Examine the reasons for disputes between rulers and religious leaders in two

societies, each chosen from a different region. (2020)

The main reason for disputes between rulers and religious leaders during the Middle
Ages was the fight for power. Whether it was in Europe or Japan, both rulers such as
emperors or kings fought with the Church or Buddhist monks or representatives of
Buddhism respectively, because of the constant want of power and need of control. Both
institutions were extremely powerful, however the disputes were somehow more
personal, as in for instance a Pope against a King, or the Japanese Emperor against a
monk. These controversies were often disguised by religious arguments but in reality
were a fight for both power and money.

In Europe, one significant dispute was the Investiture Controversy. This was a conflict
between the State and the Church over the ability to choose bishops, abbots and the
Pope. It began as a conflict between the Emperor Henry IV and Pope Gregory VII in
1059 (in Nomine Domine, Dictatus Papae 1075); and it ended with the Concordat of
Worms in 1122. The Church was incredibly strong because of its bishops and abbots, not
only because of the Pope, however, it was the Pope who was about to be in charge to
select the bishops and abbots. Bishops and abbots made sure that their populations were
well-established and that they were following the Church’s mandates. The issue here was
that the emperor knew how much power the Church held, and also how important and
useful it was for him to be able to choose bishops, abbots and the Pope, the maximum
authority, meaning that if he could choose the most powerful man in Europe, he could be
even more dominant. The same thing occurred to the Pope, who was aware of the
capacity the Church had, and him being the head meant the whole control of it,
therefore, he was not about to let an Emperor be the one to choose who managed the
Church in the whole of Europe. As seen, the Investiture Controversy in Europe was a
matter of power, and of who was in control of the most powerful institution at the time,
the Church.