Were the Crusades Worthwhile for the People of Europe?
Were the crusades worthwhile for the people of Europe? Religious wars, known prominently by the name of the crusades, were a sequence of battles between Christian and Muslim forces for control of the Holy Lands, in particular, Jerusalem. The battles occurred between the years of 1096 and 1291. Christian forces believed it was the place where Jesus was crucified and where he ascended to heaven; alternatively, to Muslims it was the place where Muhammad ascended to heaven. Despite the hundreds of thousands of deaths that occurred on crusade, ultimately, the crusades were worthwhile for the people of Europe. There were many social, political and economical benefits that came to Europe as a direct result of the crusades. Knowledge and new goods were introduced to the people of Europe and as a result, improved the quality of their lives. The increase of trade led to a growth of towns and the breaking down of the feudal obligations gave more individual freedom to the people of Europe. The crusades bought social benefits in the form of new goods to the people of Europe. The introduction of essential goods such as soap, poppy juice and paper had a profoundly positive impact. Soap, for example, helped reduce the spread of major diseases in such a way that was previously impossible. It removed dirt and stains that had been around for years in a quick and relatively easy manner and was an obvious link to new knowledge of hygiene. Poppy juice and other new goods that helped the people of Europe’s health were an immense social benefit. In years prior to the crusades, the patient would have an axe hacked into them to remove a limb and would most likely fall unconscious half-way through, unable to withstand the pain. Poppy juice aided and helped their pain; likewise, other new goods such as herbs including rose, lavender, hen-bane, hemlock, coriander, mint, balm, bay and sage were introduced and used to treat other painful ailments such as fevers and