the rhineland massacres - wordpress.com...source: anna komnene, byzantine historian and daughter of...

TheRhinelandMassacresEagertofightnon-ChristiansintheHolyLand,someCrusadersdecidedtoattacknon-ChristiansinEuropeaswell.InwhatwerelaterknownastheRhinelandMassacres,theyslaughteredentirecommunitiesofJews,inspiteofprotestsbylocalofficialsandclergy.“[Iswear]togoonthisjourneyonlyafteravengingthebloodofthecrucifiedone(Jesus)bysheddingJewishbloodandcompletelyeradicatinganytraceofthosebearingthename'Jew,'thusassuaginghisownburningwrath.Source:GodfreyofBouillon,FrankishKnightoftheFirstCrusade

TheRhinelandMassacresEagertofightnon-ChristiansintheHolyLand,someCrusadersdecidedtoattacknon-ChristiansinEuropeaswell.InwhatwerelaterknownastheRhinelandMassacres,theyslaughteredentirecommunitiesofJews,inspiteofprotestsbylocalofficialsandclergy.“Itcertainlyseemsamazingthatonasingledayinmanydifferentplaces,movedinunisonbyaviolentinspiration,suchmassacresshouldhavetakenplace,despitetheirwidespreaddisapprovalandtheircondemnationascontrarytoreligion.Butweknowthattheycouldnothavebeenavoidedsincetheyoccurredinthefaceofexcommunicationimposedbynumerousclergymen,andofthethreatofpunishmentonthepartofmanyprinces.”Source:HughofFlavigny,BenedictineMonkandContemporaryHistorian(livingatthetime)

TheRhinelandMassacresEagertofightnon-ChristiansintheHolyLand,someCrusadersdecidedtoattacknon-ChristiansinEuropeaswell.InwhatwerelaterknownastheRhinelandMassacres,theyslaughteredentirecommunitiesofJews,inspiteofprotestsbylocalofficialsandclergy.“…cruelforeigners,fierceandswift,FrenchmenandGermans…[who]putcrossesontheirclothingandweremoreplentifulthanlocustsonthefaceoftheearth.”Source:EliezerbenNathan,ContemporaryJewishChronicler

InteractionsBetweenCrusadersandByzantinesAlthoughAlexiusI,theByzantineEmperor,hadoriginallyaskedforthePopetosendknights,tensionsquicklygrewbetweentheCrusadersandEmperor,whowasnotexpectingsomanyknights,andwasthreatenedbytheirnumbersandtheiractions.Hehesitantlyadmittedthemintothecity,butrequiredtheLord’stoswearloyaltytohim,andtheyreluctantlyagreed.“WhentheFrankshadallcometogetherandhadtakenanoathtotheemperor,therewasonecountwhohadtheboldnesstositdownuponthethrone.Theemperor,wellknowingtheprideoftheLatins,keptsilent,butBaldwinapproachedtheFrankishcountandtakinghimbythehandsaid,‘Yououghtnottositthere;thatisanhonorwhichtheemperorpermitstonoone.Nowthatyouareinthiscountry,whydoyounotobserveitscustoms?’TheinsolentcountmadenoreplytoBaldwin,butsaidinhisbarbarouslanguage,asiftalkingtohimself,‘Thismustbearude[emperor]whowouldaloneremainseatedwhensomanybravewarriorsarestandingup.’Alexisnotedthemovementoftheman'slipsandcalledaninterpreterinordertolearn,whathehadsaid;butwhentheinterpreterhadtoldhimhedidnotcomplaintotheFranks,althoughhedidnotforgetthematter.”Source:AnnaKomnene,ByzantineHistorianandDaughterofEmperorAlexiusI

TheSeigeofJerusalemThesiegeofJerusalemwasatremendousvictoryfortheCrusaders,whosucceededintakingtheholycityinthenameofChristianity.However,thebloodysiegeinvolvedterriblefightingandendedindisasterforthecity’sinhabitants,whowerenotonlyMuslimsbutalsoJewsandChristians,fightingtogethertodefendtheircity.“TheFranks(Crusaders)enteredthecitymagnificentlyatthenoondayhour…Withtrumpetssoundingandwitheverythinginanuproar,exclaiming,‘Help,God!’theyvigorouslypushedintothecity,and[rightaway]raisedthe[flag]atthetopofthewall.Alltheheathens(disbelievers),completelyterrified,changedtheirboldness(braveness)toswiftflightthroughthenarrowstreets…NowherewasthereaplacewheretheSaracens(Muslims)couldescape…Notoneofthemwasallowedtolive.”

