Knights Templar

Timeline

1. 1099–1105Jerusalem–Jaffa pilgrim route · LevantAfter the Crusaders captured the Holy Land, pilgrims surged and the land route from Jaffa to Jerusalem was repeatedly raided; some knights and camp followers spontaneously escorted caravans, forming an informal military escort network that provided social demand and practical precedent for the later order.
2. 1101–1110Jerusalem · PalestineBetween 1101 and 1110 the Kingdom of Jerusalem and senior churchmen tacitly allowed small knightly groups to stay near the Holy Sepulchre and undertake road protection; Hugh de Payens and companions were already active in this stage, possessing an embryonic order and court connections even without a formal rule.
3. 1119–1120Jerusalem · PalestineIn 1119 Hugh de Payens and eight other knights petitioned Baldwin II, forming the 'poor fellow-soldiers of Christ' with vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, headquartered on the Temple Mount; the Council of Nablus in 1120 further confirmed their military-charitable functions.
4. 1129–1187Troyes–Levant · ChampagneIn 1129 the Council of Troyes formally approved the Rule of the Knights Templar; the order gained papal recognition, established houses across Europe, accumulated donations and financial networks, and in the Levant undertook fortress garrisons and military lending for the kingdom.