PART 1 : FEUDALISM IN EUROPE & JAPAN - THE RISE OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH
PART 2 : THE CRUSDADES & THE RISE OF ISLAM
PART 3 : THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE
BYZANTINIUM EMPIRE GREW OUT OF THE EASTERN ROMAN EMPIRE ESTABLISHED BY CONSTINTINE IN 33OAD
-------------------------
FEUDALISM
1. AT THIS TIME A VERY STRUCTURED SOCIETY EVOLVED AFTER THE CHAOS OF THE DARK AGES IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE IN 476 AD - THIS SYSTEM REMAINED IN PLACE FROM AD 5OO - AD 15OO TO THE BEGINNINGS OF THE RENAISSANCE
2. THE DARK AGES WAS A TERM USED BY PETRARCH AN ITALIAN SCHOLAR WRITING IN 145O DESCRIBING THIS TIME AS PERIOD WITHOUT ANY SIGNIFICANT CULTURAL ADVANCEMENT IN EUROPE OR RECORD KEEPING OF THE TIMES
3. THE DARK AGES SIGNIFIES THE LOW MIDDLE AGES FROM 5TH - 1OTH CENTURIES IN WESTERN EUROPE
4. IN WHAT REMAINED OF THE EASTERN ROMAN EMPIRE (DURING THIS TIME) THAT IS THE BYANZANTIUM EMPIRE IT WAS A HIGH PERIOD OF ART LEARNING AND CULTURE
FEUDALISM WAS ORGANISED AROUND A MANOR
1. THE MANOR WAS WERE THE LAND OWNER THE LORD OF THE MANOR LIVED
2. IT IS ESSENTIALLY AN AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY LABOURED BY PEASANTS UNDER THE CONTROL OF A WEALTHY LORD (NOT A KING)
3. SOME OF THE PEASANTS WERE BONDED TO THE LORD TO WORK THE MANOR FIELDS - THEY BECAME SERFS IN RETURN FOR SECURITY AND A SMALL WAGE. ALTHOUGHT THE SERFS & PEASANTS WERE VERY POOR THEY REMAINED IN THE SELF SUFFICIENCY OF THE MANOR. ALMOST NO ONE TRAVELED BEYOUND THE MANOR BOUNDARY - TOWNS WERE FEW.
4. THE 2 MOST POWERFUL ASPECTS OF THE FEUDAL SOCIETY WERE THE NOBLES AND THE CHURCH - THERE WERE KINGS WHO RULED OVER THE LORDS
THE KING HAD KNIGHTS AS AN ARMY - THEY FOLLOWED A CODE OF DISCIPLINE CALLED CHIVALRY
5. OVER TIME MEDIEVAL TOWNS GREW UP AROUND THE KING ESTABLISHING TRADING AND CULTURAL CENTRES IN EUROPE.
6. THIS LED TO TE GROWTH OF GUILDS MADE UP OF SKILLED WORKERS OR ARTISANS WHO SPECIALISED IN A TRADE OR CRAFT
7. AS NEW PRODUCTS CAME INTO THE COMMUNITY TRADE EXPANDED AND THE TOWNS AND POPULATION GREW
8. THIS LED TO OVER CROWDING AND DISEASES OF WHICH THE BLACK PLAGUE WAS THE BIGGEST KILLER - BETWEEN 1347 - 1351 1/3 OF EUROPES POPULATION WAS WIPED OUT FROM THE BUBONIC PLAGUE - 5O MILLION PEOPLE
The Black Death was an epidemic of bubonic plague, a disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia Pestis that circulates among wild rodents where they live in great numbers and density in towns and villages. Normally, it takes ten to fourteen days before plague has killed off most of a contaminated rat colony, making it difficult for great numbers of fleas gathered on the remaining, but soon- dying rats to find new hosts. After three days of fasting, hungry rat fleas turn on humans. From the bite site, the contagion drains to a lymph node that consequently swells to form a painful bubo, (lump) most often in the groin, on the thigh, in an armpit or on the neck. Hence the name bubonic plague. The infection takes three–five days to incubate in people before they fall ill, and another three–five days before, in 80 per cent of the cases, the victims die. Thus, from the introduction of plague contagion among rats in a human community it takes, on average, twenty-three days before the first person dies.
