I think everyone has heard about the glorious Order of the Templars or Templars, as well as about their defeat on Friday, the 13th. The impression of this defeat was so strong that notoriety was entrenched in all of Europe for this day. What is so remarkable about this order and why did it suddenly become bad after 188 years of its existence, that almost all the monarchs of that time had to unite to defeat it? Money was to blame for everything.
Shopping Tours in Jerusalem
Telling the story of the Templars and the first European bank, one cannot but recall the most massive movement - the crusades. The people conquered the Holy Sepulcher for nearly 200 years, and these events largely determined the picture of public life.
According to the results of the first crusade 1096-1099. the combined forces of the crusaders occupied Jerusalem, which, in fact, was the formal goal of the campaign. Along the way, many other cities were recaptured - from the Muslims, mainly from the Seljuk Turks. The main part of the coast and significant areas inland came under the control of various lords. Such a map, of course, did not come out just like that. These states began to control almost all trade flows from India, China and Baghdad. And the crusader friends plundered a lot. It is believed that this is the first and last crusade from which the rich returned.
At the same time, in 1099, the first knightly-monastic order appears, the Hospitallers, also known under the long name "Jerusalem, Rhodes and Maltese Sovereign Military Hospitable Order of St. John", they are also Knights of Malta. Their official purpose was to help pilgrims and pilgrims to the Holy Land. By the way, the Order still exists as a state. Issues its own passports, has its own currency, etc.
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Hugo, Godfrey and the Seven Rogues
In 1114-1116, Count Hugh I of Champagne visited the Holy Land. He was accompanied by the nobleman Hugo de Payne. Judging by the discrepancies between various chronicles, both in his name and in the versions of his origin, de Payne had nothing to catch in Europe. But in Jerusalem of those years there were enough opportunities, if not to get rich, then to do something socially useful.
According to the chronicles that have come down to us, in 1119, Hugo gathered eight of his knights-relatives and organized his version of "the defense of the pilgrims in the Holy Land" - this is how the goal of this still militia was formulated. Apparently, he was not accepted into the Order of the Hospitallers (perhaps for financial reasons) - and he had to come up with his own order.
Be that as it may, in 1119 the military monastic order "Poor Knights of Solomon's Temple" was founded. The guys were so poor that according to legend, there was only one horse for two. This interesting plot was even captured in their press. Apparently, this is the founder of the Order, Hugo de Payne and his friend and relative Godfrey de Saint-Omer. The documents confirm that things were really not very good for them, so soon the King of Jerusalem transferred taxes from the surrounding villages in their favor - it is possible that they still protect the pilgrims, and not plunder the surrounding population, which was then the norm for knights. Well, the payload was also assigned to them - to protect the Temple of Solomon from all kinds of encroachments. In 1128 the order was officially recognized by the church, and then its formal charter was developed.
Order as a business
However, even before the official recognition of the Order, prominent feudal lords were already drawn to it. In 1120, the Count of Anjou joined the order (but did not join it), who later actively subsidized the Templars. In 1124, the same Count Hugh I of Champagne abdicated the throne, transferred all the lands to his nephew and joined the Order. Naturally, he did not come empty-handed, and his nephew continued to help his uncle, who was guarding the temple. So by the time of official recognition, they were no longer so poor.
And after the papal approval, the Templars (fr. Templiers - "templars") developed a very violent activity to attract new recruits. All sorts of younger sons remained the bulk of the Order. As a rule, the family had significantly more than one child - up to fifteen was considered the norm. But all the titles and wealth, as a rule, went to the eldest son. The rest of the content was allocated something, but not always and not so much. The younger ones had to earn their living, title and other benefits with their mind and sword. But with them, too, came a certain "dowry" - some land, some hard coins. People were drawn to the Order from all over Europe, from France, England, Scotland, Spain, Aragon, Navarre and all other countries. Accordingly, the Templars' lands were also found throughout Europe. Besides,many large feudal lords simply donated land or money to the Order. Sometimes more interesting stories happened. For example, in 1133, along with the Hospitallers, the whole kingdom of Aragon was bequeathed to them - a rather large and non-poor piece of land at the junction of modern France and Spain. However, they never received the kingdom - they were still not cool enough to take the inheritance. But the new king also did not really want to get involved with two military orders. So they parted amicably, for generous compensation in the form of donations. But the new king also did not really want to get involved with two military orders. So they parted amicably, for generous compensation in the form of donations. But the new king also did not really want to get involved with two military orders. So they parted amicably, for generous compensation in the form of donations.
