Humanities Notes

Medieval Times (Overview)

Week 5, Thursday – 3/3/22
New Migrations, Invasions and Empires
East Asia
Islands of Japan: social system developed similar ways to European feudalism
794 to 1192: Fujiwara family dominated Japan
Rulers depended local lords (Daimyo) control areas
China – golden age in literature, arts, science, new inventions – gunpowder & printing
= moveable type
South & South-East Asia
Most India – divided Hindu kingdoms – often in war with each other
Muslims (Afghanistan) came to dominate North-West
1206 – captured most Northern India – became known = Delhi sultanate
Indian traditions influenced civilisations emerged South-East Asia (6th century)
Region = dominated Khmer Empire – centre = Angkor (Cambodia) – beginning 9th
century to early 14th century
Pacific
(During period) Unknown to people of continents – big movements of Polynesian
peoples navigated distances across Pacific Ocean
1st migrations – started Malaya + Indonesia
Polynesians have no written records – believed to reach Easter Islands + Hawaii (500
CE) + New Zealand (1,000 CE)
Rise of Mongolian Empire
(Arguably) Amazing event of times – eruption of hordes of ferocious mounted
warriors (Central Asia)
Mongol + Turkic Tribes
Chief of tribes – took title of Genghis Khan + united tribes into discipled army fell
upon surrounding civilisations, killing + conquering over big distances

China
Genghis Khan advanced to China (1207) defeating Jin + Xia Empires (North China)
Grandson – Kublai Khan completed invasion (1260) found Mongolian Yuan dynasty

Medieval Europe
Week 8, Tuesday – 22/3/22
Dark Ages (4.4)
Impacts of ‘barbarian’ invasions
Term – Dark Ages – describe early Middle Ages from fall of Roman Empire
Time people believed ‘light’ of Rome disappeared
Europe plunged into ‘darkness’ and chaos until began advancing =
knowledge/learning in a time know as ‘Renaissance’
Historians/archaeologists – avoid term – ‘Dark Ages’ = believe down-plays the
significance of period + undervalues achievements of societies of time
The ‘barbarians’
Greek word – foreigners
Thought uncivilised = different culture + customs
Number of reasons = still able to defeat Roman Empire
The fall of Rome
Historians – various hypothesis explaining fall of Rome
Empire too big – survive
Population – declining
Roman armies (barbarians) – loyalty no longer taken for granted
Adoption of Christianity – official religion of empire – blunted desire to conquer
Civil War – weakened empire = collapse due to combination of these factors
Whatever cause = last Roman emperor deposed in 476 BC
Consequences
Time of great instability
Security – Roman control = GONE
Times of great violence
Educated people seemed ignorance +backwardness triumphed over learning + order
Grand Roman buildings/roads/aqueducts – destroyed or abandoned
Migrations from various lands = conflict
Few could speak/read Latin – great Roman works of literature = no longer widely
read + many were lost

Week 8, Thursday – 24/3/22

Dark Ages (continuing) (4.4)
Spreading Christianity
Proved to be fertile ground for two of world’s greatest religions = Christianity + Islam
Conversion of an empire
Roman Empire - dominant power = Europe + 1st century of Christianity
Apostle Peter – 1st pope = executed in Rome – tomb became important site for
Christian worship
 Christians suffered = persecution – Rome
Emperor Nero – blamed great fire of Rome (64 BC) – unleashing brutal campaign of
persecution
Not until Emperor Constantine – took control = Rome (306 BC) persecution of
Christians ended
Constantine encourage religions – tolerance + himself converted to Christianity
Work of missionaries
Spread of Christianity – large part due to work of missionaries
Committed Christian (usually men) – took the message of Christianity to pope foreign
tribes
Most successful – converted the king = ensure his followers converted to Christianity
Many missionaries – declared by Saints (by Church) -recognition of efforts
Different missionary examples
St Patrick – Patron Saint of Ireland – lived in 5th century
St David – introduced Christianity to Wales – 550 BC
St Columba – began conversation of Picts (Scotland) – 563 BC
St Augustine – Converted King Ethelbert – leading primary religion = Christianity
St Ansgar – introduced Christianity to Sweden – 829 BC
Some historians think/argue – Christianity an important role = ending Viking raids =
converted Vikings to Christians = stopped raids

Week 8, Thursday – 24/3/22

Societies in Europe (4.5)
The feudal System
800 BC – Charlemagne – king of Franks – gave land to churchmen + wealthy families
= return for support for running the empire
Method of ordering society - feudalism
Charlemagne’s feudal system – based on practices had existed for centuries = strong
evidence 1st identifies clear feudal system in Europe
Took hundreds of years – feudalism to spread
Some European countries never adopted system – Asian societies (Japan) – developed
own particular feudal system

Week 9, Tuesday – 29/3/22

Life on the manor for men, women and children 4.6
Quality of life – depended largely what position in feudal system
Nobility – luxury of wealth and servants = more comfortable
Knights + barons – enjoyed privileges benefitting their rankm = ow several manors +
lived off taxes extracted from peasants
 Clergy – simple lives = forsaking positions in service from God
Educated elite – enjoyed the pursuit = scholarly learning in monasteries
Although clergy engaged same kind of farm work as peasants – many monasteries
operated like manors = owning villages
Manor = large country house with land
The miller and the watermill 4.7
Apart from nobles and clergy – most people = Europe were poor peasants = tilled soil
on estates - owned by lords, knights + Church
Not all common people worked on land
Some – skilled artisans – carpenters, stone masons + blacksmiths = existed for
centuries
Last name = Mason, Carpenter, Smith + Miller (example)
Miller – among most important = medieval skilled craftsmen
The knight 4.8
Knights considered – elite soldiers in battles, wars + crusades
When no situation – usually acted as law enforcement officers =
Early 1100s
Cone-shaped helmet – protective nose strip
Long chain mail suit with sleeves (called hauberk) – made of thousands of meta rings
Large kite-shaped shields
Padded woollen tunic (called gambeson)
Late 1100s
Hemet = rounder – wider nose band
Loose-fitting surcoat worn over chain mail armour – protect it from sun’s heat
Coat of arms identifies the knight
Hauberk now covers neck – attached to helmet with leather strips
Hauberk includes chain mail mittens – getting shorter
Shield – not as big – more triangular
Chain mail leggings now cover feet
1300s
Bascinet helmets worn by late 1300s – visor can be lifted up
Pieces of hammered iron plate added for protection
Combined weight of chain mail + plate armour now so great = knight cannot get up if
he falls over
Shield – smaller – curved for added protection
Iron gloves (called gauntlets) – protect hands
Hauberk even shorter
Padded stockings with iron braces are worn
1400s
Whole suit of armour weighs about 25 kg – more flexible than chain mail armour
 Lighter helmets (called barbutes) are worn
Plate armour (made from hammered iron) – covers whole body – joined with metal
rivets + leather straps
No need any more for shield
Iron shoes

Week 9, Thursday – 31/3/22

Castles (4.10)
During medieval times – castles built