Lasting from 1096 to 1291, for almost two centuries, the Crusades were an important event for Christians, Muslims, Jews and the rest of the population in Europe and Asia. Fueled by many different factors, including efforts at religious, military, and economic expansion, the holy wars left many significant impacts on Europe's socio-economic and political systems. In response to the threat posed by the Seljuks, Emperor Alexios Comnenus I asked Pope Urban II for help in driving the Muslims out of Jerusalem and reclaiming their Holy Land (History Alive!: The Medieval World and Beyond, page 121). Those who joined the sacred cause were promised eternal salvation. However, although the Crusades began as a religious expedition to claim dominion over the sacred city of Jerusalem and a safe pilgrimage route, the Crusaders also had other goals and motivations to pursue. Not only did the crusaders have a heavenly vision for spreading Christianity and increasing the strength of the church, but they also desired to find economic income from their pilgrimage into an unknown world discovering new lands, goods, and resources. In addition to the brave and adventurous knights and soldiers there were all kinds of people, from nobles, merchants and artisans to commoners and farmers. Everyone wanted to profit from the Crusades and satisfy their own needs and desires. Lacking a “clear” or unified goal or purpose, the Crusades did not lead to a “clear” outcome. There were many effects as a result of the Crusades, which affected various groups in different ways. The Crusades would lead to advances in government, commerce, economics, art, culture, and education, but they would also bring about death, destruction, persecution... middle of paper... progress and development in Europe in numerous aspects. For example, if it were not for the Crusades, when nobles and knights left to fight in the Middle East, monarchs would not have gained power so quickly and the decline of feudalism would have been delayed. If merchants had not pioneered and discovered new lands to obtain rare and valuable goods, Europe would not have experienced such economic growth and development. While the Crusades did not benefit everyone equally, they ultimately led to undeniable advances in social, political, and economic systems and paved the way for today's modern European society. Having weathered the harsh times of the Crusades, the first form of efficient, organized and systematized European society emerged and developed, and the Crusades left an incredible legacy for the world to analyze, incorporate and appreciate..