From the eleventh through the thirteenth centuries, church leaders carried out reforms aiming at reducing interference of religious activities. Crusades were medieval holy wars in which Muslims succeeded to expel European Christians from the Mediterranean region during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. One benefit of the crusades to the Muslims is that it helped them restructure and recollect their forces to target a common perceived enemy. The period when the crusades happened is referred as ‘high middle ages’. 1 The crusades added to diversity among who inhabited the coastline of the eastern Mediterranean coast . 2 The interaction between the warring groups allowed intermarriages and other elements of culture interchange. The Europeans could adapt to the complex cultures of the people living along the eastern Mediterranean coast.
The structure of the European society during the period the crusades happened changed irreversibly. The change can be viewed as a benefit since it allowed Europeans to have a holistic approach to life as compared to their previous approach that was limiting. The crusades also contributed to development and civilization among European communities involved. During the interaction, the warring groups exchanged their divergent civilizations. The crusades also promoted business as some crusaders decided to sell their property to cope with the restlessness. The sold property also allowed for more friction and transfer of culture and artifacts. The benefits were two-way. The commercial lifestyle adopted after the crusades can be attributed to the exposure that happened during the period. The flow of new people brought in new ideas and products that promoted their production among the Europeans and Muslims. The crusades prompted increased militarization in Europe. The medieval western church started preparing for similar confrontations leading to militarization. Territorial expansion was one of the benefits for the Muslims. Colonization and conquest were the major themes driving the crusades.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Bibliography
Cole, Joshua and Symes, Carol. ‘Western Civilizations, 5 th Ed.’ (Vol. 1).
Khan Academy. ‘Overview of the Middle Ages/World History.’ [Youtube]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5ZJujqa0YQ&feature=youtu.be
1 Khan Academy. ‘Overview of the Middle Ages/World History.’ [Youtube]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5ZJujqa0YQ&feature=youtu.be
2 Joshua Cole and Carol Symes. ‘Western Civilizations, 5 th Ed.’ (Vol. 1).