The Islamic Empire Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

The Islamic Empire - Essay Example The Muslim physicians were very early and keen experimenters too, and they invented many surgical techniques and dietary improvements. Unlike Christian doctors of the period, they believed in active intervention to heal people and had considerably more success than western monks and nuns, who mainly offered basic nursing and religious support. 3 The Christian Crusades started out as pious journeys which individuals made as a way of doing penance for their sins. They were extensions of local pilgrimages to various churches and holy places and people banded together to set off for Jerusalem, which was revered above all places on earth because of its association with Jesus Christ. Over time the need for protection against the hazards of the journey grew more intense, whether from opportunist robbers or from some powerful Islamic figures who resented the Christian presence on their lands. The people who went on the large scale and well-armed pilgrimages were usually noblemen and their en tourage, and they were motivated by greed and a sense of adventure, rather than religion. Kings and churches supported the crusades also for political and economic reasons since they distracted people from troubles at home and offered chances to bring back spoils of war. Inventing a horrible enemy encouraged people to become mercenaries and defend their own culture. In an imitation of Islamic ideas, the concept of a â€Å"Holy War† was used to drum up support but in fact, a lot of this was just propaganda with no real basis in fact.