The Templar Knights at Work
The Knights Templar established a thriving banking network and grew to wield immense financial power. Religious pilgrims might deposit assets in their home countries and withdraw monies in the Holy Land using their banking system.
The Templars' austere code of conduct (which included no sharp shoes and no kissing their mothers, as detailed in "The Rule of the Templars") and characteristic style of dress (which comprised a white habit imprinted with a plain red cross) made them famous.
An oath of poverty, chastity, and obedience was taken by the members. They were forbidden from drinking, gambling, or swearing. Prayer was an important part of their daily lives, and the Templars had a special devotion to the Virgin Mary.
The Knights Templar founded new chapters throughout Western Europe as their strength and reputation rose.
The Templars had a large fleet of ships, owned the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, and acted as a principal bank and lending organization to European monarchs and nobility at the height of their power.
The Knights' Responsibilities Have Been Expanded
The Knights Templar's original mission was to safeguard travelers from harm, but their responsibilities grew throughout time. They were known as valiant, highly competent warriors who defended the Crusader nations in the Holy Land.
During the Crusades, the company earned a reputation as ruthless combatants, inspired by religious zeal and barred from retreating unless outmanned.
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and Solomon's Temple (Latin: Pauperes commilitones Christi Templique Salomonici), also known as the Order of Solomon's Temple, the Knights Templar, or simply the Templars, was a Catholic military order that was one of the wealthiest and most popular of the Western Christian military orders. They were created in 1119 and were based on Jerusalem's Temple Mount for about two centuries during the Middle Ages.
- The Templars became a favored charity throughout Christendom and grew fast in membership and power after being officially supported by the Roman Catholic Church through decrees such as Pope Innocent II's papal bull Omne datum optimum. The Crusades' most adept fighting groups were the Templar knights, who wore unique white mantles with a scarlet cross. Non-combatant members of the order, who made up as much as 90% of their membership, were influential in Christian finance.
- In Christendom, he was in charge of a massive economic infrastructure. They pioneered early banking procedures, establishing a network of approximately 1,000 commanderies and fortifications across Europe and the Holy Land, and arguably founding the world's first global enterprise.
- The Templars were inextricably linked to the Crusades, and after the Holy Land was lost, the order's popularity waned. Rumours concerning the Templars' secret initiation ceremony stoked suspicions, and King Philip IV of France, who was severely in debt to the organization, took advantage of the situation. In 1307, he persuaded Pope Clement to have many of the order's members in France imprisoned, tortured, and burnt at the stake. In 1312, Pope Clement V disbanded the order due to increased pressure. The mysterious disappearance of a significant portion of Europe's infrastructure sparked speculation and stories that have kept the "Templar" name alive to this day.
- The Templars constructed many castles and fought — and frequently won – wars against Islamic troops. Their reckless fighting technique was adopted by other military orders.
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