European Middle Ages
European: After the fall of Rome, absolutely no state or perhaps people united by the government lived above the European continent. Instead, the Catholic Church evolved into the most effective institution of the Middle Ages. Kings, other leaders, and queens derived much of their power from their alliances and the security of the Church.
(For example, in 800 CE, Pope Leo III called the Frankish king Charlemagne the emperor of the Romans, mainly since the fall of that empire more than 300 years before. Over time, Charlemagne's empire grew into the Holy Roman Empire, one of several political entities in Europe whose interests tended to conform to all those of the Church.
Ordinary people across Europe had to pay ten percent of their income to church every year; in the exact same period, the Church was generally tax exempt. This
policy has contributed to gaining a lot of power and money.
Meanwhile, the Islamic community grew even more amazing and bigger. After the death of the prophet Mohammed in 632 CE, Muslim armies conquered large parts of the Middle East and united under the principle of one caliph. At its peak, the medieval Islamic community was more than 3 times larger than much of Christendom.
Among the Caliphs, excellent cities such as Cairo, Damascus and Baghdad created a vibrant intellectual and cultural life. Poets, scientists and philosophers wrote a large number of publications (on paper, a Chinese creation that entered the Islamic community in the 8th century). Indian, Iranian and Greek texts in Arabic have been translated by scholars. Inventors invented technologies such as the pinhole camera, surgical instruments, windmills, soap, a novice flying machine and also the numeral system used by us today. And religious
scholars and mystics converted, translated, and taught the Quran and various other scriptures to people throughout the Middle East.
Towards the end of the 11th century, the Catholic Church began to allow crusades or military expeditions to expel Muslim believers from the Holy Land. Crusaders, who wore white crosses to promote their status, believed that their service would forgive their sins and make them invest in heaven for all eternity. (They also received more worldly rewards, such as papal protection from their forgiveness and ownership of some types of loan payments.)
The Crusades began in 1095, when Pope Urban convened a Christian army to fight the road to Jerusalem, and remained on and off until the late 15th century. The crusades were won by no one; in fact, many individuals on both sides have lost their lives. They made ordinary Catholics throughout Christendom seem to have a common goal, and inspired waves of religious passion among individuals who would normally be alienated from the recognized church. They also discovered crusaders with Islamic literature, science and technology, exposure that would have a long-lasting impact on European intellectual existence.
An additional way to demonstrate dedication to the church was to create large cathedrals and various other ecclesiastical buildings such as monasteries. Cathedrals were the largest structures in medieval Europe, and they may have been discovered in the midst of cities and towns across the continent.
Between the 13th and 10th centuries, most European cathedrals were built in the Romanesque style. Romanesque cathedrals are substantial and solid. They have rounded masonry arches and vaults that support the top, heavy stone walls and few windows. (Examples of Romanesque structure include Porto Cathedral in Portugal and Speyer Cathedral in modern-day Germany.)
Around 1200 church builders started to adopt a new architectural design, the so-called Gothic. Gothic structures, such as the Abbey Church of Saint Denis in France and the rebuilt Canterbury Cathedral in England, feature large stained glass windows, pointed arches and vaults (a technology made in the Islamic world), spiers and flying buttresses. Compared to large Romanesque buildings, the Gothic structure appears to be practically weightless. Medieval religious art also took on other styles. Mosaics and frescoes adorned church interiors, as well as devotional depictions of the Virgin Mary, Jesus and the saints were painted by artists.
Moreover, even publications before the creation of the printing press in the 15th century were works of art. Artisans in monasteries (and later in universities) made illuminated manuscripts: handmade sacred and secular publications with colored drawings, yellow and other decorations and silver letters. In the 12th century, urbanized booksellers began promoting less-illuminated manuscripts, such as time books, other prayer books, and psalters, to wealthy people.
In medieval Europe, rural life was ruled by a method that scholars call feudalism. In a feudal culture, the king donated huge pieces of land borrowed to nobles and bishops. Landless farmers called serfs did most of the work on the fiefs: they placed and harvested plants and provided most of the landowner's yield. In exchange for their labor, they had been allowed to live on the land. They were also promised shelter in the event of an invasion by an opponent.
However, feudal life began to change in the 11th century. Agricultural innovations, such as the large plow and three-field rotation, made farming better and more effective, reducing the need for farm workers, but due to the expanded and improved food source, the population increased. As a result, many people were drawn to cities and towns. Meanwhile, the Crusades had improved trade routes to the east, giving Europeans a sample of imported food, including wine, luxury textiles, and olive oil. When business economics emerged, port cities flourished in certain. By 1300, there were about fifteen cities in Europe with more than 50,000 inhabitants.
In these cities a brand new era began: the Renaissance. The Renaissance was a time of excellent intellectual and financial change, but it was not a complete rebirth: it is its origin in the world of the Middle Ages.
