Final answer:
The crusaders faced significant challenges in establishing profitable sugar production due to a lack of a servile labor force, continuous conflict, and political instability in the region.
Step-by-step explanation:
Obstacles to Profitable Sugar Production for Crusaders
The crusaders faced numerous obstacles when it came to establishing profitable sugar production in the Holy Land. Despite acquiring knowledge about sugar production and its profitability, the major challenges they faced were largely due to the complex social, political, and economic landscape inherited from the prior Muslim rulers.
One significant barrier was their reliance on local populations for labor and expertise. Unlike in the later plantation systems of the Americas, the native populations in the Holy Land were not subjugated as serfs but instead continued paying taxes in cash or goods. The lack of a servile labor force meant the crusaders could not compel large-scale, intensive labor required for sugar cultivation.
Moreover, the continuous state of conflict and changing political dynamics were problematic. The crusaders had to deal with ongoing military threats from the likes of Imad al-Din Zengi and the subsequent rise of powerful Islamic kingdoms, such as the Mamluks and Ottoman Turks, which made the region too unstable for large-scale agricultural ventures like sugar cane plantations. The shifting allegiances and internal discord among the crusaders themselves, as well as their debts and obligations to European merchants, further diverted attention and resources away from potential economic developments like sugar production.