Between the Crescent and the Cross Episode 7 - Crusader, King and Saint

<p>"In order to deal justly and equitably with your subjects, be straightforward and firm, turning neither to the right hand nor to the left, but always following what is just, and upholding the cause of the poor till the truth be made clear." - Saint King Louis IX to his successor Phillippe</p> <p>The 13th century was a period of constant change and upheaval. Europe and the Middle East were changing. The old powers waned as new ones rose in their place. The Spanish kingdoms took shape as the Turks consolidated in Anatolia. Islam realigned around Cairo as Baghdad waned. And, across the great steppe a world-changing army came on horseback to conquer with the bow and the sword. In time their armies would conquer an empire that stretched from the Pacific to the Danube. The Crusading Era was coming to an end but it would not go quietly, periods of upheaval have a way of making heroes and villains in equal measure...</p> <p>Image: Painting of King Louis by Auguste de Creuse, 1837</p>