1098-1291 THE CRUSADERS

1098 - 1291 The Crusades: In the late 11th century, the Pope of Rome declares a crusade to seize Jerusalem from the Arabs, who have held the Holy Land for centuries. In just a few years, European knights seize the city, slaughtering most of its Muslim and Jewish inhabitants and launching two centuries of holy war.

Key Figures in 'The Middle East and the West'

1098 - 1291: The Crusades Pope Urban II Born 1035, France. Died 1099, Rome. Became Pope in 1088. Initiator of the Crusades. Called for a Crusade to reconquer the Christian Holy Lands in 1095 at the Council of Clermont in France. Also sought to unify the Western Latin and eastern Greek Catholic churches, pursuing the unity of all Christendom. The First Crusade succeeded in the seizure of Jerusalem in 1099, but Urban's effort to unify the two branches of the Church failed.

Saladin Born 1137 or 1138 in Tikrit, Mesopotamia, (now Iraq). Died 1193, Damascus. Although born a Kurd he became the greatest of Arab leaders, uniting the lands of Egypt and Syria in the 12th century. He led Arab armies in a successful campaign against the European Crusaders in late 12th century.

Saladin ended the 88-year European hold on Jerusalem, after destroying the Christian army in the Battle of Hattin, in 1187.

Saladin earned a reputation as a generous and virtuous leader. He often sought compromise rather than employing the use of force. He was dedicated to the cause of Islam and fought the Europeans under the banner of jihad, or Holy War. He negotiated the withdrawal of Christian Crusader forces under Richard the Lionheart in 1192. Saladin is celebrated as a hero today throughout the Arab world.

Richard the Lionheart Born 1157 Oxford, England; died 1199, Aquitaine, France. Son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. Became Duke of Aquitaine and Poitiers, and King of England. A hero of romantic legend for his leadership of the Third Crusade, he arrived in the Holy Land in 1191 and achieved a series of quick victories over the forces of Saladin in the coastal cities of the eastern Mediterranean. But he failed to conquer Jerusalem. Richard halted his assault on that city in 1192 and negotiated a peace and his own withdrawal.

He was imprisoned in Austria on his way home from the Crusades. Released for a huge ransom, he returned to England and spent the last five years of his life fighting to consolidate his kingdoms in Britain and France.