THE MEDIEVAL CHURCH
1. NATURALLY THE CHURCH BECAME AN IMPORTANT SPIRITUAL SALVATION FOR THE SURVIVERS OF THE PLAGUE.
2. FROM THE 11OO'S A NEW GOTHIC STYLE OF ARCHITECTURE WAS USED TO BUILD INSPIRING CHURCHES IN NORTHERN EUROPE
EXAM ESSAY FOR WED 12TH JUNE
We have been studying the EUROPEAN MIDDLE AGES, you are to write an essay about the magnificent CATHEDRAL de NOTRE DAME in Paris.
Include references to the following:
1.When and why was it built in Paris.
2.What other functions did it serve for the Christian community.
3.What is GOTHIC architecture.
4.Any interesting stories you discover about this building in its long history. 5.What is being done now to restore this building after the recent fire.
Your personal commitment to this essay will determine its length in words.
You must list 3 reference source links to your essay and do not refer to WIKIPEDIA.
3. DURING THE MIDDLE AGES THE CHURCH WAS VERY WELL ORGANISED
EVERY VILLAGE HAD A PRIEST
A BISHOP SUPERVISED MANY PRIESTS
ARCH BISHOPS ANSWERED TO THE POPE IN ROME
CHURCH AUTHORITY OVER LAPPED ALL FEUDAL MANORS AND KINGDOMS
4. CENTRES OF SCHOLASTICISM - LEARNING & EDUCATION WERE ESTABLISHD IN THE CHURCH MONASTERIES AND CONVENTS
BIBLES WERE TRANSLATED AND COPIED BY HAND
CLASS ASSIGNMENT - RESEARCH THE NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL IN PARIS - WRITE A SHORT HISTORY OF THIS GOTHIC CHURCH BEFORE THE FIRE OF MONDAY 15TH APRIL 2O19
FEUDALISM IN JAPAN IN THE MIDDLE AGES
Medieval Japan
Japan is a chain of islands off the coast of China and Korea notice how mountainous the country is
this made travel difficult - the sea was used as means of transport - because the islands are surrounded by water Japan developed a distinctive medieval culture all of its own.
Before 8OO Japan's culture was very similar to China, but relations with the Chinese government ended in 894 AD under Emperor Yozei during the Heian period.
Japan's capital then was Kyoto
Kyoto was one of the main cities of SWORD manufacturing.
By the 1OOO's the Japanese Emperor began to loose power, and the nobles began to get more power, more land and more peasants working on the land. Like in Europe Feudalism spread across Japan.
Wealthy nobles needed a private army for protection and just like the European Lords who had Knights the Samurai warriors came into existence.
As the European Knights followed the code of Chivalry the Samurai followed the code of Bushido
Honour was the most important character attainment more important than life or wealth.
If a Samurai disobeyed the code they were required to commit ritual suicide called Seppuku
As Samurai clans became more powerful in 1192 the Japanese Emperor gave the title of Shogun or supreme military commander to the Mimamoto clan. This began a series of military dynasties that lasted through the middles ages.
The armies of the Shoguns defeated many threats from China particularly from the Mongols. After 12OO's few foreigners came to Japan until 1543 when Portuguese ships were blow off course and landed on the Japanese coast.
In the years that followed trade was exchanged particularly for western guns.
By 16O3 Japan closed its doors again under the Shogun Tokugaw Leyasu who reformed Japan and moved the capital to EDO now TOKYO. During this time a kind of BUDDHISM called ZEN was developed and served as the spiritual practice. Christain missionaries from Spain and Portugal who had come to Japan were outlawed and often tortured and put to death.
Many artistic spiritual disciplines were developed at this time.
Comments