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The Battle Between Christianity And Islam

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Towards the end of the eleventh century in Western Europe and Eurasia, a range of social, economical and religious influences collectively influenced the sequence of religious wars which we know as the Crusades. Although the series of holy wars against Islam is typically portrayed as the fault of overzealous popes and belligerent kings; the truth behind the clash between Christianity and Islam is far more elaborate. The direct repercussions following two centuries of prolonged warfare afflicted Christendom with the loss of several millions of lives and immense financial expenditure. On the contrary, the Crusades stimulated the fundamental expansion and the ultimate downfalls of nations in both the Western and Eastern fields.
Contrary to popular belief, the Crusades (1095 A.D-1291 A.D) were defensive wars in response to Islamic expansion following Prophet Mohammed 's death in the 7th century. It is all too commonly assumed that the Crusades were the vanguard of the Church’s self-righteousness and prejudice that warped the enlightened Oriental culture with Western antagonism. Although elements of these assumptions are true to some extent; the Crusaders’ ultimate objective was to defend against the very Muslims who initially prompted their response by conquering Christian lands in the name of Allah. Similar to the Crusaders’ dogma of war, the Islamists had a warfare doctrine as well. In traditional Islam the world was divided into several spheres known as abodes. Two abodes
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