Medieval Europe: Social Systems

1. Medieval Europe: Social Systems

2. 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”?

3. 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

4. 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.)

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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)

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. The Crusades

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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

23. Medieval Europe: Rise of Nation States

24. England • Had been part of the Roman Empire • Population was a mix of Angles, Saxons, and Vikings who had each invaded the island over the centuries of the early Middle Ages

25. The Norman Conquest • In 1066, King Edward the Confessor died with no heir – two rival claims were made to the throne by Harold (Edward’s brother-in-law) and by William of Normandy (Normandy is in France) • William raised a French army and won the backing of the Pope; at the Battle of Hastings, he defeated Harold and became king

26. William the Conqueror • William of Normandy became known as “William the Conqueror” and his victory is known as the “Norman Conquest” • 1086: William had a census taken which listed every castle and field (along with who owned it) – this census is called the “Domesday Book” and allowed William to accurately tax his people

27. English Legal Reform • King Henry II in 1150s wanted to strengthen law enforcement • sent out traveling justices to enforce law • expanded royal law to all of England and did away with feudal courts and church courts • first to use juries to decide trials

28. Church Opposition • But, Henry got in a fight with the church over who should try priests accused of crimes • opposed by his good friend Bishop Thomas Becket • some of Henry’s knights think that they are doing him a favor and kill Becket • Horrified at what had happened, Henry backed off and allowed church to try their own officials

29. King John (Bad King!) • Henry II’s son • Lost a war against King Philip II of France; Philip took control of Normandy • Challenged authority of Pope Innocent III ; pope forced John to accept Pope as superior to kings by threatening to excommunicate John (excommunicate = kick him out of the church, condemn to Hell) • English nobles, angered over high taxes, forced John to sign the Magna Carta

30. Magna Carta • Protected the privileges of the nobility, townspeople, and the Church • Created “due process” – protection from arrest and imprisonment without cause • Protected people from “taxation without representation” by requiring the king to consult the Great Council before raising taxes • King must obey his own laws

31. The Great Council • Now known as Parliament • In 1295, King Edward I had representatives of the common people join with the nobles and clergy already on the Council • later evolved into a two-house legislature • the House of Lords (nobles and clergy) • the House of Commons (knights and townspeople) • Parliament’s power comes from its ability to control taxes

32. France • The Carolingian Dynasty (founded by Charles “the Hammer” Martel) failed • Around 987 the Capetian Dynasty, founded by King Hugh Capet took power • The Capetian kings started off weak – little power and little wealth - but slowly built up both and grew into a strong monarchy over the next 300 years

33. King Philip II • Seized Normandy from England’s King John • Built Europe’s first standing army of professional soldiers • Won the approval of the pope for crushing heretical groups (heresy is any religious teaching not in line with the official church theology) • By his death in 1223, he was the most powerful king in Europe

34. King Louis IX • Deeply religious • Persecuted heretics & Jews, fought Muslims • Brought justice to France by centralizing the legal system, sending out royal justices, and freeing French serfs

35. King Philip IV • Facing mounting debts, Philip confiscated Jewish property, destroyed the Knights Templar (whom he owed money ) and even tried to tax the church to raise money • Pope refused to pay taxes • Philip sent troops to arrest the pope, but pope was mistreated and died from injuries • Philip appointed a new FRENCH pope and moves the Papal Seat from Rome to Avignon, France

36. The Holy Roman Empire • The part of Charlemagne’s empire that is today mostly Germany & Italy

37. King Otto I • In 936, Otto I became first King of Germany • For helping the Pope put down rebellions, Otto was honored with the title “Holy Roman Emperor” • “Holy” = crowned by the Pope • “Roman” = considered to be the heir of the Roman emperors • Unfortunately, Otto didn’t have a lot of real power because the feudal lords in Germany were too strong and the church held too much influence

38. Pope Gregory VII • wanted the Church to have power independent of kings • stopped allowing kings to appoint the bishops (church officials) within their own realms; previously, kings could decide who became bishops and often used the position as a reward for their friends • This made the various European kings angry and resentful

39. Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV • Challenged Pope Gregory VII on these issues, but was undermined by German nobles who supported the Church • Gregory excommunicated Henry, forcing him to apologize and beg for forgiveness

40. Papal Power • Various European kings and the Church also clashed over control of Italy. In the end, no one could control Italy and the entire area remained broken up into tiny independent city-states • Popes remained incredibly powerful until Philip IV of France broke that power by moving the papacy to France and placing it under his control

41. The Byzantine Empire • After Constantinople was sacked during the 4th Crusade by Catholic knights, the Empire went into serious decline • Empire fell to the Muslim Ottoman Turks in 1453; Constantinople renamed Istanbul and made capital of the Ottoman Empire

42. KievanRus • City of Kiev • Developed as a trading center between Byzantines to the south and the Vikings to the north • Developed the Cyrillic alphabet • Prince Vladimir forced his people to convert to Christianity • City declined in 1100s as trade decreased

43. The Mongols in Russia • In mid-1200s, Batu Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan, burned Kiev and conquered Russia • Mongols ruled Russia for 240 years, but actually continued to let the Russian princes govern their city-states

44. Rise of Moscow • Under Mongol rule, Moscow became the most powerful city in Russia – both the political capital and the headquarters of the Russian Orthodox branch of Christianity • In 1380, Moscow led the overthrow of the Mongols, freeing Russia from foreign rule • Ivan III (or Ivan the Great) united Russia into one nation between 1462 and 1505 and took the title “Czar”

45. Ivan IV (the Terrible) • Grandson of Ivan III • At the same time much of Western Europe was getting rid of feudalism, Ivan introduced it to Russia • Was unstable; killed his own son and grandchild in a fit of madness • Had secret agents called oprichniki who roamed the countryside, killing the czar’s enemies • After his death in 1584, Russia fell into chaos

46. Medieval Europe: Moving Towards Renaissance

47. Medieval Universities • By the 1100s, schools had arisen around the great cathedrals to train clergy • Quickly became a status symbol for European cities • Women were not allowed to attend university • Knowledge of classical Greece, which had been preserved by Muslim scholars, returned to Europe during Crusades

48. University Life • 6 days a week • 5 AM: attend prayers • 5 – 10 AM: attend classes • lessons were in Latin, students sat for hours on hard wooden benches, expected to memorize what they heard, students paid teacher for each class • 10 AM: first meal of day • 11 AM – 5 PM: attend classes • 5 PM: last meal of day • after dinner, studied until bed • all exams were oral

49. A Medieval Classroom

50. St. Thomas Aquinas • Aquinas used logic and reason to defend Christian teachings – united Christian faith with Greek philosophy to argue that God rules over an orderly universe and that the laws of nature prove intelligent design • Marks the return of logic and reason to European thinking and a move away from emotional superstition