Final answer:
The Knights Templar excelled in the early forms of banking, providing services such as secure travel finances for pilgrims, which led to their establishment as a significant financial entity during the Middle Ages.
Step-by-step explanation:
In what business did the Knights Templar end up excelling?
The Knights Templar were a monastic military order formed to protect Christian pilgrims in the Middle East during the time of the Crusades. Initially founded to ensure the safety of Christians in the Holy Lands, the Knights Templar developed a network of fortresses and engaged in military activities. However, their significant role in the Crusades and the wealth accumulated through donations led them to become involved in financial operations.
Over time, the Templars took on a new role as financial innovators. They established an early form of banking that allowed pilgrims to deposit funds in their home countries and withdraw money in the Holy Land. This secured the wealth of travelers and provided the Templars with increased economic power. Their innovative approach to finance and the protection fees they charged for their services helped to establish them as one of the first banking powerhouses in the western world.
Unfortunately, the very success that made the Templars indispensable to pilgrims and nobles also attracted the envy and greed of political leaders. By the early fourteenth century, the order faced accusations from the king of France, leading to the persecution and eventual dissolution of the Knights Templar.