Final answer:
The 'Grail Knights' are likely confused with the Knights Templar from the Crusades, who protected pilgrims and sought to control the Holy Land. The crusading knights' efforts were both valorous, abiding by a chivalric code, and savage, as seen in Jerusalem in 1099. Over time, the Templars were disbanded and the popularity of the Crusades waned.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Grail Knights refer to the legendary guardians of the Holy Grail in Arthurian legend, but this term is not historically accurate for describing the participants of the Crusades. What the student likely means are the Knights Templar or the crusading knights. The Knights Templar was a religious military order established in the early 12th century to protect Christian pilgrims traveling to the Holy Land. During the Crusades, these knights aimed to achieve the conquest and defense of Jerusalem, as well as the protection of Christian territories in the Middle East (Outremer). Their valor was immortalized in the chivalric code, which held knights to high standards of conduct, such as protecting the weak and observing holy days. However, the Crusades led by these knights often resulted in violence and bloodshed, as described in the eyewitness accounts of the taking of Jerusalem in 1099. Despite initial successes like the capture of Jerusalem and the creation of Outremer, the Crusaders' presence in the Holy Land waned over time. The Knights Templar, one of the more renowned crusading orders, fell out of favor and were disbanded under accusations of heresy and other crimes. The Fourth Crusade's diversion to Constantinople and the ensuing sacking of the city contributed to the decline of crusading fervor and the polarization between the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches.