Templars+(Order+of+the+Temple)

The Knights Templar:

Was a christian crusading order that was terminated in 1307 by Phillip IV of France. Phillip had owed the Templar knights a large sum of money, and rather than pay it, capitalized on misconceptions about the order that circulated in society. On October 13th, influential people in the order were rounded up and fined. Some were killed as heretics. Pope Clement V disbanded the order in 1312.

The fall of the Knights serves two purposes. One is that their fall shows the states new ability to use torture and coercive behaviors. It was not just the inquisition. The other is that these crusading knights have also outlived their purpose. They were no longer needed to defend Christian outposts in the Middle east since those Crusades were ended with Islamic victories.

Fun fact: The Templar endowment went to the Hospitallers