They were born out of interaction, co-habitation and conquests during the crusades. Starting in 1095, the crusades lasted for centuries and saw battles and counter-battles between European Christian forces and Islamic forces over control of the Holy Land. This involved the conquering and reconquering of many regions throughout the Middle East such as Sidon, Edessa, Jerusalem, Palestine and Antioch to name a few.
With the two sides fighting one another over such extended periods it was inevitable to see military adaptations to counter the opposing army, either adapting armour to be better protected against the opposition’s weapons or adapting their style and use of weaponry. The victorious military collecting weapons from the dead easily achieved this. A prime example is the adoption and adaptation of the crossbow by the Christian forces from the Islamic forces.
It was not just through the battles that adaption took place. After the battles came periods of occupation that, for however long they lasted, left an impact. Whilst the new rulers of the land might have held a different religion to those who lived there, and despite attempts made to establish a new main religion, the people of the land often still held their previous beliefs. Consequentially a sort of religious syncretism occurred, when one religious item or building was converted into that of another religion, often discrete elements of the previous faith were left behind. Whilst such appropriations were predominately carried out with a colonial and triumphalist mindset, a degree of acceptance and recognition was required for a successful ruling.
These incorporations can be found in the coinage of the time. Coinage was used to show the beliefs, people and objects held important by those who struck them, and to both represent and influence the people who used them. Rulers used minting coins to reflect their past and future political aspirations, adapting iconography to emphasise legitimacy, connections and the interests of different audiences. These coins reflect two cultures and religions, minted by one, and used by the other; within you can see impressions from both Christianity and Islam.
This theme was researched and written by Elizabeth Brown as part of the University of Birmingham's College of Arts and Law Collaborative Research Internships 2024.
With the two sides fighting one another over such extended periods it was inevitable to see military adaptations to counter the opposing army, either adapting armour to be better protected against the opposition’s weapons or adapting their style and use of weaponry. The victorious military collecting weapons from the dead easily achieved this. A prime example is the adoption and adaptation of the crossbow by the Christian forces from the Islamic forces.
It was not just through the battles that adaption took place. After the battles came periods of occupation that, for however long they lasted, left an impact. Whilst the new rulers of the land might have held a different religion to those who lived there, and despite attempts made to establish a new main religion, the people of the land often still held their previous beliefs. Consequentially a sort of religious syncretism occurred, when one religious item or building was converted into that of another religion, often discrete elements of the previous faith were left behind. Whilst such appropriations were predominately carried out with a colonial and triumphalist mindset, a degree of acceptance and recognition was required for a successful ruling.
These incorporations can be found in the coinage of the time. Coinage was used to show the beliefs, people and objects held important by those who struck them, and to both represent and influence the people who used them. Rulers used minting coins to reflect their past and future political aspirations, adapting iconography to emphasise legitimacy, connections and the interests of different audiences. These coins reflect two cultures and religions, minted by one, and used by the other; within you can see impressions from both Christianity and Islam.
This theme was researched and written by Elizabeth Brown as part of the University of Birmingham's College of Arts and Law Collaborative Research Internships 2024.
