1.3.1

Origins of the Crusades

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The Holy Land

Jerusalem and the Holy Land (biblical Israel and Palestine) were important religious sites for Jews, Muslims and Christians.

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The Islamic Empire

  • The Islamic Empire began in 7th Century AD.
  • At its height, the Empire covered land between India and Spain.
  • Arab Muslims conquered the Holy Land in 638 AD. As such, they believed it was rightfully theirs.
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Islam’s claim on the Holy Land

  • Jerusalem was particularly important to Islam, this was because it was where Prophet Muhammad was believed to have ascended to Heaven in 621 AD.
  • Muslim pilgrims went to the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque (the mosque where Muhammad spoke before going to the heavens).
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Christianity’s claim on the Holy Land

  • However, Islam was not the only religion to hold a claim on Jerusalem and the Holy Land.
  • According to the Bible, Jerusalem was where Jesus Christ had died.
  • The body of Jesus Christ, according to Christians, was buried in Jerusalem. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre was believed to be built on his tomb. For centuries, many Christians went on pilgrimages to the Church.
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Judaism’s claim on the Holy Land

  • Similarly, Jews also staked a claim on the Holy Land.
  • According to the Torah, Jerusalem was where Abraham nearly sacrificed Isaac (his son) for God.
  • It was also believed that King David (king of the Jews) established Jewish rule over Jerusalem in 1,000 BC.

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1The Medieval World: 450-1450 AD

1.1Anglo-Saxon England

1.2The Contest for the English Throne

1.3Conquering the Holy Land, 10-96-1396 AD

1.4King John

1.5The Magna Carta & Parliament

1.6The Black Death

2Worldviews

3The Empire of Mali

4The Renaissance & Reformations, 1500-1598 AD

5The British Empire, 1583-1960 AD

6The Peasants' Revolt

7Religion in the Middle Ages

8Slavery, 1619-1833 AD

9The English Civil War, 1642-1660

10The Industrial Revolution, 1750-1840

11US Independence, 1775-1783

12The French Revolution, 1789-1815

13The British Empire, 1857–1930

14Suffrage

15World War 1, 1914-1918

16The Inter-War Years, 1919-1939

17World War 2, 1939-1945

18The Cold War, 1947-1962

19Civil Rights in the USA, 1954-1975

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