Muslim Interpretation of the Crusades
History: KS3, topic 2.3.10
Muslim Interpretations of the Crusades
Not everyone has the same opinion of the Crusades. The Muslim viewpoint served their interests.
Contemporary opinion
- Contemporary Muslims criticised the Crusades.
The 20th century viewpoint
- When the Ottoman Empire (an Empire which descended from the earlier Islamic Empire) began to falter in the 20th century, Muslim writers focussed their attention on the Crusades.
- They argued that the Crusades demonstrated that Western Europeans were aggressive imperialists (empire-builders).
- This interpretation gained more weight when Western European countries began to rule the Middle East after World War One under the disguise of ‘supervision’.
The 21st century viewpoint
- The theme of crusades frequently returns in popular rhetoric. Today, it is often used in relation to terrorism.
Test yourself on Muslim Interpretation of the Crusades
Which Empire came after the Islamic Empire?