Knights Templar
<p >The <b>Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon</b> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_language" title="Latin language" class="mw-redirect" >Latin</a>:<i>Pauperes commilitones Christi Templique Solomonici</i>), commonly known as the <b>Knights Templar</b>, the <b>Order of the Temple</b> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_language" title="French language" >French</a>: <i><b>Ordre du Temple</b></i> or<i><b>Templiers</b></i>) or simply as <b>Templars</b>, were among the most famous of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Christianity" title="Western Christianity" >Western Christian</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_order" title="Military order" >military orders</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-Barber_3-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_Templar#cite_note-Barber-3" >[4]</a></sup> The organization existed for nearly two centuries during the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_Ages" title="Middle Ages" >Middle Ages</a>.</p>
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Officially endorsed by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church" title="Catholic Church" >Catholic Church</a> around 1129, the Order became a favored charity throughout Christendom, and grew rapidly in membership and
power. Templar knights, in their distinctive white <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantle_(vesture)" title="Mantle (vesture)" >mantles</a> with a red <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_cross" title="Christian cross" >cross</a>, were among the most skilled fighting units of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crusades" title="Crusades" >Crusades</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-HC_4-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_Templar#cite_note-HC-4" >[5]</a></sup> </p>
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Non-combatant members of the Order managed a large economic infrastructure throughout <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christendom" title="Christendom" >Christendom</a>, innovating financial techniques that were an early form of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banking" title="Banking" class="mw-redirect" >banking</a>,<sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_Templar#cite_note-5" >[6]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_Templar#cite_note-6" >[7]</a></sup>
and building <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortification" title="Fortification" >fortifications</a> across Europe and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Land" title="Holy Land" >Holy Land</a>.</p>
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The Templars' existence was tied closely to the Crusades; when the Holy Land was lost, support for the Order faded. </p>
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Rumors about the Templars' secret initiation ceremony created mistrust, and King <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_IV_of_France" title="Philip IV of France" >Philip IV of France</a>, deeply in debt to the Order, took advantage of the situation.</p>
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In 1307, many of the Order's members in France were arrested, tortured into giving <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_confession" title="False confession" >false confessions</a>, and then <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_by_burning" title="Death by burning" >burned at the stake</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-Barber-trial_7-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_Templar#cite_note-Barber-trial-7" >[8]</a></sup> Under pressure from
King Philip, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Clement_V" title="Pope Clement V" >Pope Clement V</a>disbanded the Order in 1312. </p>
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The abrupt disappearance of a major part of the European infrastructure gave rise to speculation and legends, which have kept the "Templar" name alive into the modern day.</p>