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How did the Hospitallers become a military order?

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Crusades Crusaders departing for the Holy Land, chromolithograph of a 15th-century illuminated manuscript.

The Hospitallers originated in the 11th century as a religious organization founded by merchants from Amalfi to provide hospital care for sick and poor pilgrims in Jerusalem.12

While the order maintained its core philanthropic mission, it transitioned into a military order during the 12th century in response to the pressing defense needs of the Crusader kingdom. As the kingdom lacked sufficient military forces to secure its territories, the Hospitallers began to supplement the armies of the king and local barons. They acquired castles at strategic locations and maintained permanent garrisons, eventually becoming one of the most formidable military orders in the Holy Land alongside the Templars.12

This evolution allowed the order to combine its original charitable work with the defense of Christian interests in the region.1