After reading chapters 8, 9, 10 and viewing the videos entitled Charlemagne; Muhammad; and the Knights Templar, complete the following assignment. Begin by first researching the topic(s) and then write the essay.
The fall of Rome in 476 C.E marked the end of the ancient world and the beginning of the Middle Ages (500-1050 C.E.). This was an age of transition. The heirs of Rome were Byzantium in what remained of the Roman East, the Frankish kingdoms in the West, and Islam in Arabia. These three monotheistic cultures would clash in the centuries that followed. Your task this week is to
1) Compare and contrast Charlemagne’s Frankish kingdom in Latin Christendom to the rise of Muhammad’s Islam in Arabia. What did these two leaders have in common? How did they differ?
2). Describe the relationship between Christian leaders and followers of Islam and how both ultimately contributed to the onset of the Crusades.
3). In your educated opinion, were the Crusades motivated by genuine religious zeal, or by the expectation of financial gain and social circumstances and inheritance laws (primogeniture)?
At least half of your research post should contain a critical thinking component (comparing the pros and cons and then defending one side or the other), and should be well argued.