What were devs thinking when they made Monks?

[Raavak]

Tbh, I've always thought it was strange there were monks in AD&D and then in Everquest. When I think "monk" in the sense of heavy armor and longswords theme sort of like dark ages Euro, I think a cleric-type in a brown robe. Not a Shaolin monk and master in gung fu.

I should see if Gary Gygax or one of his accomplices ever wrote anything defending the class.

And as far as why Verant/Smedley/McQuaid included it from the beginning... who knows. I would guess an AD&D influence. I know Diku MUDs were an influence on EQ and Brad, but I never played a MUD that had a monk class.