In the first crusade, the Christian knights captured the Jerusalem in 1099. This is taken from two accounts by Fulcher of Chartres, who followed the crusaders to the Holy land and Ibn al-Athir which account is found in the Muslim world. Although the two account explain what happened in the first crusade, they are extremely different. The Christian knight siege to Jerusalem caused severe harm to the inhabitants. Therefore, the paper will focus on the events that took place in two accounts and highlight their differences. Similarly, the paper will focus on the effect of the Christian knight siege to the inhabitants.
The crusaders who captured the Jerusalem city had a great impact to the inhabitants. When the Christian knights captured the city, the inhabitants of Jerusalem were killed despite their age. The men were murdered, women and children were kidnapped and their home was pillaged. Those who took refuge in their synagogues were burned alive. The inhabitants went to the cathedral mosque to beg for help while weeping. Some Muslim inhabitants barricaded themselves into the Oratory of David, and fought for several days. They were allowed to live in return for surrendering. Some climbed solomons temple to hide, but many were shot to death with arrows and brought down from the roof. The inhabitants were left homeless because the crusaders destroyed their villages and towns. They killed thousands of people, drove most of them from the land and abducted thousands of children. The inhabitants were emotionally affected because the Crusaders committed the acts of mass rape and banditry.
Since the first crusade is taken from two accounts, there are differing views on the extent of Christian knights extreme intolerance and brutality. However, in general the extreme intolerance and brutality of the Christian knights was caused by lust for wealth and power. The act was shameful of unprovoked Christians brutality and hostility. Their brutality was due to the spiritual promise, made by pope urban two who assured them the fighting in the name of the cross would guarantee them a place in heaven. They believed that the liberation of the holy lands would bring them eternal salvation. This act portrays Jews as greedy wolves because they trusted the wrong leaders and betrayed each other as easily as their enemies. This is the reason why they were treated with such brutality. Moreover, the religious diversity was reason why there was extreme intolerance and brutality which was targeted to the inhabitants of the Jerusalem.
The event that took place in the first crusade are explained into two accounts. The first account is written by Fulcher of Chartes, who followed the Crusaders to the Holy Land. On the other hand, the second is given by Muslim writer, Ibn al-Athir which is found in his Muslim World history. The two accounts explain how the crusaders captured Jerusalem and killed most of the Muslim inhabitants of the city. They explain how the crusaders established a Christian kingdom in Jerusalem and the surrounding regions and called it Outremer. The two accounts have different views on the events that took place in the first crusade. According to the first account, the crusader entered the city at the noon hour on Friday, while the second account asserts that Jerusalem was captured from the north on the morning of Friday. The second account argue that the population was put to the sword by the Franks while the first does not mention how Frank was involved. The first account sees the event as the day when the Christ redeemed the whole world on the cross while the second account see the event as brutal act which targeted the Muslim people. The first account defends the crusaders acts towards Muslims while the second account criticize the event. However, both accounts explain how the inhabitants were killed, tortured and left homeless.
There are no facts to indicate whether one account is completely true while the other is completely fake. Both accounts give an account of the event that occurred when Christian knights laid siege to Jerusalem, although they account the event in a different manner. Since the account gives different view, the writer is left confused about which account is true or fake. Therefore, we are not in a position to tell which is true or fake.
The two account have great difference because they were written by a Muslim and Christian who were defending their own religion. First account which was given Frank, who followed the crusaders defend the act of Christian knights while the second account gives an account of how the Christian treated the Muslims. Therefore, there is great difference due to religious diversity.
In a recap, the two accounts differ significantly because they were written on the religion basis. Therefore, we cannot tell which was completely true or fake. However, the two accounts explains the effect of the Christian knight brutality to the inhabitants. The first crusade affected the inhabitants significantly.
Bibliography
Chambers, Mortimer. The Western Experience. McGraw-Hill College, 2009.
Jackson Spielvogel, Western Civilization Volume I, 7th edition (Belmont ,California, Thompson Wadsworth, 2008.