In the rest of the activities of the Templars, the guys were also not a mistake. In 1139, on the 20th anniversary of the founding of the order, they received from Innocent II the papal bull Omne Datum Optimum, which freed them from all and all taxes, taxes, fees and duties, and also subordinated them only to the authority of the pope. No other bishops or cardinals could even say a word to them. In fact, the Grand Master was on a par with the cardinals. Unless he took part in the elections for the Pope. But the matter was not limited only to church affairs. The Grand Master of the Order, for example, held a seat in the English Parliament and bore the title of Baron.
However, all this is not surprising. In addition to considerable wealth, by the mid-12th century, the Poor Knights of Solomon's Temple were becoming a serious military force. So, from 1163 to 1191, they participate in all battles in the vicinity of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. And, although Saladin succeeds in expelling the crusaders from Jerusalem in 1187, after 12 years, in 1199, they return. The battles in those parts continue for almost 100 years, until 1291, when the Arab national team won the final victory in the region. By the way, the Templars were the last to keep at least a piece of land in this region. During all this time, perhaps, there was not a single serious battle in those parts in which the Templars did not participate.
Everything has already been invented before us
But the main activity of the Order unfolded in the world of finance. The papal bull, along with the already accumulated wealth, gave the Templars the opportunity to engage in financial services. And here they really turned around in earnest. Managing a network of large and small castles throughout Europe, Jerusalem and other kingdoms along the way, the Templars came up with (most likely borrowed from Jewish communities), the idea of traveller's checks. Now the traveler could not drag a bunch of coins with him, but go quietly with one piece of parchment. Given the prevalence of robbers in medieval Europe, this was the solution to many problems. By the way, the owner's fingerprint was put on the check, so even stealing it was completely pointless. The order took a relatively small commission for these operations. At the same time, the client could exchange such a check for hard currency in any branch of the Order, which, as we already wrote, were everywhere.
The very idea of traveller's checks in a slightly modified form survived until the 21st century.
In addition, the Templars lent money, and at a modest 10-15% at that time. For comparison, Jews lent at 40%. Monasteries, it happened, and at a higher percentage. With quite impressive resources, the Templars could well afford it. Moreover, the risks for them were quite small. If the pope could free the knights from the "Jewish debts", then he could not from the debts to the Templars. And there were no fools to quarrel with the guys with such military power. In which case, they could knock on the horns of the defaulter.
First European bank
Towards the end of the 12th century, the Templars become the largest creditors in Europe. Everyone owes them, from kings and popes to commoners. It is believed that they kept close to modern accounting. For example, they used the principle of double entry, compound interest and carried out settlements between their “branches” in the form of offsetting, which significantly reduced the need for real transfer of values and equalization of balances of “branches”. Unfortunately, during the defeat of the Order, almost all the books were confiscated and destroyed. So we cannot say for sure about this, however, we have received a sufficient amount of evidence of this arrangement of cases.
The Templars became so cool in banking that even the French king Philip II Augustus handed over his treasury to them for safekeeping and management, and the Treasurer of the Order became the de facto Minister of Finance of France. This state of affairs was preserved under subsequent kings: Louis VII Leo, under Louis IX the Saint, Philip III the Bold. Even Philip IV the Handsome at first kept the treasury in the Temple. And, if the latter were smarter and less greedy, it could continue this way. Unfortunately, Philip chose to be Beautiful.
And the Templars also built many paved guarded roads. The most interesting thing is that the roads were free. At the time of the Middle Ages - a thing more than amazing. Then money was collected at every outpost and at every bridge. I think the explanation is simple. The more people move and trade, the more commission the Order earns.
