Lesson Plan: Islam, Charlemagne & Kingship Date: 12.02.

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Length of Session: 50 minutes

Seminar Aims Think about how we construct historical arguments & test them.
(Pirenne on Islam & Charlemagne)

Understand problems in sources for the rise of Islam.

Understanding of what rise of Charlemagne means for western

Europe (for Papacy, kingship etc) – Christian King or Christian
Kingship?

Supporting Power-point.
Materials /
Handouts
Room Equipment / Projector.
Arrangement

Timing Subject/ Activity/Notes PP

Heading slides
0-3 Introduction & - Ask for any questions on the lecture 1-3
minutes housekeeping - Remind them of assessment deadlines. Tell them to start
thinking about what sources they want.
- Explain seminar aims: how we construct historical
arguments, problems with sources for Islamic history, how
Charlemagne changes Western Europe.
3-25 Pirenne’s - Intro the general outline of how things change (show maps). 4-6
minutes argument. - Briefly outline Pirenne’s argument: islam leads to
Charlemagne
- Split into groups. 10 minutes to chat and think about
Pirenne’s arguments/counter arguments. 5 mins to decide
what they think on balance is right as a group. 5 minute
summary for the groups, appointing spokesperson for what
they think & why.
25-35 Problems with - Explain one of the problems with have for assessing Islam’s 7
minutes Islamic sources impact is the nature of the sources.
- Stay into groups. 7-8minutes to discuss the issues with said
sources. 2 minutes to sum up what these are. Think
particularly about how it can affect our view of events, and
what strategies we might use to overcome these problems.
35-50 How does - So we’ve considered Islam’s impact & a bit of Charlie, but 8
minutes Charlemagne how does he change Europe?
change Europe? - Consider the primary source. Place highlighted section about
schools on the board.

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 - 12 minutes to consider the highlighted bit and the source in
general. Final 3 minutes to think about what Charlemagne
means for Western Europe. Think not just of the wider geo-
political stuff (orientation of the papacy), but in terms of
Charlemagne’s aims and his style of rule – what does he
want to achieve? Is he changing the nature of ‘rule’?

Issues to cover

Slide 6: Pirenne

- What is Pirenne’s argument? – Germanic invasions don’t drastically alter roman Europe,
either in terms of culture or its trade links with the Mediterranean, even when there was no
longer an emperor in the west. Rise of Islam is what breaks this situation, severing links
between the northern and southern Mediterranean, and forcing those in Northern Europe
to look their own lands, and to the North Sea for trade links etc.

- What are the problems with it? - Trade is already declining between north and south
Mediterranean by 600, and the Islamic conquests do not seem to have destroyed what was
left. Reality is that Germanic invasions/successor kingdoms did disrupt western roman
culture/trade links, as did the various wars in Italy and North Africa before the 7C. Islamic
conquests only change things insofar as they create new political players and introduce a
new religious dynamic.

Slide 7: Problems with Islamic sources

- What are the issues with sources on Islamic history? – Many Islamic sources not
contemporary: late 7C, and the Quran is not a historical text, but a religious/legal one, with
chronology not set out clearly (Collins). Moreover, contemporary non Islamic sources are
also very patchy, no clear idea of what is going on, or understanding of what Islam is.

- What can we do to overcome it? - Material culture? Use sources but treat them with
care? Corroborate where possible?

Slide 8: How does Charlemagne change Europe?

- How does the rise of Charlemagne change Europe? – geo-political + religious sense: breaks
the papacy away from Constantinople and turns it westward. Brings previously pagan
peoples like the Saxons into nominal Christian fold. Consolidates Frankish kingdom into an
empire. Imposes identities on subject peoples via laws, (making ‘Aquitainians’ use an
‘Aquitanian’ law etc).

- Does he change the nature of Kingship? - Charlemagne’s designation as Emperor in West

arguably new and born of working out his right to rule parts of Italy. New concept of
‘imperial’ power in the west, tied closely to Christianity. Also seems to introduce a concept
of ‘christian kingship’ through his drives for education. King as creator and guardian of a

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 godly society, but also creates a literate/semi-literate class of people who can be
administrators as a by-product. Also attracts scholars from all over Europe to this end:
Italians Paul the Deacon, Alcuin etc.

Reflections: