Christianization of the Baltic States by the Sword
Introduction
Most people are quick to point out that Islam spread by the sword. To an extent it is true. However the same people rarely talk of the spread of Christianity by the sword. This was done by the Knights Templar, who spread Christianity by force. This spread of Christianity by force is often referred to as Christianization.
In this post I shall bring out the conversion of the Baltic States to the Christian faith. The Baltic States are located on the northern border of Russia and have the Baltic Sea touching one side of their land. In olden days this area was known as Livonia. For long periods this state was an independent entity till it was gobbled up by the Soviet Union under Stalin.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union these states re-asserted their independence. Presently these states follow the Orthodox Christian Eastern Church and are staunch followers of the Christian faith. The people of the Baltic states wear their faith in Christianity on their sleeves, but nobody spares a thought as to how the people in this area were converted to Christianity. In fact nobody wants to talk about it.
The fact is that from the 12 to the 15th century, the Pope authorized a mass conversion of the people of Livonia to Christianity. This was done by force and after great bloodshed. The earlier religion of the people of Livonia was a mixture of animistic and tribal beliefs. These beliefs were considered heathen by the Pope and the Christians. Accordingly specially trained soldiers called Knights Templars were dispatched to Livonia to convert the people to Christianity.
The Conversion
Christianity, more than Islam has its fair share of the use of the sword to convert other people. This conversion by the sword only stopped in the 19th century
The Christians used the sword to lethal effect, but they were not always successful. We all have heard of the crusades, the fight by the forces of Christ and the Muslims. A crusade is a religious war, whose primary aim is to subdue the "heathens" and spread Christianity. Mostly this was sanctioned by the Church. The wars with the Muslims are well documented, but little is heard of the conversion of Livonia to Christianity, which are also classified as crusades.
The Christians followed a set pattern when they started a crusade for conversion. This consisted in first destroying the pagan places of worship and denigrating the gods. Traditional religious ceremonies which were conducted by locals were classified as " witch craft". These ceremonies were criminalized and in most cases those who indulged in such ceremonies were put to death. But the Christians were clever and in some cases to placate the locals, they would absorb some tribal customs also and later jettison them.
The Christians drew their sustenance for conversion as per the " Great Commission". What was this Great Commission? It was the last instruction of Jesus Christ to spread the gospel and his message to the world. Christ did not anywhere say it had to be done by the sword, but later followers and leaders opted for this method as it brought speedy results.
The Christians decided during the Middle Ages to convert the believers in Pagan rights in Livonia to Christianity. Initially the residents of Livonia were opposed to Christianity. However Pope Celestine III, made the first plans to convert the people of Livonia to the faith propagated by Jesus Christ. Celestine III made the plan, but before it could be executed, he passed away. His successor Pope Innocent II put the plan to effect. Select Christian warriors, who had taken a special oath to the Christian faith called Knights Templar were commissioned to attack the people of Livonia.
A special and more blood thirsty group were now formed. Called the Brothers of the Sword, were used for the assault and carnage. This was ordered by the Pope who deputed Bishop Albert for this task. Much of the conversion was carried out under the guidance of Bishop Albert and the Brothers of the Sword. This was in 1237 AD.
The Brothers of the sword belonged to the Teutonic order and they unleashed a blood thirsty trail. In less than 50 years the Christian warriors subdued the tribes and won. They converted the local people en masse to Christianity. The period of conversion of the Baltic region to Christianity is generally assessed by Historians to be from 1206-90. The Christian knights destroyed the local forces and carried out mass scale killings. Livonian women were captured as per the instructions of the pope and impregnated by the Knights. Now we talk of the sermon of the Imam of Al Aksa Mosque to Fertilize European women to the migrants, flooding Europe. The Christians did the same thing nearly 800 years back and they were successful.
The Christian army was merciless and wholesale massacre of men who opposed them was the refrain. Defeated and forlorn the King of Livonia, Mindaugas and his queen converted to Christianity. It was more by necessity than choice . In case the king had not converted he was likely to be killed. As per records available by 1386, the entire region had embraced the Christian Catholic faith. it was a victory of the sword and the Pope, who had ordered the massacres and the war.
Last Word
People of the Baltic states today are devout Catholics and follow the Eastern Orthodox Church. The entire region is now 99% Christian. The Baltic states were the last area in Europe to be converted to Christianity, as entire Europe had already been Christianized. For a brief period the Moslems did rule parts of Europe, but once they were defeated and driven out the Pope ordered the infamous inquisition to restore Christianity. This was the period when anybody who was considered to be an enemy of the Church was tortured and either killed or imprisoned in underground dungeons to die a tortured death.
When one looks at the history of the spread of the Christian religion and also of Islam, one realizes that both made judicious use of the sword to further their cause. It is now part of history and Indians must learn, that ultimately only the sword carries the day. The one Indian king Emperor Samrat Ashok who embraced pacifism let his empire go to seed.The result? His empire collapsed within 60 years of his death.
Like it on Facebook, Tweet it or share this article on other bookmarking websites.