 12,000 (less than one-fourth of the original army) approached
Jerusalem. The Crusaders besieged the city for over a month. On July 15,
1099, they captured the city.

382 Chapter 14

Vocabulary

Holy Land:
Palestine; the area
where Jesus lived
and preached

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The Crusades, 10961204

HOLY
ROMAN
EMPIRE

el
hann

ish C

Engl

Paris

POLAND

Vienna

Metz
Vezelay

ATLANTIC
OCEAN

Christian lands
Muslim lands
Kingdoms established
by the Crusaders
First Crusade, 10961099
Second Crusade, 11471149
Third Crusade, 11891191
Fourth Crusade, 12021204

Regensburg

FRANCE

HUNGARY

Venice
Clermont

Belgrade

Genoa

Marseille

BULGARIA

Black Sea

SERBIA
Corsica
Rome

SPAIN
PORTUGAL

Sardinia

40N

Lisbon

0
0

Adrianople
Constantinople

Medi

500 Miles

KINGDOM

BYZANTINE EMPIRE

SELJUK TURKS

OF

ter

r aSICILY
ne
a

Edessa
Antioch

Se

Crete

Cyprus

Tripoli

1,000 Kilometers

Acre
Jerusalem

GEOGRAPHY SKILLBUILDER: Interpreting Maps

1. Place What Muslim power ruled lands close to the Christian city of Constantinople?
2. Movement Which Crusade did not make it to Jerusalem? Where did this Crusade end?

Summarizing
What, if anything, had the
Crusaders gained
by the end of the
Second Crusade?

40E

ENGLAND

All in all, the Crusaders had won a narrow strip of land. It stretched about 650
miles from Edessa in the north to Jerusalem in the south. Four feudal Crusader
states were carved out of this territory, each ruled by a European noble.
The Crusaders states were extremely vulnerable to Muslim counterattack. In
1144, Edessa was reconquered by the Turks. The Second Crusade was organized to
recapture the city. But its armies straggled home in defeat. In 1187, Europeans
were shocked to learn that Jerusalem itself had fallen to a Kurdish warrior and
Muslim leader Saladin (SALuhdihn).
The Third Crusade The Third Crusade to recapture Jerusalem was led by three of

Europes most powerful monarchs. They were Philip II (Augustus) of France,

German emperor Frederick I (Barbarossa), and the English king, Richard the
Lion-Hearted. Philip argued with Richard and went home. Barbarossa drowned on
the journey. So, Richard was left to lead the Crusaders in an attempt to regain the
Holy Land from Saladin. Both Richard and Saladin were brilliant warriors. After
many battles, the two agreed to a truce in 1192. Jerusalem remained under Muslim
control. In return, Saladin promised that unarmed Christian pilgrims could freely
visit the citys holy places.

The Crusading Spirit Dwindles

In 1204, the Fourth Crusade to capture Jerusalem failed. The knights did not reach
the Holy Land. Instead, they ended up looting the city of Constantinople. In the
1200s, four more Crusades to free the holy land were also unsuccessful. The religious spirit of the First Crusade faded, and the search for personal gain grew. In
two later Crusades, armies marched not to the Holy Land but to Egypt. The
Crusaders intended to weaken Muslim forces there before going to the Holy Land.
But none of these attempts conquered much land.
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Richard the Lion-Hearted

11571199

Saladin
11381193

Richard was noted for his good looks,

charm, courage, graceand
ruthlessness. When he heard that
Jerusalem had fallen to the Muslims,
he was filled with religious zeal. He
joined the Third Crusade, leaving
others to rule England in his place.
Richard mounted a siege on the city
of Acre. Saladins army was in the hills
overlooking the city, but it was not
strong enough to defeat the Crusaders.
When finally the city fell, Richard had
the Muslim survivorssome 3,000 men,
women, and childrenslaughtered.
The Muslim army watched helplessly
from the hills.

Saladin was the most famous Muslim

leader of the 1100s. His own people
considered him a most devout man.
Even the Christians regarded him as
honest and brave.
He wished to chase the Crusaders
back into their own territories. He said:
I think that when God grants me
victory over the rest of Palestine, I
shall divide my territories, make a
will stating my wishes, then set
sail on this sea for their far-off
lands and pursue the Franks
there, so as to free the earth from
anyone who does not believe in
Allah, or die in the attempt.

The Childrens Crusade The Childrens Crusade took place in 1212. In two different movements, thousands of children set out to conquer Jerusalem. One group
in France was led by 12-year-old Stephen of Cloyes. An estimated 30,000 children
under 18 joined him. They were armed only with the belief that God would give
them Jerusalem. On their march south to the Mediterranean, many died from cold
and starvation. The rest drowned at sea or were sold into slavery.
In Germany, Nicholas of Cologne gathered about 20,000 children and young
adults. They began marching toward Rome. Thousands died in the cold and treacherous crossing of the Alps. Those who survived the trip to Italy finally did meet the
pope. He told them to go home and wait until they were older. About 2,000 survived the return trip to Germany. A few boarded a ship for the Holy Land and were
never heard of again.
A Spanish Crusade In Spain, Muslims (called Moors) controlled most of the
country until the 1100s. The Reconquista (raykawnKEEStuh) was a long effort

by the Spanish to drive the Muslims out of Spain. By the late 1400s, the Muslims
held only the tiny kingdom of Granada. In 1492, Granada finally fell to the
Christian army of Ferdinand and Isabella, the Spanish monarchs.
To unify their country under Christianity and to increase their power, Isabella and
Ferdinand made use of the Inquisition. This was a court held by the Church to suppress heresy. Heretics were people whose religious beliefs differed from the teachings of the Church. Many Jews and Muslims in Spain converted to Christianity
during the late 1400s. Even so, the inquisitors suspected these Jewish and Muslim
converts of heresy. A person suspected of heresy might be questioned for weeks and
even tortured. Once suspects confessed, they were often burned at the stake. In 1492,

384 Chapter 14

Making
Inferences
How does the
Childrens Crusade
illustrate the power
of the Church?

Page 7 of 7

the monarchs expelled all practicing Jews and

Muslims from Spain.

The Effects of the Crusades

The Crusades are a forceful example of the power
of the Church during the medieval period. The call
to go to the Holy Land encouraged thousands to
leave their homes and travel to faraway lands. For
those who stayed home, especially women, it meant
a chance to manage affairs on the estates or to operate shops and inns.
European merchants who lived and traded in the
Crusader states expanded trade between Europe
and Southwest Asia. The goods imported from
Southwest Asia included spices, fruits, and cloth.
This trade with the West benefited both Christians
and Muslims.
However, the failure of later Crusades also lessened the power of the pope. The Crusades weakened
the feudal nobility and increased the power of kings.
Thousands of knights and other participants lost
their lives and fortunes. The fall of Constantinople
weakened the Byzantine Empire.
For Muslims, the intolerance and prejudice displayed by Christians in the Holy
Land left behind a legacy of bitterness and hatred. This legacy continues to the
present. For Christians and Jews who remained in the Muslim controlled region
after the fall of the Crusader states, relations with the Muslim leadership worsened.
For Jews in Europe, the Crusades were a time of increased persecution.
The Crusades grew out of religious fervor, feudalism, and chivalry, which came
together with explosive energy. This same energy led to the growth of trade, towns,
and universities in medieval Europe.
SECTION

This scene
reveals torture
used in the
Inquisition.

ASSESSMENT

TERMS & NAMES 1. For each term or name, write a sentence explaining its significance.
simony

Gothic Urban II Crusade

Saladin

Richard the Lion-Hearted Reconquista

Inquisition

USING YOUR NOTES

MAIN IDEAS

CRITICAL THINKING & WRITING

2. Which of the events of the

3. What were three main causes

6. FORMING AND SUPPORTING OPINIONS Which of the

Age of Faith do you think

was most important to the
Church? Explain.

of the need to reform the

Church?
4. Which Crusade was the only

successful one?
5. How did the goals of the

900

Crusades change over the

years?

1500

following do you think best represents the spirit of the

Age of FaithChurch reform, the Crusades, or the Gothic
cathedrals? Explain.
7. MAKING INFERENCES What evidence supports the idea

that the Church functioned like a kingdom?

8. RECOGNIZING EFFECTS How did the Crusades change the

history of Europe? Give reasons for your answer.

9. WRITING ACTIVITY CULTURAL INTERACTION Write a script

about an encounter between a Crusader and a Muslim

defender of Jerusalem.

INTERNET ACTIVITY

Review the information on page 381. Use the Internet to research the
Washington National Cathedral. Prepare a multimedia presentation
showing the Gothic characteristics of the Washington National Cathedral.

INTERNET KEYWORD

Washington National Cathedral

The Formation of Western Europe 385