Effects of the Crusades Research Essay Sample

During the early Middle Ages Europe was politically divided, rural, and largely cut off from advanced civilizations in the Middle East. Feudalism was the economic, social, and political system that organized the early medieval society. The cornerstone of feudalism was the static social hierarchy: the king on top, nobles, knights beside him, and below all, the peasants. The king would rule over the land and, in exchange for loyalty and military service, would give parts of the land to nobles. Knights were the private army of the nobles who received a fief (manor) in exchange for military service and loyalty. Peasants, the lowest class, were allowed to live on the fief in exchange for fighting and farming. Marriage was within societal level and the social hierarchy was almost completely static. Early medieval Europe was economically self-sufficient, the food, clothing, and houses were created within each manor. Education was not emphasized and was only granted to select aristocrats. There is almost no evidence of art during the early Middle Ages, mostly illuminated manuscripts; decorative drawings and paintings which were embedded in pages of manuscripts. Europe was divided, full of violence and civil wars. In 1095 Pope Urban II announced a crusade, which set thousands of Europeans to travel where they encountered the sophisticated culture of the holy land. While the early Middle Ages was a time of little cultural change, the late Middle Ages was a period of enormous economic development and cultural flourishment. The Crusades, which began in 1096, were a crucial factor in stimulating this change.

The Crusades shifted the early Middle Ages into a state of cultural and economic growth. Crusaders journeyed through Europe and were exposed to the idea that they can relocate, not just live on a manor eternally. In the Middle East, between battles, Europeans were exposed to the local culture. Crusaders were exposed to other cultural lifestyles, including new ideas, foods, clothing styles, and more. When the crusaders returned, manors were no longer economically self-sufficient, as they were in feudal Europe, because crusaders longed for the exotic goods they had during their crusade. Consequently, the medieval trading network was forced to expand as the demand for oversea goods increased (Ellis, 553). Traders began forming merchant companies, serving as the trading middle man, using the trade routes that hadn’t been used since the Roman Empire (Ellis, 554). The robust trade routes allowed Europeans to purchase goods from the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. In addition, a multitude of European crusaders immigrated to the Middle East because the prosperity appealed to them as they were coming from the unsafe and dreary feudal Europe (Fulcher). Many Europeans shed themselves from their European identity and struggled to integrate themselves into the middle eastern culture (Cline). Europeans took on cultural Middle Eastern practices but were always viewed as an outsider to both people of the Middle East and the Europeans because they lost their own identity and attempted to force themselves into the thriving Middle Wastern culture.  

The crusaders' need for trading caused cities to expand and the rise of the middle class. The robust increase in trade caused much economic growth (Ellis, 558). Once merchant companies were formed the trading network expanded and overseas goods became accessible. Around 1200, German towns along the Baltic Sea formed the Hanseatic League which acted as an alliance between traders and merchants (Ellis, 554). United, traders built lighthouses at each port, demolishing the unsafe and divided pirate era (Ellis, 554). During the fall the bulk of trading closed due to the weather (Ellis, 554). In order to earn revenue, merchants began to create fairs in which artisans would sell goods to merchants for them to resell. Fairs caused expansion of cities because artisans wanted to live near other people in order to sell their goods at fairs (Ellis, 554). Cities and towns expanded and grew to the size of the Roman Empire and evolved into the center of wealth. Merchants and artisans created associations called guilds which dominated town life. Each guild represented workers in one occupation and membership was limited. Guild members prevented competition and protected their economic interests (Ellis, 558). Guilds began to be the powerhouse of cities, causing the middle class of merchants and artisans to emerge. 

              The Crusades caused an abundance of cultural growth within medieval Europe. In the early Middle Ages education was only granted to a small few, art was not emphasized or encouraged and hardly anyone was literate. Once the crusaders were exposed to the way of life of other people, their perspective drastically shifted. Returning to Europe, the crusaders brought back cultural foods, ideas, art, political systems, and literature. The need for education was imminent as the political conditions improved and royal members were in need of literate men for their growing bureaucracies (Ellis, 624). Many schools opened which specialized in different fields including liberal arts, logic, law, medicine, and theology (Tulloch). Architecture style changed as Europeans began to build ornate buildings as symbols of their wealth. Church architecture shifted and both Gothic and Romanesque styles were emphasized (Ellis, 231). In addition, Europeans began enjoying, creating, and admiring art. In addition to the illumination art which originated at the beginning of medieval times, stained glass windows, sculptures, and tapestries all adorned the churches (McIntosh). The Crusades, recently exposed to other cultures, began to mimic their way of life.

The crusaders, having been exposed to other countries, completely shifted the Medieval European way of life by bringing back the culture of foreign lands and weaving it into European culture. The desire for oversea goods grew as crusaders returned from their travels. Merchant-owned companies were formed and trading routes expanded causing trade accessibility. During the trading off-season, fairs were held which caused people to live in close-proximity with one another, eventually creating cities. Education became an essential part of European culture, the school system evolved, and many universities were created. Art was emphasized; tapestries, stained glass and paintings typically adorned most churches. In addition, the architectural style evolved to gothic and romanesque. The crusades impacted the rest of European history, eventually leading to the culturally rich renaissance and beyond.