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The Holy Wars that were known as The Crusades began in 1095 when Pope Claremont's preaching caused thousands of Christians to set off from Europe for the Holy Land. Saracens, as Moslems were called, occupied the Holy Land and Jerusalem and The Crusades aimed to drive them out.

The first Crusade (1096-1099) was successful, ending with the recapture of Jerusalem from the Saracens. Twenty years after this victory, a small group of knights, possibly only nine, offered themselves as protectors to the Christian pilgrims visiting the Holy Land. Their leader was Hugh de Payens, a French nobleman, and in 1119 they settled their headquarters near Jerusalem on the Temple Mount and became known as the Knights Templar.

They were officially recognized by the church in 1129 and large donations of money and land were donated to their cause of defending Jerusalem. A papal bull in 1139 granted the Templars powerful rights: they would pay no taxes, could cross borders freely and would be answerable to no one other than the Pope. Their numbers grew and many chapters were established in the countries of Western Europe.

The warriors of the Knights Templar became a superb fighting force with a reputation for being fearless and intrepid in battle. They had a strict code in battle, retreating only when outnumbered 3-to-1 by the enemy. A small force of Templars defeated the great Muslim commander Saladin in 1177, a victory that became legendary. As well as fighting in the Holy Land and defending Jerusalem, some of the Templars joined other armies, fighting for the kings of France and England.

Not all the monks of the Knights Templar were dedicated to fighting; gradually they developed a kind of simple banking system and by 1150 their initial image had changed. Pilgrims wanting to travel to the Holy Land could deposit their valuables with the Templars who would give them a written description of their deposit. They would be able to use this description to obtain funds during their travels from other Templars on their route. In this way they were no longer vulnerable to attack by robbers. The Knights Templar became an immensely wealthy order, owning land in Europe and in the Middle East. They built churches, great castles, owned a shipping fleet and engaged in commerce.

In the late 1100's the Templars were involved in a series of disastrous battles and by 1188 Jerusalem was again in the hands of the Saracens. By 1300 the Templars had ceded all the land they had held in the Holy Land and people in Europe had little interest in funding further Crusades to regain it.

The great wealth and possessions of the Knights Templar evoked the envy of powerful people and finally, in 1312, Pope Clement V dissolved the order. Many of the Templars properties were transferred to the Knights Hospitaller order and some of the Templars also joined the Hospitallers and other orders.

But what of the whereabouts of the tens of thousands of Knights Templar across Europe? That mystery remains and the Templars are still an enigmatic symbol of medieval knighthood.

Learn more about this author, Anne Penny.
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