The story of humanity

Author: Lan Guan
Translator: OPEN Work Group
Compiler:
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-04-01
Features: This series of "Dialogue between Science Popularizers and Children," selects classic works from Darwin's Journal of a Voyage, Fabre's The Insect World, Lan Guan's The Story of Mankind, and Irin's Things Around Us (4 volumes in total), tailored for middle and primary school readers. Carefully chosen classic works and popular science chapters, it allows young readers to experience the true style and spirit of science. With exquisite illustrations, calm text, and delicate design, this series transforms traditionally complex and rigid science books into works rich in humanistic meaning and approachability. Its authentic style and meticulous craftsmanship make science accessible and inspire readers with the elegance of the masters.
Religious fervor swept across the European continent like a flood, overwhelming all reason. Men abandoned their hammers and saws, left their workshops, and marched to the nearest routes to the East to kill the Turks. Children also left home, "going to the Turks," eager to subdue the terrifying enemy with youthful passion and Christian devotion. However, nine out of ten of these fanatics never even saw the Holy Land. With no money left, they had to survive by begging and theft, endangering the safety of the roads and some were killed by angry villagers. The Crusaders were nothing but a mob of violent people, including honest Christians, bankrupt nobles, penniless lords, and fugitives. They followed the half-mad hermit Peter and the poor Walter, slaughtering Jews they encountered along the way. This marked the beginning of their campaign against the heathens. After struggling to reach Hungary, they were completely annihilated. This experience taught the Church a lesson: mere popular enthusiasm could not liberate the Holy Land. Like good wishes and fearless courage, sound organization was essential. So, it took a year to equip and train two hundred thousand soldiers, led by the Duke of Normandy Robert, the Count of Flanders Robert, and other nobles, all skilled in warfare. In 1096, the second Crusade embarked on its long journey. They paid homage to the Emperor in Constantinople, as respecting the Roman Emperor was a long-standing tradition, however pitiful and powerless he was. After the ceremony, they crossed the sea into Asia, killed all the Muslims they encountered, attacked Jerusalem, and slaughtered the Muslim population, then marched to the Holy Sepulchre, tears of piety and gratitude in their eyes, praising God for the victory he had granted them. But soon, Turkish reinforcements arrived, recaptured Jerusalem, and began to retaliate against the faithful with the same cruelty as the Crusaders. Over the next two centuries, Europeans launched seven more Crusades. Gradually, the Crusaders mastered the art of marching. They abandoned the long and dangerous land route, instead crossing the Alps to Genoa or Venice, then sailing to the East. The Genoese and Venetians, determined to profit from this Mediterranean transport trade, turned it into a highly lucrative business. Their prices rose, but the Crusaders had little money, so they had to pay in other ways. Clever merchants proposed a "kind" solution: the Crusaders could "work their way" to pay for their passage from Venice to Acre. This "work" involved the knights fighting a certain number of battles for the shipowners. Through this deal, Venice greatly expanded its territories along the Adriatic coast, in Greece, Cyprus, Crete, and Rhodes, even making Athens a colony. However, the issue of the Holy Land remained unresolved. After the initial blind fanaticism subsided, a short Crusade became a form of education for young men of good standing. While there was always no shortage of volunteers to serve in Palestine, their enthusiasm had waned. At the start of the war, the Crusaders harbored deep hatred for the Muslims and cherished love for the Eastern Roman Empire and the Armenian Christians. But later, their sentiments changed. They began to despise the Byzantine Greeks, who constantly deceived them and betrayed the Christian cause. At the same time, they grew to despise the Armenians and all other peoples in the eastern Mediterranean. In contrast, they increasingly admired the virtues of their enemies, who were magnanimous and worthy opponents. Of course, such words could not be spoken openly. But when the Crusaders returned home, they might imitate the behavior they had learned from the heathens. Compared to these enemies, Western knights were quite uncouth. They would also bring back some novel items, such as peaches and spinach. They would plant these in their gardens, hoping to profit from them. They abandoned their barbaric traditions and no longer spent their days in armor, instead beginning to wear light silk or cotton robes—the traditional attire of the followers of the Prophet Muhammad, originally worn by the Turks. The Crusades, which were supposed to punish the heathens, ended up becoming a comprehensive civics lesson for millions of young Europeans.