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The Crusades took place in Medieval Europe. For the 200 years, with the permission of the Pope, the Western European feudal lords and knights launched close to ten invasions into the pagan lands. Knights who participated in the expedition carried with them a holy cross– a symbol of the faith.
People may wonder who was the most righteous of them all. To the unenlightened, there were wars of faith, but one could hardly ignore all the contemporary societal and economical forces that were at play.
In his famous speech at Clermont, Pope Urban II told the Crusaders: “Enter upon the road to the Holy Sepulcher; … Jerusalem is the navel of the world; the land is fruitful above others, like another paradise of delights.”
Devoted believers, greedy feudal Western European lords, deprived aristocrats, oppressed peasants, ambitious merchants... The Crusades in the Eastern land were perfect for those who yearned for glory and freedom. However, those who seek would never find. Ironically, it was the weakness of the Byzantine Empire and the blind faith of the Pope that would ultimately led to the rise of the East and the decline of the West.
No matter where we are and which era we are in, the desire of pursuit never ceases. This pursuit could be as noble as spiritual fulfillment, or as earthly as material gains. The one true thing is, people would keep yearning for something better, greater and higher.