The
grand master of the
Knights Templar was the supreme commander of the holy order, starting with founder
Hugues de Payens in 1118. Some held the office for life while others resigned life in monasteries or diplomacy. Grand masters often led their knights into battle on the front line and the numerous occupational hazards of battle made some tenures very short.
Each country had its own master, and the masters reported to the grand master. He oversaw all of the operations of the order, including both the military operations in the
Holy Land
The Holy Land; Arabic: or is an area roughly located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Eastern Bank of the Jordan River, traditionally synonymous both with the biblical Land of Israel and with the region of Palestine. The term "Ho ...
and Eastern Europe, and the financial and business dealings in the order's infrastructure of Western Europe. The grand master controlled the actions of the order but he was expected to act the same way as the rest of the knights. After
Pope Innocent II issued the
bull
A bull is an intact (i.e., not castrated) adult male of the species '' Bos taurus'' (cattle). More muscular and aggressive than the females of the same species (i.e., cows), bulls have long been an important symbol in many religions,
incl ...
''
Omne datum optimum'' on behalf of the Templars in 1139, the grand master was obliged to answer only to him.
List of grand masters
Notes
Footnotes
References
See also
*
List of Knights Templar
*
Grand master (order)
*
List of grand masters of the Knights Hospitaller
*
Grand Masters and Lieutenancies of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre
*
Grand Master of the Teutonic Order
*
Grand Masters of the Order of Saint Lazarus
Bibliography
*
{{Papal orders, decorations, and medals
Knights Templar,Grand Masters
Templar