an empire is a group of territories ruled over by one person or group of people

iconoclasm is the destruction of holy images

Eastern Orthodox Christianity was the form of Christianity practised in the Byzantine Empire

Background to the Crusades: the Byzantine Empire

History

This unit will deepen pupils' understanding of the role of religion and the Church in medieval Europe and the wider world. It will also introduce pupils to the concept of conquest abroad, which will be revisited throughout the curriculum. 

Pupils will have an understanding of the importance of the Church in medieval society.

The Crusades: did Europeans go on crusade to capture the 'holy land'?

a caliphate is an Islamic state ruled by a single religious and political leader

a nomad is a person who has no permanent home but moves from one place to another

pastoral refers to the raising of cattle and other grazing animals

Background to the Crusades: the Seljuk Empire

the Church is the organisation of the Christian religion

the pope is the head of the Roman Catholic Church

a bishop is a senior member of the Christian Church

excommunication is the action of officially excluding someone from participation in the sacraments and services of the Christian Church

Background to the Crusades: the medieval Western Church

the pope is the head of the Catholic Church

a crusade is a military expedition against a group considered by the papacy to be an enemy of the Church

Pope Urban II's call to crusade

the Holy Land is an area in the Middle East that is sacred to three major religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam

a crusader is a Christian who fought in the holy wars authorised by the pope in the medieval period

outremer is the name for the Christian crusader states established in the Middle East during the First Crusade: the literal translation from French is ‘beyond the sea’

The First Crusade

a pilgrimage is a journey to a holy place

The Crusades: did Europeans go on crusade to capture the 'holy land'?

Choose a lesson (6)

These lessons will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.