1001 Space Earth Nature History First Civilisations Ancient Egypt Biblical Times Ancient Greece Ancient Rome Chinese, Japanese Civilisations Indian Civilisation African Civilisation The Early Americas The Rise of Islam The Middle Ages The Renaissance Civil War and Revolution The Industrial Revolution Two World Wars 20th-century Achievements Human World Science and Technology	What were the Crusades? The Crusades were religious wars fought between the Muslims of the Middle East and Christian Crusaders from Europe. They began in 1096 and lasted for about 200 years. The Crusaders tried to capture the Holy Land from the Muslims, but they were eventually defeated.   Previous: Back Book: 1001 Section: History Chapter: The Middle Ages