The Fall Of The Byzantine Empire

The fall of the Byzantine Empire

Introduction

Both inside Islam and within Christianity there are internal divisions. As for Islam, we identify various currents or groups such as Sunnites, Shiites or Turkish Sauscides. The origin of these internal divisions is found after the death of Muhammad, the prophet, when his followers come into conflict for the succession of this. Sunnites are the majority group, their name is obtained from Sunna, a collection of sayings and acts that are attributed to Muhammad and that must be taken as a model by Muslims. 

Developing

Sunnites defend that Caliph must be chosen by the Muslim community (most influential people). The Shiites, on the other hand, are supporters of Ali, Muhammad’s cousin and married to the daughter of this. The Shiites consider Ali the only legitimate heir in Muhammad due to his family bond. As for Selyúcides, it is a minor dynasty of Turkish origin that reigned during the XI and XII centuries. When the Slyúcides convert to Sunni Islam, the low balance between the Byzantine Empire and the Fatimí Caliphate in Egypt ends in Egypt. In the case of Christianity, the division is lower.

 Around 1500 two branches arise after the division of the Church. On the one hand, we find the orthodox church that predominates in Constantinople. Orthodox defend that the power of the Church must have the basileus, not the Pope. On the other hand, the Catholic Church predominates in the Roman Empire. Unlike orthodox, all power falls into the figure of the Pope.

To understand the beginning of the Holy War we need to know what was happening in the world during that time. In the 10th century Constantinople was the city with more power in the West. 

This is because it is located in the middle of the main trade routes, with a centralized and absolute government in the person of the emperor, in addition to a professional army that made the Byzantine empire a unique nation. Emperor Basilio II had managed to eliminate the enemies closest to their borders. However, after Basilio’s death, less agile monarchs rose to the Byzantine throne, while a new threat from Central Asia emerged on the horizon. This threat was verified by the Turks, nomadic tribes that had become Islam. 

conclusion

One of those tribes, the Turkish sealsuces threw themselves against Constantinople. In the Battle of Manzikert, much of the imperial army was razed by the Turkish troops and one of the coemperators was captured. As a consequence, the Byzantines had to give up a large part of Asia Minor than the Turks. Now there were Muslim forces a few kilometers from the same Constantinople. On the other hand, the Turks had also advanced south, towards Syria and Palestine. The eastern Mediterranean cities were falling into Muslim hands, and in 1070 they managed to enter the Holy Land, Jerusalem.