OCR Specification focus:
‘the military orders of the Templars and Hospitallers; finance’
The military orders of the Crusader States played a central role in ensuring the survival and defence of Outremer. Emerging from the intersection of religious devotion, knightly service, and financial innovation, they became some of the most powerful institutions of the twelfth century. Their military and economic contributions helped to sustain fragile Crusader States in an otherwise hostile environment.
A labelled political map of the Near East in 1135 CE, showing Crusader States in red. It situates where the Templars and Hospitallers operated within Outremer. Source
Origins of the Military Orders
The Knights Templar
The Knights Templar were founded around 1119 by Hugues de Payens and other knights to protect pilgrims travelling to Jerusalem. They gained official recognition from the Council of Troyes (1129) and papal backing, which gave them legitimacy and rapid expansion.
Knights Templar: A religious military order founded in the early twelfth century dedicated to protecting Christian pilgrims and defending the Holy Land, combining monastic vows with knightly warfare.
The Templars adopted a distinctive white mantle with a red cross, symbolising both purity and sacrifice. They were directly answerable to the Pope, freeing them from local ecclesiastical or secular interference.
The Knights Hospitaller
The Knights Hospitaller, or Order of St John, were originally a charitable organisation established in the eleventh century to care for sick pilgrims in Jerusalem. After the First Crusade, their role expanded to include military responsibilities, particularly garrisoning castles and defending Crusader territories.
Knights Hospitaller: A religious order founded to provide care for pilgrims and the sick, which evolved into a powerful military order defending Crusader States and expanding across Europe.
By the 1130s, they had become a major landholder in Outremer and across Europe, receiving papal privileges similar to those of the Templars.
Organisation and Structure of the Orders
Both the Templars and Hospitallers were structured along monastic lines. Members took vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, and their communal life mirrored that of monks, but their function was distinctly martial.
Hierarchy: Each order was led by a Grand Master, supported by senior officers (Marshal, Commander, Treasurer).
Recruitment: Nobles were attracted by the opportunity for spiritual merit, while non-nobles joined as sergeants or serving brothers.
Global network: Estates, called commanderies, were established across Europe to provide revenue and recruits for operations in Outremer.
Military Role in the Crusader States
The military orders became indispensable in defending Outremer, particularly as manpower shortages plagued the Crusader States. Their contributions included:
Garrisoning key fortresses such as Krak des Chevaliers (Hospitallers) and Safed or Gaza (Templars).
Plan of Krak des Chevaliers, a Hospitaller fortress, showing its concentric design. The labels illustrate layered defences and controlled entry routes typical of Crusader castles. Source
Providing highly trained cavalry units that could form the core of Crusader armies.
Ensuring continuity in defence, as unlike lay nobles they were not subject to dynastic disputes or inheritance problems.
Castle: A fortified structure serving as a defensive stronghold, administrative centre, and symbol of authority; essential to Crusader survival in the Levant.
Their reputation for discipline and commitment made them highly reliable forces in times of crisis.
Relations Between the Orders
Although both orders served the Crusader cause, tensions sometimes arose. Competition for resources, land, and influence could result in rivalry. Nevertheless, their combined military capacity and international support gave the Crusader States a strategic advantage.
Financial Power and Innovation
One of the most distinctive features of the orders was their financial expertise. They developed complex administrative systems and became trusted financial managers for rulers, nobles, and pilgrims.
Sources of Income
European donations: Lands and revenues gifted by nobles seeking spiritual rewards.
Papal privileges: Exemption from tithes and freedom from episcopal control increased financial independence.
Pilgrimage services: Hospitallers provided care, while Templars offered protection, often in exchange for fees.
Ransoms and plunder: Income from campaigns and capturing enemy leaders.
Banking Functions of the Templars
The Templars, in particular, developed an early form of international banking. Pilgrims could deposit money in Europe and withdraw it in the Levant, reducing the risk of robbery during travel. They also managed royal treasuries and facilitated loans to monarchs.
Banking (medieval): The practice of storing, transferring, and lending money, often performed by trusted institutions like the Templars, allowing for safe long-distance financial transactions.
Their financial operations extended their influence far beyond the battlefield and ensured long-term institutional survival.
Strategic Importance to Outremer
The combination of military strength and financial resources made the Templars and Hospitallers essential pillars of Crusader rule. Without their castles, manpower, and wealth, the Crusader States would have struggled even more severely against Muslim opponents.
Sustainability: Their international networks guaranteed a steady flow of recruits and funds.
Symbolism: They represented the fusion of Christian piety and knightly warfare, embodying the spirit of the Crusading movement.
Longevity: Even after setbacks in the Levant, the orders survived and adapted, showing their resilience as institutions.
In the twelfth century, the Templars and Hospitallers became more than military orders — they were political, economic, and spiritual forces shaping both the Holy Land and medieval Europe.
FAQ
Both orders were granted significant papal privileges. They were exempt from paying tithes, allowed to build their own churches, and placed directly under papal authority.
This independence shielded them from interference by local bishops or secular rulers, allowing them to operate across borders with unusual freedom. Such privileges were crucial for their rapid growth and financial autonomy.
The Hospitallers maintained hospitals in Jerusalem and other Crusader cities, continuing their original mission of caring for the sick and poor.
However, as the military needs of Outremer increased, they expanded into fortress-building and mounted warfare. Both roles were framed as forms of service to God: charity through care, and protection through arms.
Unlike noble castles, which could be weakened by inheritance disputes, the military orders’ castles were permanently garrisoned by dedicated brothers.
Orders invested heavily in concentric fortifications (multiple defensive walls).
They ensured continuous manpower, unaffected by dynastic politics.
Their castles often sat on strategic routes, controlling supply lines and borders.
Pilgrims could deposit money at a Templar house in Europe and receive a written note. This note could then be exchanged for funds in the Holy Land.
This reduced the risks of theft during travel. The Templars also acted as moneylenders to kings and nobles, reinforcing their reputation for financial reliability across Christendom.
The Templars used a white mantle with a red cross, symbolising purity and martyrdom. Their seal often showed two knights on one horse, interpreted as humility.
The Hospitallers wore black habits with a white cross, emphasising service and charity. Their imagery often linked them to St John the Baptist, highlighting their spiritual as well as military identity.
Practice Questions
Question 1 (2 marks):
Who were the two main military orders established in the Crusader States during the twelfth century?
Mark Scheme:
1 mark for identifying Knights Templar
1 mark for identifying Knights Hospitaller
(Maximum 2 marks)
Question 2 (6 marks):
Explain two ways in which the military orders contributed to the survival of the Crusader States in the twelfth century.
Mark Scheme:
Up to 3 marks per explanation, maximum 6 marks overall.
Award 1 mark for identifying a valid way.
Award an additional 1–2 marks for development with supporting detail.
Examples of valid points:
Garrisoning and defending castles (e.g. Krak des Chevaliers, Safed, Gaza).
1 mark for identifying role in defending castles.
1–2 marks for explaining how castles strengthened frontier defences, provided bases for counter-attacks, and compensated for lack of manpower.
Providing disciplined and reliable military forces.
1 mark for identifying military contribution.
1–2 marks for explanation of their cavalry, continuity in defence, or independence from dynastic disputes.
Financial expertise and resources.
1 mark for identifying financial role.
1–2 marks for explaining how donations, papal privileges, and Templar banking supported long-term survival and supplied essential funds.