Philip and his greed
Rumors about the fabulous wealth of the Templars did not allow many kings and sovereign lords to sleep peacefully. But none of them had enough power and courage to lay their paws on the property of the Order with impunity. And then Philip IV the Handsome began to weave a conspiracy. He contacted Pope Clement V, demanding that he investigate the alleged crimes of the Templars. Judging by the surviving indictments, the Templars rejected Christianity, staged orgies, spat on the cross and committed other godly abominations.
A set of accusations, as wild as it may look, is quite common at that time. At first, the early Christians were accused of this, then the Christians were accused of a similar set of misdeeds of the Jews. With regard to the latter, "the blood of Christian babies" figured in investigations right up to the end of the 19th century! The secret interrogations of the junior members of the order were carried out, of course, with the use of various tortures, so that all charges were quickly confirmed.
Having received formal grounds, Philip and his closest associates are planning a secret police operation for several months. Perhaps, in scale, this is one of the largest police operations in history, if not the largest. Detachment commanders, officials and local inquisitors throughout France receive sealed orders, which are to be opened only on October 13, 1307. Many European monarchs received on the same day notifications of the defeat of the Order and calls to conduct similar operations at home.
Friday the 13th
So, on Friday, October 13, 1307, mass arrests of members of the Order began at one point throughout France. The last Grand Master, Jacques de Molay, was also captured. With one powerful blow, the Order was destroyed in France. All property went to the king. Have you seen The Godfather? So, the operation went exactly in this style.
The Holy See, however, did not participate too zealously in this massacre. According to some sources, Clement V even denied that he was informed about the upcoming action and allegedly found out about it only after the fact. However, under pressure from Philip, Clement V nevertheless issued a bull Pastoralis praeeminentiae, ordering the arrest of the Templars throughout the Christian world.
In other countries, the fate of the Order was not so cruel. For example, in England the Templars were not arrested so suddenly, and they were not allowed to apply serious torture. Some of the brothers fled to Scotland, where Robert Bruce somewhat ignored the papal bulls as excommunicated by that time from the church. In some areas of Germany, the Templars were acquitted by the courts, in Spain they got off with property, and in Portugal the order was neatly closed (nevertheless, you can't argue against the pope), but they immediately opened another, the Order of Christ, where the Portuguese brothers joined. In general, the French had the hardest time.
Courts and sentences
Courts in France went from 1307 to 1311. More than 600 knights denied their testimony given under torture, but this did not help. Everything was decided before the start of the process.
However, under torture they probably tried to snatch not only confessions. When the treasuries and treasury of the Order were opened, they did not find as much gold as they expected to find there. The main money was at work: lent, invested in certain projects and the like. Moreover, the contemporaries who conducted the searches were barely familiar with the Templars' methods of work and could hardly even understand the meaning of these records on paper. However, this did not prevent the bulk of the records from being destroyed. Well, after all, clearly a demonic letter! What kind of numbers are they in columns?
The first executions began in 1310. On April 12, fifty-four knights were burned “as having fallen into repeated heresy” for refusing to repeat testimony obtained through torture. In 1311, at the Vienne cathedral, the pope, apparently under pressure from the king, pushed through the decision to dissolve the Order.
In 1314, the Grand Master Jacques de Molay and the Prior of Normandy, Geoffroy de Charnay, loudly retracted at the last trial all testimonies, which had been pulled out under torture. As a result, they were accused of repeated heresy and on March 18, 1314, they were burned.
And the last legend
There is a legend that at the stake de Molay promised Clement V and Philip IV a meeting at the heavenly court within a year, and also cursed them and their family up to the 13th tribe. Pope Clement V died a little over a month later, and Philip IV the Handsome in November of the same year. Then, over the course of 14 years, under various circumstances, all three of Philip's sons died successively, leaving no heirs. At this the Capetian dynasty was interrupted. Not only was the wealth of the Templars not so significant, but also the king did not have time to fully enjoy it.
Vladimir Kuzmin
