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Medieval State and Society

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Medieval State and Society M.A. HISTORY - II SEMESTER STUDY MATERIAL PAPER – 2.1 MEDIEVAL STATE AND SOCIETY UNIVERSITY OF CALICUT SCHOOL OF DISTANCE EDUCATION Prepared by: Dr.N.PADMANABHAN Reader, P.G.Department of History C.A.S.College, Madayi Dt.Kannur-Kerala. 2008 Admission MA HIS Pr 2. 1 (M.S & S) 405 UNIVERSITY OF CALICUT SCHOOL OF DISTANCE EDUCATION STUDY MATERIAL II SEMESTER M.A. HISTORY PAPER - 2. 1 MEDIEVAL STATE AND SOCIETY Prepared by: Dr. N.Padmanabhan Reader P.G.Department of History C.A.S.College, Madayi P.O.Payangadi-RS-670358 Dt.Kannur-Kerala. Type Setting & Layout: Computer Section, SDE. © Reserved 2 CHAPTERS CONTENTS PAGES I TRANSITION FROM ANCIENT TO MEDIEVAL II MEDIEVAL POLITICAL SYSTEM III AGRARIAN SOCIETY 1V MEDIEVAL TRADE V MEDIEVAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY V1 RELIGION AND IDEOLOGY V11 TRANSITION FROM MEDIEVAL TO MODERN 3 CHAPTER- I TRANSITION FROM ANCIENT TO MEDIEVAL For the sake of the convenience of study history has been divided into three – the ancient, medieval and modern periods.Of course we do not have any date or even a century to demarcate these periods.The concept of ancient, medieval and modern is amorphous.It varies according to regions. Still there are characteristic features of these epochs.The accepted demarcations of ancient, medieval and modern world is a Europo centric one.The fall of Western Roman empire in AD 476 is considered to be the end of ancient period and beginning of the middle ages.The eastern Roman empire continued to exist for about a thousand years more and the fall of the eastern Roman empire in 1453, following the conquest of Constantinople by the Turks is considered to be the end of the medieval period and the beginning of modern period.The general features of the transition from ancient to medieval world the decline of ancient empire decline of trade and urban centres, development of feudal land relations growth of regional kingdoms in the West, emergence of new empires in the Eastern, etc. With the exception of ancient Greece all other city states and small kingdoms developed into empires in the ancient world.Thus the empire of the Nandas and Mauryas in ancient India, that of the Chou, Shang, Chin and Han in ancient China, those of the Persian Hebrew and the like in West Asia and above all the Roman empire have been characteristic of ancient world. But all declined giving way to a new world under. But their decline was not sudden; it was through centuries, “Rome was not built in a day; nor was it destroyed in a day”, so goes the proverb.The fall of the empires were seemingly political. But they involved deep economic social and cultural aspects. In Egypt the empire continued through varying fortunes till the 1st century BC when it became part of the Roman empire.The land of Mesopotamia witnessed the rise and fall of four major empires – the Sumerian, Babylonian, Assyrian and Chaldean.Following this Mesopotamia witnessed the ascendancy of the Persians and the Jews.With the emergence of Rome as an imperial power the area from Red Sea to Persian Gulf became part other empire.Roman empire had been the most extensive empire known so far incorporating the regions in Europe, Africa and Asia.The decline of such a vast empire of course had repercussions throughout the known world.In India by the 2nd Century BC, the Mauryan empire collapsed. Mauryan Empire has been a good example for the state as empire. Following its decline their developed regional kingdoms. Decline and fall of empires have been a regular feature of history Ancient world witnessed the development of state as empire.With the exception of ancient Greeks all other city-states and small kingdoms of the ancient world developed into empires.Thus the empire of Nandas and Mauryas in ancient India, that of Chow, Shang, Chin and Han in ancient China that of Persians, and the like in west Asia and above all the Roman empire have been the great empires of ancient world.Before the development of these there flourished the Egyptian empire Ancient Mesopotamia had four vast empires.All these declined giving way to anew order.But the disintegration of most of these empires was not sudden. It was through centuries. The decline and downfall of 4 the Roman Empire had been a slow but steady process through centuries. “Rome was not built in a day nor was it destroyed in a day” so goes the proverb.The fall of the empires is seemingly political. But they involved deep economic, social and cultural issues. The decline and downfall of the Roman Empire that stood as a mighty edifice for centuries holding all the grandeur of a magnificent civilization has been sensational events in history.With