CRUSADES, military expeditions made from Christian countries in the 11th to 13th c.enturies, to recover the sacred buildings famed from the first origin of Christianity. .A.t the time of the first cru sade, the Mahomedan power was shared betVireen those of Arab and those of Mongol origin. The Arab movement had been stayed by their defeat by Charles Martel, on the banks of the river Loire, and they had settled down in the countries which they had conquered, advancing in civilisation and cultivating science. But later, the fresh converts to Mahomedauism, the Seljukian Turks and Tartars, issued from Central Asia, carrying ruin in their path. Asia Minor was lost to the Greek empire, and Constantinople itself imperilled, when Peter the Hermit roused Christian Europe to recover the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem. It was subsequently, in 1187, lost again by the conquest of Salah-nd-din ; and at the time that St. Louis of France took the cross, Chengiz Khan with his followers had so ruined the whole tract from the Caspian to the Indus, that the succeed ing centuries have not sufficed to restore it. The
right wing of this enormous host was bringing ruin on the Slav nations of eastern Europe, while its left wing was menacing. Baghdad and Syria. Poland and Hungary were invaded. in 1258, and they had entered Bohemia and Moravia. Frederick if., in 1229, after Salah-ud-Din's death, recovered the Holy City, but it was again finally lost to the Kharasmian Turks, who destroyed every Christian whom they found. Not long after, the Christians were again defeated at the battle of Gaza, which was fought in company with Malik Mansur, the ruler of Damascus, against the king of Egypt. St. Louis made two crusades, in the first of which he was completely defeated. The Ayubi are descendants of Salah-ud-Din. The family are known as the Hasan Keif, and occupy the district of Shirwan. In Mr. Rich's time, the Bey was powerful and independent. See Acre; Eyubi ; Kafra.