HIST292: The Crusades I: Conquest, Colonization and Religious Enthusiasm 1095–1187

Half Unit Module (15 Credits)

Available 2009/2010

Taught: Michaelmas Term (Weeks 1–10 + revision sessions)

Module Convenor: Professor Andrew Jotischky

The crusades were based on a theory of justified violence in defence of holy places. The module begins by examining the roots of this theory and the attachment to the holy places of Christendom. The appeal and success of the first crusade (1096–99), and the failure of the second crusade (1147–9) are studied through a reading of contemporary narrative sources. The focus shifts to the establishment of the Crusader States and the problematic of the settlement of western Europeans in the Near East, relations with neighbouring powers, treatment of Muslim and Christian subject peoples and the political crisis that led to the fall of Jerusalem to Saladin in 1187.

The module combines a series of lectures offering an introduction to and an overview of the origins and development of the Crusades and crusading ideals, the formation of the Crusader States and crusader society in the Levant, and sources for studying these topics with linked seminars focusing on selected issues for student-led discussion.

Assessment: Exam (60%) Coursework (40%)

Page last updated: 31 March 2009

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