Technology and The Crusades
Technology and The Crusades
Many people consider the Crusades as wars of bloodlust, greed, and power. War can be described as an escalated conflict, most commonly over money or other resources. The outcome of war is usually the advancement of one society due to its newly acquired resources or knowledge. If one were to look at the Crusades, and their original purpose, which was to assist Constantinople and free the Holy Land from Muslim control, then one may make the conclusion that the Crusades failed. Although the Christians did not win over the Holy Land, Europe as a whole benefited greatly from the revival of East to West trade, and new inventions and innovations that arose during the time of the Crusades.
Before the Crusades, the average European’s idea of medicine was vague, or nonexistent. Europeans believed that there were four bodily fluids; black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, and blood. An unbalanced bodily fluid could result in a change of a person’s personality or health, according to doctors at the time. Therefore, unsanitary practices such as using leeches to drain the blood from someone were common. Meanwhile, Muslims had a premium for cleanliness and dietary regime. Daily prayer coincided with the cleansing of the body, which happened five times per day. This resulted in advancements in water systems and engineering as well. Muslims combined knowledge of other sciences, philosophy, and metaphysics with their medical skills. They had a general idea of how to live a healthy life, which had been provided by the prophet Muhammad. After the Europeans began to come into regular contact with the Eastern world, their medical knowledge greatly expanded. There were many new innovations, and Europeans began to pursue the study of the anatomy after combining what they already knew with what the Muslims had discovered. Concepts that had previously been foreign to Europeans were introduced after coming in contact with Eastern medicine, such as acupuncture,
Many people consider the Crusades as wars of bloodlust, greed, and power. War can be described as an escalated conflict, most commonly over money or other resources. The outcome of war is usually the advancement of one society due to its newly acquired resources or knowledge. If one were to look at the Crusades, and their original purpose, which was to assist Constantinople and free the Holy Land from Muslim control, then one may make the conclusion that the Crusades failed. Although the Christians did not win over the Holy Land, Europe as a whole benefited greatly from the revival of East to West trade, and new inventions and innovations that arose during the time of the Crusades.
Before the Crusades, the average European’s idea of medicine was vague, or nonexistent. Europeans believed that there were four bodily fluids; black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, and blood. An unbalanced bodily fluid could result in a change of a person’s personality or health, according to doctors at the time. Therefore, unsanitary practices such as using leeches to drain the blood from someone were common. Meanwhile, Muslims had a premium for cleanliness and dietary regime. Daily prayer coincided with the cleansing of the body, which happened five times per day. This resulted in advancements in water systems and engineering as well. Muslims combined knowledge of other sciences, philosophy, and metaphysics with their medical skills. They had a general idea of how to live a healthy life, which had been provided by the prophet Muhammad. After the Europeans began to come into regular contact with the Eastern world, their medical knowledge greatly expanded. There were many new innovations, and Europeans began to pursue the study of the anatomy after combining what they already knew with what the Muslims had discovered. Concepts that had previously been foreign to Europeans were introduced after coming in contact with Eastern medicine, such as acupuncture,