Knights Templar Military Order

Timeline

1. 1163–1164Kingdom of Jerusalem · Kingdom of JerusalemIn 1163 King Baldwin III of Jerusalem died and his brother Amalric I succeeded him; the Knights Templar maintained their hold on royal military advisory roles and frontier fortresses through the succession, and continued expanding their armed escort business on the east bank of the Jordan and the Sinai trade routes, consolidating their position as a core armed force of the Crusader states.
2. 1167–1170Levantine frontier (Gaza–Beirut line) · LevantBetween 1167 and 1170 Nur ad-Din and Saladin consolidated their power across Syria and Egypt, raising pressure on the Crusaders' eastern frontier; the Knights Templar garrisoned key positions such as Gaza and Sobibor, taking part in defense and counterattack against Muslim offensives and fighting in coordination with the Knights Hospitaller. During this phase the Order's military-religious model further institutionalized its chain of command and fortress supply systems under combat pressure.
3. 1161–1170Paris (Île de la Cité headquarters) · ParisIn the 1160s the Knights Templar operated commanderies and credit business on the Île de la Cité in Paris, in London, and at the Champagne fairs, providing exchange and donation channels for the Crusades; the flow of European wealth to the Holy Land gave this military order its dual armed and financial character, laying the groundwork for the transnational banking functions of its 13th-century zenith.