Source:ChroniclesofFulcherofChartres,1127

TheSeigeofJerusalemThesiegeofJerusalemwasatremendousvictoryfortheCrusaders,whosucceededintakingtheholycityinthenameofChristianity.However,thebloodysiegeinvolvedterriblefightingandendedindisasterforthecity’sinhabitants,whowerenotonlyMuslimsbutalsoJewsandChristians,fightingtogethertodefendtheircity.“Butnowthatourmenhadpossessionofthewallsandtowers,wonderfulsightsweretobeseen.Someofourmen—andthiswasmoremerciful—cutofftheheadsoftheirenemies;othersshotthemwitharrows,sothattheyfellfromthetowers;otherstorturedthemlongerbycastingthemintotheflames...Indeed,itwasajustandsplendidjudgmentofGodthatthisplaceshouldbefilledwiththebloodoftheunbelievers,sinceithadsufferedsolongfromtheirblasphemies(falsebeliefs)…Itwasnecessarytopickone’swayoverthebodiesofmenandhorses...[OntheTempleMount]menrodeinblooduptotheirknees...Thecitywasfilledwithcorpsesandblood.”Source:Raymondd’Aguilers,aCatholicpriestwhotraveledwithcrusadersintheFirstCrusade

TheSeigeofJerusalemThesiegeofJerusalemwasatremendousvictoryfortheCrusaders,whosucceededintakingtheholycityinthenameofChristianity.However,thebloodysiegeinvolvedterriblefightingandendedindisasterforthecity’sinhabitants,whowerenotonlyMuslimsbutalsoJewsandChristians,fightingtogethertodefendtheircity.“ThepopulationwasputtotheswordbytheFranks,whopillaged(raided)theareaforaweek...InMasjidal-Aqsa[mosquenexttotheDomeoftheRockontheTempleMount]theFranks(Crusaders)slaughteredmorethan70,000people,amongthemalargenumberofImams(prayerleaders)andMuslimscholars...TheFranksstrippedtheDomeoftheRockofmorethanfortysilvercandelabra...andagreatsilverlampweighingforty-fourSyrianpounds,aswellasahundredandfiftysmallersilvercandelabraandmorethantwentygoldones,andagreatdealmorebooty(loot).”Source:ThePerfectHistorybyIbnAl-Athir(ArabMuslimHistorian),1200s.

CrusadersLivingintheHolyLandTheconquestofJerusalem,theCrusaderscreatedfourstatesintheHolyLand.CenteredonthecitiesofJerusalem,Edessa,Antioch,andTripoli,thesestateswereintendedtobeChristianstrongholdsagainstattemptsbyMuslimforcestotakebackthelandfromtheCrusaders.Theyalsoprovidedanopportunityforlandlessknightstogainlandsoftheirown.ManyCrusadersremainedintheHolyLand,enjoyingthebenefitsoftheirnewhome.“...[W]ewhowere[Westerners]nowhavebeenmade[Easterners]…Wehavealreadyforgottentheplacesofourbirth...Somealreadypossessherehomesandservantswhichtheyhavereceivedthroughinheritance.Somehavetakenwivesnotmerelyoftheirownpeople,butSyrians,orArmenians,orevenSaracens(Muslims)whohavereceivedthegraceofbaptism...Forthosewhowerepoor[inEurope],hereGodmakesrich.Thosewhohadfewcoins,herepossesscountless[wealth];andthosewhohadnothad[anyproperty],here,bythegiftofGod,alreadypossessacity.ThereforewhyshouldonewhohasfoundtheEastsofavorablereturntotheWest?”Source:ChroniclesofFulcherofChartres,1127,onlifeintheCrusaderStatesaftertheFirstCrusade

ReactionfromtheMuslimWorldHowever,MuslimswhohadbeenexpelledfromtheirhomesbyCrusadersbegancallingontheleadersofnearbyMuslimlandstofightbackagainsttheseEuropeaninvaderswhohadkilledtheirbrothersinfaith.EvenpoetsfromMuslimlandsfarfromanyCrusaderviolencesuchasIraqurgedtheirpeopletotakeuparmsandtraveltotheHolyLandtodefendtheirbrothersfromtheinvadingFranks.“...SonsofIslam,behindyouarebattlesinwhichheadsrolledatyourfeet.Dareyouslumber(sleep)intheblessedshadeofsafety,wherelifeissoftasanorchardflower?Howcantheeyesleepbetweenthelidsatatimeofdisastersthatwouldwakenanysleeper?WhileyourSyrianbrotherscanonlysleeponthebacksoftheir[horses]orinvultures'bellies!...”

Source:AbualMusaffaralAbiwardi:IraqiMuslimpoetoftheeleventhandtwelfthcenturies.