The Medieval World

THE MEDIEVAL WORLD.

By the 7th century, three civilisations grew from the remnants of the Roman Empire. Each had its own culture, language and beliefs, and they eventually became rivals. They were: 1. Western Christendom, led by rulers subservient to the Pope; 2. the Byzantine Empire, ruled by a succession of emperors, and 3. the Islamic civilisation, ruled by caliphs and sultans.

The Islamic Civilisation: Its creator was the prophet Mohammed (c.570-632 AD). He preached a new religion that built on Judaism and Christianity. By the time of his death, most of Arabia had been united under his teachings, as found in the Koran (or Qu’ran, Islam’s holy book). The Koran teaches Muslims the Five Pillars of Faith: 1) Recite the words of witness, “There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His prophet”; 2) Pray five times a day facing Mecca; 3) Give alms [money or food] to the poor; 4) Fast [don’t eat] from dawn to sunset during the holy month of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Moslem year; and 5) Make a pilgrimage or Haj to Mecca during one's lifetime.

Aspects of the Islamic world: the mosque was a place of worship and teaching by scholars; to discourage idolatry, there were no statues or religious pictures but there were intricate geometrical designs, often with a nature motif; there was a strict moral code praising the virtues of temperance, humility, justice, generosity, tolerance, obedience, and courage (this was later developed as Christian concepts of chivalry); there was a ban on alcohol and pork; polygamy was permitted with a limit of four wives; slavery was practiced but Mohammad encouraged the freeing of slaves; religion and politics were mixed, so people believed you could wage a holy war or ‘jihad’. The sacred books were the Koran, the Hadith (sayings and traditions of the Prophet), and the Shari’a (book of Islamic law).

From 632-750 AD, Moslem forces conquered the Middle East (taking Jerusalem in 638 AD), North Africa, Spain and southern France. They spread into Turkey and threatened the Byzantine capital city of Constantinople. Their ships had control of the Mediterranean Sea. But they soon broke up into separate groups, ruled by Caliphs and Sultans. Their economy was based on making luxury items like perfume, cloth, jewellery and spices, and they traded items between China and Europe. The Western European Civilisation (‘Christendom’): Europe had been going through a slump, often referred to as the Dark Ages, which slowly ended around 987-1066 AD.

Wealthy and powerful noblemen created the Feudal System. This was government at a local level, where those who owned land (lords) gave their protection to poorer people (vassals), in return for their service. Lords lived in a manor, so the economic system was called the Manorial System, where the lords rented their land to the vassals, and the vassals worked the land for the lords.

Serfs were the lowest vassals and were almost like slaves, except they could not be bought or sold. A serf's life was difficult and usually short; a serf usually lived out his entire life without leaving the manor upon which he was born. He worked for the lord on the lord's land. He paid the lord to have his wheat ground, his bread baked, and his grapes pressed. He worked for the lord on roads and buildings. He could not leave the manor without his lord’s permission, and his marriage might be arranged by his lord. In return, the serf had the right to live on the manor and to farm his strips of land. The serf’s whole life was ruled by a certain degree of security and daily routines. From 1050 onwards, better farming methods led to a dramatic increase in the supply of food in western Europe. This led to a dramatic population growth. Italian cities like Amalfi were trading with the Byzantine Empire and Islamic nations. Trading markets in Europe grew in size and became towns, attracting merchants and artisans. Money came into use again and banks were formed. Carcasonne, the walled city Village Life

Ploughing the fields was easier with horses. Merchants and artisans plying their trades. The Manor. The Church got reorganised too, becoming centralised under the Pope. The Pope became so powerful, he was able to order noblemen and kings around. Those who refused were excommunicated from the church, meaning they wouldn’t get a proper burial when they died and they would go to Hell. So, when the Pope told noblemen and kings to take Jerusalem back from the Moslems, they couldn’t really say no.

Factors making the Crusades possible: 1) For centuries, Christians had been making pilgrimages to the Holy Lands. But, because of military victories by the Moslem Turks, access to the Holy Places was threatened. 2) Christians and Moslems had been at war for centuries, and the Church had supported these wars. 3) There were numerous Europeans, especially knights, hungering for adventure, wealth, and land, not to mention trading advantages. 4) The Pope saw an opportunity to defeat the Moslems and overrun the Byzantine Empire, making him ruler over all.

In 1095, Pope Urban II (1088-1099) launched the First Crusade at the Council of Clermont. The Pope’s call was echoed by Peter the Hermit, and over 100,000 people, from commoners to great nobles, set out for Jerusalem. Most of them had religious motives, including the ‘plenary indulgence’. According to the Church, this meant that if you went on the crusade, you could bypass the “waiting room” of Purgatory and go straight to Heaven when you died.

A lord clasps his hands over the hands of a peasant, agreeing to give his protection in return for the peasant’s loyalty and labour. This is the origin of ‘praying hands’ today.

Medieval Questionnaire

1. What were the three civilisations around the Mediterranean Sea a thousand years ago?

2. Where did the Western concepts of ‘chivalry’ come from?

3. When was Jerusalem captured by Islamic forces? 4. Name the political and the socio-economic systems of Europe.

5. What did noblemen offer peasants in return for their labour?

6. Why would a serf want a better life?

7. Why were knights keen to leave the manor?

8. What sorts of people were attracted to medieval towns? Why?

9. How did the Pope get to be so powerful?

10. What is a ‘plenary indulgence’? And why did people want one?