Medieval Europe: Social Systems

The “Dark” Ages• After the fall of the

western Roman Empire, Europe entered a period of political and social turmoil popularly called the Dark Ages (“dark” as in “not enlightened”)

• But were the Dark Ages really all that “dark”?

The Franks• Germanic invaders• In 486 AD, Clovis, first

king of the Franks, conquered the Roman province of Gaul (France) and converted to Christianity as a way to unite his people under his rule

Battle of Tours• In 732 AD, Frankish king

Charles “the Hammer” Martel led his Christian Franks to a victory over Muslim invaders at Tours, France, stopping Islam’s advance into Europe (although Spain remained under Muslim rule for the next 750 years.)

Charlemagne• Frankish King Charlemagne (or

“Charles the Great”)– Rewarded by the pope (head of

the Christian church) for his loyalty to the Church with the title “King of the Romans”

– Tried to establish a united Christian empire across Western Europe, but it did not survive his death

– Valued education and did much to revive formal learning in Europe

– Laid the foundation for the European feudal system that dominated the Middle Ages

Threats to Europe• Outside invaders:

– Muslims periodically tried to invade Europe from the south and east from the 700s to the 1600s

– Magyars & Mongols invaded from the east from the 900s to the late 1300s

– Vikings threatened from the north between 790s to 1070s AD

European Feudalism• Kings in Europe were too weak to

fight off invaders without help• To get help, they gave control of

local areas to nobles who agreed to provide king taxes and soldiers

• These nobles gave control of smaller localized areas to lesser lords who agreed to serve them

• The lesser lords then hired knights to serve as warriors in their service

• The lesser lords also used the knights to oversee the local peasants, towns, and villages

The Nobility• Nobles & knights– Lived in castles or

fortified keeps– Marriages were

arranged within their social station

– Were expected to follow a code of conduct, known as chivalry, which emphasized honor and duty

The Peasants• Were serfs, which means they

were bound to the land they worked – they could not leave their assigned land without permission, but also could not be bought and sold like slaves

• Had to work the lord’s land and provide payments at certain times of the year and on certain occasions

• In return, it was expected that the lord would protect them from invaders

Rise of Towns• Usually began as small

temporary markets or fairs at major crossroads

• As demand for goods grew, these markets became permanent towns

• Walled for protection• Very crowded, dirty, &

noisy

Economic Changes• Agricultural Revolution

– Yoke & iron plow invented– Crop rotation practiced

• Trade– More trade along the Silk Road– Cities become larger as more

traders and artisans settle there• Commercial Revolution

– Merchants began to work in partnerships to sell more goods

– Banks introduced to Europe– Merchants and artisans living in

towns become a new “middle” class

Guilds• Associations of merchants and

artisans, which set the rules for membership in a trade and fixed prices for their products– to join a guild, you had to start

as an unpaid “apprentice” while still a child

– after 7 years as an apprentice you were promoted to a “journeyman” who could then work in the trade for pay

– Once you were able to open your own shop, you became a “master” and could join the guild

The Medieval Church• During Middle Ages, nearly

all of western Europe becomes Christian

• Each feudal manor would have its own parish priest– Performed all baptisms,

marriages, funerals– Led Sunday worship services– Helped the sick and needy– Collected the tithe (10%

“tax” on everyone’s income)

Monks & Nuns• Monks and Nuns – men and

women who withdrew from worldly life to work for God– Took three vows

• Vow of obedience to the Church’s hierarchy

• A vow of poverty to hold no material wealth

• A vow of chastity to never marry or have sex

– Performed manual labor through farming, making the things they needed

– Hand copied and illustrated the Bible as well as old Greek and Roman texts

Papal Supremacy• The pope, or head of the

Church, became extremely powerful– Popes claimed that they had

authority over even kings– The Church owned large

tracts of land, including entire regions in Italy governed directly by the Pope himself

– The Church had its own laws and courts which could prosecute anyone

Eastern Orthodoxy• Byzantine emperor Justinian

refused to recognize the Pope’s authority, instead taking personal control of the Eastern Church– Byzantine priests were allowed

to marry– Byzantine priests used Greek

instead of Latin– placed greater emphasis on

Easter than Christmas– All art should be religious

• These differences led to a schism (or break) within the church– In 1054, Christianity formally

split into the Eastern Orthodox (east) and Catholic (west) churches

European Jews• Large numbers lived in Spain

under Muslim protection• Elsewhere, they were increasingly

persecuted, mocked, & humiliated

• Were not allowed to own land or hold certain jobs

• Forced to live in specific neighborhoods, known as ghettos, within towns and cities

• Occasionally, whole communities were killed or run off

• Tolerated only because they could serve as bankers, a profession forbidden to Christians

The Crusades• In 1095: Pope Urban II called on

European nobles to free the Holy Land (specifically Jerusalem) which was under Muslim control

• Thousands of knights responded to launch the First Crusade– Why?

• Religious zeal• hoped to win wealth• hoped to carve out new

kingdoms• some were criminals

fleeing trouble at home

The Crusades

Early Crusades• The First Crusade: 1096-1099

– Christian knights captured Jerusalem, massacred all Muslims and Jews in the city

• The Second Crusade: 1147-48– More Christians arrived to fend

off attacks by Muslims on the Kingdom of Jerusalem

• The Third Crusade: 1189-92– Muslim general Salah al-Din

retook Jerusalem, but spared all the Christians living there

– New crusade was launched, led by kings of France, England, the Holy Roman Empire, but failed

Later Crusades• The Fourth Crusade

– Crusaders never reach the Holy Land and instead sack Constantinople, a Christian city!

• The Fifth Crusade– Christians tried to invade through Egypt,

defeated easily by Muslims• The Sixth Crusade

– Frederick II wins access for Christians to Holy sites through diplomacy

• The Seventh Crusade– Louis IX leads a failed attack

• The Eighth Crusade– Louis IX tries again – this time he dies on

the way there• The Ninth Crusade

– The English fail to free Jerusalem • By 1300, all Christian holdings in the Holy Land

were back under Islamic control

The Reconquista• Spain had been controlled

by Muslims since the 700s• Beginning in 1085,

Christians slowly began to push Muslims out

• 1492: a united Spain under King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella forced last Muslims to abandon Spain to Christian rule