Knightly orders first arose in medieval Europe during the Crusades. But their activity was not limited to war alone, for a knight is not only wars, but also a person of high spirituality and moral qualities. To be a knight was to honor the “Knightly Code of Honor” (a peculiar life credo, which includes a set of unspoken rules of conduct, both in society and in war). But let's talk about what the knightly orders were.
Templars
The first and most popular knightly order that emerged during the Crusades from those soldiers who participated in the capture of the "holy land" of Jerusalem. They were called that way - the Order of the Jerusalem Knights of the Cross, which indicated that they clearly belonged to the spiritual and religious basis of Christianity of that time. The banner of the organization was a red cross on a white background, and a banner, often taken out on a huge chariot, was a golden Catholic cross, considered a symbol of the power of faith and inspired ordinary soldiers for feats of arms. Unfortunately, after a couple of centuries, this order fell apart and was destroyed. On Friday the 13th day of 1307, by order of the Pope of Rome, all the Templars were accused of heresy, worship of Baphomet and, as a result, were arrested and killed. This happened because the Templars, developing and building up power, turned from a spiritual organization into a very powerful economic and political machine, which was objectionable to neither the authorities nor religious leaders. Of course, most of the accusations were simply falsified, but this did not have much influence on the spiritual and chivalric orders as a whole.
Hospitaliers
Knights' orders, as a rule, originated in the Holy Land, exactly where Christians needed help and support for their pilgrimages. One of such "auxiliary" formations was the Order of the Holy Principality of Antioch, named for the busy city (not far from Jerusalem). Their distinguishing feature was a white cross on a black background, the order consisted mainly of the French and was engaged in helping pilgrims. Knightly orders of this type, although they were not so powerful, survived their brothers. For example, the same hospitals in our time - the Red Cross Society, which still provides adequate medical care in countries affected by various military conflicts. True, the religious basis was somewhat distorted, and few people know that, along with this organization, its branch, called the Order of the Red Crescent, also works.
Knights' orders in world culture
So why are knights needed at all and why did they "die out"? The fact is that the appearance of warrior knights was a natural phenomenon at a time when the strength of one person could be opposed to the strength of many, thanks to experience, skill and ability. But a century later (with the advent of gunpowder and even crossbows, piercing armor and being “dishonest” weapons), the popularity of chivalry waned, and the representatives of the orders themselves “re-qualified” into the military-aristocratic elite of the Renaissance era. But this is a completely different story!