Why did Muslims fight with Christians in the 12th century and what was the result?

Answer 1

You're thinking of the Crusades. Their history is complex. In brief, the 11th Century saw a division between the Eastern (Greek-speaking) and Western (Latin) Churches. Islam was advancing on Eastern Christian sites and in 1095 they controlled the access of pilgrims to Jerusalem. As a result of some conflict between the two major Muslim sects, Sunni and Shiite, the victor turned on the Christians, accusing them of helping the other side. Persecutions increased, including the closing of the pilgrim routes.

The Eastern Patriarch appealed to the Pope, Urban II. Realizing the opportunity to reunite (under his leadership) a church divided since 1054, Urban authorized a crusade to re-open the pilgrimage routes. At this time, not only was there considerable religious fervor in Europe, but many people were dispossessed of land, owing to the practice of primogeniture and a growing population, so a somewhat disorganized army was raised and sent to the "holy land."

This was the first Crusade. It took the Muslims by surprise and was a great success. Not only were the routes reopened, but many of those dispossessed found new territories for themselves in what they called Outremar.

The Muslims regrouped, took back most of the land, Europe launched a second crusade, which was repulsed, then a third (this is the famous one, with Richard the Lionhearted and Phillip Augustus and Frederick Barbarosa, though he died on the way). Others followed, most historians record them at eight but some say nine, not counting non-combatant ventures like the ill-fated "Children's Crusade."

Eventually, the Muslims took back all the conquered land (the petty kingdoms of Outremar were largely unsupported by the folks back in Europe).

The results? Like most great efforts, good and bad. Trade with the East was increased, sparking science and technology. New foods (like Oranges) entered the European diet. Trade also brought new diseases, like the Great Plague of 1347. The experience of the Crusades also scarred the Muslim psyche to an extent all out of proportion to the actual events. (At the same time as the Crusades, the Mongols of Chingiz Khan were gobbling up half the Muslims' territories in the East, compared to Crusade holding a little bigger than modern Israel.) To this day, demagogues in Islamic countries scream about "Crusaders" meaning almost anybody except Muslims (Jews are included, which they must find strange, since most Crusaders were no friends to them).

Even the word, "crusade," which in the West means "concerted action to correct a problem" as in "Crusade for Literacy," or "crusading newspaper exposes political corruption," excites Muslims the way "Communist" or "witch" used to excite folks in the Bad Old Days.

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Comments on answer above:

• Muslims were attacked by the crusaders. They were obliged to defend their lands against the attackers. All natives; including Muslims, Christians and pagans; united together in resisting the attackers.
• The so called holy land is holy to Muslims as it is holy to Christians and Arabs were residing in these lands before being under control of Muslims
• Muslims got control of these holy lands just to free the will of its people to practice their own faiths openly without fear of any oppression from the non God believers.
• neither a church or any worship house had been destroyed or blocked by Muslims.
• The Crusades war was called holy wars just as a mask. It was political war and not religious war. Its aim was to get political support for the war leaders in their countries to remain in power.
• The invaders noticed with appreciation the Islam tolerance, fairness, and justice in dealing with all people irrelevant to their faith, race, or color.

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