The Templar Knights

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The Templar Knights
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An order of warrior monks, founded in 1118, who
would keep the roads and highways safe for
pilgrims to the Holy Land

• Took vows of personal poverty, chastity, and they
  swore to hold all their property in common.
• This would in the future, provide the monetary
  base of the knights.

• The king of Jerusalem granted them quarters which
  included the stable area of the Temple of
  Solomon.
• He also granted the new order the right to wear
  the red red cross of Lorraine.

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The Knights of Templar and the cross of Lorraine
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The Templars gained official recognition from the
church in 1128.

• This gave them legal autonomy, which placed there
  activities beyond the reach of bishops, kings or
  emperors.
• Making them responsible, though their leader,or
  Grand Master, to only the pope.

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Membership grew with incredible speed,
eventually representing all the leading families
of Europe.

• Within 50 years the knights had become a
  commercial force equal in power to many states.

• Within 100 years they developed into a Medieval
  multi-national conglomerate, with interests in
  every form of commercial activity of that time.

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• Templar activity had great affect on European
  culture and commerce, also among items of trade
  were technology and ideas. The Templar
  communication network was the principle route of
  knowledge in astronomy,mathematics, herbal
  medicine, and the healing skills.
• This funneling of knowledge from the far and
  middle east though the Holy Land then into Europe
  came almost solely though the Templar
  communication routes.

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Templar Banking

• In the medieval era it was forbidden for
  Christians to charge interest on loans which
  meant money lending, as a profession was
  traditionally restricted to the Jews.
• The Templar Knights circumvented this law using a
  loophole, they charged rentas if on a piece of
  land or a house.
• The rent was payable at the time the loan was
  granted and was added to the capital sum borrowed.

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The Fall

• On October 13, 1307 the king of France, Philip de
  Bel (1268-1314), ordered the Grand Master Jaques
  de Moray and 60 senior Knights arrested and
  tortured by the Inquisition.

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• The Knights Templar and their involvement in the
  2nd crusade saved Christian civilization from
  Turkish Islam at least in Europe, and for nearly
  a century in the Holy Land.
• The Templars also opened up all forms of
  communication by funneling into Europe, though
  the Holy Land , the knowledge of the Far and
  Middle East.
• The Templars also started the beginnings of
  modern banking practices.

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THE END