its decline began a new epoch in the history of Europe. In 476 A.D. the barbarian chief Odoacer defeated the last western Roman emperor Romuls and this year in considered to be the fall of the Western Roman empire.The eastern Roman empire continued to exist for about a thousand years more and it fell only in1453.This year, A.D.1453 is considered to be the beginning of modern epoch in the history of Europe. Generally for the sake of convenience of study A.D. 476 is regarded as the end of the ancient period and a beginning of medieval period and AD.1453 is considered as the end of medieval period and the beginning of modern period.This of course has been a Europo centric view. The decline of an empire like Rome was not due to a single cause. There has been a variety of causes behind it. Vastness of the empire, division of empire, foreign invasions, economic decline, social degeneration, etc., have been considered as the factors behind the decline and final disintegration of the Roman empire.In A.D. 330 emperor Constantine had founded a second capital to the Roman empire at Byzantium, that later came to be called Constantinople.This marked the division of the empire into two – the western empire with its capital at Rome and eastern with its capital at Constantinople. This division itself had adversely affected in integrity of the empire. From the 3rd Century onwards Rome has been subject to the barbarian invasions.The invading tribes Goths, Vandals, Franks, Huns and the like were called as barbarians by the Romans. According to Toynbee foreign invasions arenot a cause but symptom of the decline of civilizations.When an empire is powerful outsiders would no one dare to attack it. But when it shows marks of decline outsiders will be bold enough to attack it. Infact much before these ‘invasions’ there has been a regular infiltration of these foreign tribes into Rome.They were employed in Roman army civil service and various other fields and the Romans were familiar with the barbarians.But from the 3rd century onwards there were regular barbarian invasions on Rome.The invasion of the Huns, Germans and the Goths proved fatal to the empire.The Germans settled in the region of Gaul (present France).The Goths over ran the Danubian provinces of Rome. The barbarian tribes Alamans, the Franks and the Saxons had made a powerful confederation within the empire. From the 1st century A.D. there has been a shortage of troups in the Roman legions and this led to the recruitment of African Moors, Syrian Arabs the Germans of the bordering areas of the empire into the army.Along with this the tribes of Visigoths, Vandals and the like were admitted into the Roman empire as Faederati or allies to whom lands had been assigned in return for military duty on the frontier.These soldiers on the frontiers used to quarrel with the Roman officials and such quarrels led to the Battle of Adranople in 378 A.D. Barbarian leaders like Stilicho, the chief of Vandals had a position of eminence in western empire. Alaric the king of the Gothic tribes and such other leaders managed to imitate Stilicho.There were mutual struggles among the barbarians also.There developed matrimonial alliances between the Visigoths and Romans.It was with the help of the Visigoths that the Rome emperor 5 Valantineal managed to defeat the Huns under Attila. In A.D. 455 Roman was sacked by the Vandals. By this time the political fabric of the western empire had disintegrated. As noted about in A.D.476 the barbarian chief Odoacer deposed the last emperor Romulus Augustus.Even though Odoacer recognised the supremacy of the eastern Roman emperor Zeno over the two empires, the rule of the Roman emperors over the West ended. Following the fall of western Roman empire barbarian Kingdoms were established in various parts of the empire.Among them were the kingdom of Ostrogoths.The great king of Ostrogoths namely Theordoric has been the most loved barbarian king.The kingdom of Visigoths comprised mainly Spain. The Burgundians established themselves at Sovory.The kingdom of Vandals included parts of Gaul Spain and Northern Africa. These Vandals were called Wykings.Lombards captured parts of Italy. Anglo-Saxons conquered England. The Franks who established themselves in a corner of Gaul was destained become the founder of an empire under their leader Clovis.Clovis and his followers were converted to Christianity.Clovis and his followers, known as the Merovingian’s were able to carve out an independent kingdom in France. By the time of Charles Martel this kingdom came to have close alliance with the pope of Rome.It continued during the period of Pepin.This relation was cemented with the establishment of the Holy Roman Empire by Charlemagne or Charles the great.
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