Читать книгу Heroes and Villains of Finance - Baldwin Adam - Страница 7

c.1119–1314

The Knights Templar were a medieval Christian military organization, officially endorsed by the Catholic Church to provide a pivotal role in protecting pilgrims on their journey to visit the Holy Lands.

Despite the traditional imagery of the Knights Templar, the military face of the organization was actually relatively small; the vast majority of the organization existed to support the knights and to manage the financial infrastructure of the network.

Whilst the Templars themselves were sworn to poverty, due to their extensive sponsors (comprised of nobility and royalty across Europe), within the organization they controlled vast amounts of money throughout Europe.

However, what most people don't realize, aside from the images of swords, horses and crusades, is that the Knights Templar were actually the pioneers of multinational banking.

Many aristocratic figures wishing to participate in the Crusades would entrust the Templars with their wealth whilst they were away. In return, the Templars would issue a ‘letter of credit' for the pilgrims. The vast network of Templars stretching across Europe and to the Holy Lands allowed the system to function efficiently. The pilgrims would deposit their valuables with a local Templar before departure, receiving a document indicating the value of their deposit, which they would then use upon arrival in the Holy Lands to retrieve their funds. In addition, by not carrying their wealth on their person whilst travelling, the Pilgrims were less susceptible to being robbed. Essentially, this was an early form of banking, and was quite possibly the first formal system to support the use of cheques.

As a result, the vast network of Templars was able to acquire large holdings of land across Europe and the Middle East, build churches and castles, and engage in various import and export activities. With up to 20,000 members at its peak, they even had their own fleet of ships. The network they developed, and the way in which they operated, is widely regarded to be the first example of a multinational banking corporation.

AT ONE POINT, THE

KNIGHTS TEMPLAR

OWNED THE ENTIRE

ISLAND OF CYPRUS

LEGEND HAS IT THAT THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR WERE THE PROTECTORS OF THE ‘HOLY GRAIL'…

… ALTHOUGH THE IDENTITY OF THE ‘HOLY GRAIL' IS STILL DISPUTED – MANY BELIEVE IT TO BE THE CHALICE JESUS DRANK FROM AT THE LAST SUPPER, OTHERS CONSIDER IT TO BE THE SHIPPING ROUTES TO THE ORIENT, WHILST SOME SAY IT WAS THEIR ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THEIR MULTINATIONAL BANK.