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Excerpt from "The Saladin Tithe" (1188)
Original declaration of Henry II, King of England; Reprinted in Source Book for Medieval Economic History; Edited by Roy C. Cave and Herbert H. Coulson; Published in 1965

Religious faith was put to powerful use during the two hundred years of the Crusades. Time and again, faithful Christians and Muslims were called to arms to fight for their god. Over and over, the inhabitants of Europe and the Middle East were asked by their spiritual leaders to put their private lives on hold and risk all for a matter of faith: control of the Holy Land and the sites in Jerusalem that are sacred to both religions.

Raising an army is not a simple process. Strong preachers were needed on both sides to fire up the people, to fill them with enthusiasm for a holy war. But when the soldiers were gathered, there came the question of who would pay to...