CHAPTER V BYZANTINE INTRIGUE IN THE HOLY LANDS

The Templars who settled in the Holy Lands gradually began following a very different course from their ostensible aim in founding the order. The Knights were responsible for protecting pilgrims and safeguarding holy sites, and had taken vows of poverty. But they set these duties aside and began behaving in accordance with their true objectives.
Throughout this period, the Knights Templar established 53 headquarters in different regions, and also constructed a large fleet of ships, established private relations with the local inhabitants, and engaged in commerce and exchanges of information. 18 However, they did not do so in order to serve Christianity, as they maintained, but for the sake of their own worldly interests. They turned the Mediterranean region into a privileged commercial centre exclusively for themselves, and obtained large sources of income through their trade with Europe and the money they extorted from the region. It has been estimated that the annual revenue from Acre Castle alone was 50,000 pounds of silver-more than the entire revenue of the king of England at the time. 19

The Knights Hospitaller

The Templars were unwilling to have such a comfortable and profitable order disrupted, and so took great care to avoid two eventualities. The most important of the start of any war that might close down their sources of revenue, cause them to lose the goods and money they had acquired and endanger their own lives. For that reason, although the Templars were oppressive and aggressive enough, they did all in their considerable power to prevent the outbreak of war, simply because this would conflict with their own interests.
The second danger was that the region's commercial opportunities in their possession might fall into the hands of different kings or rival orders, particularly the Hospitallers.
The Templars, masters of intrigue, frequently resorted to it in their competition with other orders. Their greatest advantage lay in the support they received from the Church, but in order for the Vatican's support to continue, they had to behave in accord with the Church's interests. In other words, they had to exhibit a martial nature as well as devotion to the Pope. Donations and alms flowed into their coffers in return for the supposed protection they provided and the role they presumed to play. In addition, they also managed to avoid any other responsibilities by declaring that their task was to protect the Holy Land. They were thus able to devote all their time to their own plans, without scrutiny or argument from outsiders.
However, this state of affairs did not escape everyone's notice. Following complaints, Pope Gregory IX warned the order's Grand Master:
. . . that your chief aim is to increase your holdings in the lands of the faithful, when it should be to pry from the hands of the infidel the lands consecrated to the blood of Christ. 20

It soon emerged that the Templars’ actual objective was to make money rather than to protect the Holy Lands.

Despite such occasional papal warnings, the Templars continued to increase their power and privileges, due to their various powerful mutual relationships of interest that had begun with Saint Bernard and continued with various senior Church figures, cardinals and clergy.
At this time, the secret collaboration between certain circles inside the Church and the Templars was also continuing. King Louis IX of France's departure for the Crusades gravely displeased the Templars, who were concerned about damages to the commercial relations they had established, about the king gaining influence in the Holy Lands, and the uncovering of their covert activities. The Templars' fear was not groundless.
In 1248, the Templar Grand Master, who had been insisting on his own policies and offered a deal instead of war, was warned in very harsh language and told to take no action without royal permission. 21
Naturally, the Templars were keen to avoid war-not because they were tolerant people or out of a love of Muslims, but in order to protect their own property, prestige, and fortunes. It was entirely within their natures to turn against the Muslims if that was what their interests demanded. In fact, the Templars found themselves unwillingly obliged to embark on a war in which they would likely suffer a terrible defeat, for the sake of protecting their own positions. The Templars' efforts to prevent the outbreak of war greatly angered the king's brother Robert, commander-in-chief of the army. Robert criticized the order, saying that he could win the war so long as he was not prevented by the Templar, who had been using the Crusades for their own ends-and that even if he captured Egypt, remaining in sole charge of lands from which the order obtained such considerable revenues would be a very difficult problem.

Army commander-in-chief Robert, the brother of the king

Robert's verdict regarding the Templars was unequivocal: "What could be more reliable than Roman Emperor Frederick II, who has experience of their falsity, bearing witness against them?"
Just as the order did not limit itself to political stratagems in order to protect its own interests, it did not hesitate to wage bloody fights against Christians when necessary, despite there being a total prohibition on harming people with whom they shared the same faith. The order that fought against Frederick II in Sicily also fought against King Bohemond of Tripoli in the Holy Lands. This event is described in historical records:
". . . This was the beginning of a great war between the prince and the Temple, from which much evil arose." 22
The Knights also took part in the war between the houses of Anjou and Aragon, and supported the king of England in his war against the king of Scotland. 23
As you can see from these examples, the Templars' true nature had appeared long before the trials in France. The European aristocracy that spent fortunes for the sake of such supposedly sacred objectives as the protection of the Holy Lands realised very early on that all those endeavours had been brought to naught by the Templars, who had used them for their own ends. However, various reasons-such as relationships of mutual interest, events befalling Frederick II, the influence of the Church and the support given to the order by the people-had prevented definitive measures being taken.
As all these political intrigues continued, the presence of the Crusaders in the Holy Lands gradually began to wane. First, the Muslims retook Jerusalem. Acre was the last in a succession of losses. Major defeats and the loss of the Holy Lands were a turning point and effected a huge shock effect in Europe, where all political balances were cast into turmoil. As the facts slowly became apparent during this time, the confidence that had been felt in the Knights was replaced by anger. People now began gossiping about the Templar frauds committed behind closed doors, their perversions and relationships based on mutual interests, and the Templars lost a great deal of prestige. These developments led to the kind of popular climate that King Philippe IV of France had been waiting for, and he finally moved against the Templars.