I. Activating Prior Knowledge
What events led to the Crusades? In your opinion, how did the Crusades alter/change world history?
II. Setting A Purpose for Reading
The Crusades brought exposure to a wider range of goods to European markets. What were some of the new goods that the Europeans encountered as they traveled throughout Eastern Europe and the Middle East? What impact will the exposure to these goods have on the Europeans?
III. Reading the Text (Read, Re-Read, and Read Again)
The capture of a caravan by King Richard reveals the variety and quantity of goods transported by camels, dromedaries, horses, and asses from Asia to Europe in the twelfth century, and during all the Crusades.
By this defeat the pride of the Turks was entirely cast down, and their boldness effectually repressed; whilst the caravan, with all its riches, became the spoil of the victors. Its guards surrendered to our soldiers themselves, their beasts of burden, and sumpter horses; and stretching forth their hands in supplication, they im plored for mercy, on condition only that their lives should be spared. They led the yoked horses and camels by the halter, and offered them to our men, and they brought mules loaded with spices of different kinds, and of great value; gold and silver; cloaks of silk; purple and scarlet robes, and variously-ornamented apparel, besides arms and weapons of divers forms; coats of mail, commonly called gasiganz; costly cushions, pavilions, tents, biscuit, bread. barley, grain, meal, and a large quantity of conserves and medicines; basins, bladders, chess-boards; silver dishes and candlesticks; pepper, cinnamon, sugar, and wax; and other valuables of choice and various kinds; an immense sum of money, and an incalculable quantity of goods, such as had never before (as we have said) been taken at one and the same time, in any former battle.
STOP! Can you answer this questions? If not, go back and re-read the passage.
What is the author's purpose for recording the goods of the captured caravan?
IV. Personal Reflection – Respond to the following questions in your blog. Be sure to include a quote from the text to support your response.
Part 1 - Response: What evidence in the text best illustrates the wealth and power of the Turks during the Crusades?
Part 2 - Response: Based on the information in the selection, what conclusions did the Europeans draw about the Turks? How might those conclusions impact the lives of the Europeans and Turks?
V. Peer Reflection - Read three classmates’ response and respond to what they have written.
Source.
From: Geoffrey de Vinsauf's Itinerary of Richard I and Others, to the Holy Land, translation in Chronicles of the Crusades, ed. H. G. Bohn, (London, 1848), p. 307, reprinted in Roy C. Cave & Herbert H. Coulson, A Source Book for Medieval Economic History, (Milwaukee: The Bruce Publishing Co., 1936; reprint ed., New York: Biblo & Tannen, 1965), p. 155.
Scanned by Jerome S. Arkenberg, Cal. State Fullerton. The text has been modernized by Prof. Arkenberg.
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