Middle

ages
Chapter 10 section outline
1.The Holy Roman Empire
2.Age of Feudalism
3.Peasants ,Priest, and the Decline of the Feudalism
4.The Crusades
5.Other Characteristics of Medieval Civilization
Middle ages
The medieval era often called as the MIDDLE AGES
or THE DARK AGES began around 476 AD – 1453
AD .The period from the fall of Rome to the
Renaissance ,because the west was stagnated , it had
suffered the loss of the two successive empires
(Roman and Byzantine)
The Holy Roman Empire
The strongest kingdom to emerge from the fall of Rome was that
of the Franks, who lived in present days in France ,Belgium ,and
Germany.

FRANKS
The Franks rose to power in the late 15th century under the
ruthless leadership of Clovis(466-511). He was baptized ,due to
the influence of his Christian wife Clotilde.
Clovis increased the lands of the Roman Church, and crushed the
Arian Heretics, who threatened the pope .The Arian sect did not
believe in the divinity of Jesus Christ.
The Death Of Clovis
After Clovis, his successors were weak, and the chief minister
Charles Martel became the real ruler of the Franks Kingdom.
Charles Martel defeated the invading Moors in the Battle of
Tours(732 AD) .This battle was a turning point in the history
because it stops the advance of Islam
After the defeat of the Moors ,Charles Martel founded the
Carolingian Dynasty and organized a strong central
government. His son Pepin and grandson Charlamagne also
became defenders of the popes.
Charlamagne(768-814) extended the kingdom even further ,he
conquered an empire that reunited large areas of the former
Western Roman Empire ,He conquered
France ,Germany ,Italy ,England ,and Spain. Under him , the
Franks become the most successful former barbarians , and
the most loyal Christians of all tribes
Charlamagne forced all whom he conquered to be baptized
into the Roman Catholic Church. Thus ,he increased the
number of Christians
He supported the efforts of the church to organize parishes .He
established schools .He also hired Alcuin , an English monk to
supervised education for the nobles and their children .
A reluctant emperor
On December 25,800 AD at St. Peter’s Church in Rome
The Pope walked over the kneeling Charlamagne , placed a golden crown on his
head and proclaim him as ‘’Emperor of the Romans ’’. The pope named
Charlamagne an emperor because he wanted to established the idea that popes
had the power to name kings.
But in the end Charlamagne was not comfortable with his decisions After his
death ,Charlamagne’s dynasty broke up. Europe returned to chaos and split into three
separated regions, which became the kingdoms of France, Germany ,Italy In the
midst of chaos, there were calls for them to unite .In 962 AD ,Otto the Great (912-
973) The Duke of Saxony (Germany) ,started what he called ‘‘Holy Roman Empire’’
But this was really a fake empire it remained a loose confederation of small
independent kingdoms , feudal lands, and free cities. The Holy Roman ‘‘emperor’’
was only a few symbolic figurehead ,without real powers None of the emperors was
a Roman ,or an absolute ruler .The main role of the new emperor was really to
defend and protect the roman catholic pope against other troublesome competitions .
Age of Feudalism
From the death of Charlemagne until about 1000 AD ,the Viking invaders disrupted life
in Western Europe .The region broke up into 3 main kingdoms –FRANCE,
GERMANY ,ITALY .
This period was the age of feudalism and new institutions and customs developed.
Feudalism begun when local chieftains or lords had to defend their own lands.
The Feudal lords act independently ,because of the lack of strong central government .
The most prominent features of Feudalism were the:
NOBLES-people of high social ranks
KNIGHTS-are loyal to his king, lords, nobles and providing them security
SERFS -people legally tied to the land ;farm workers who are almost slave
CRUSADES-a series of wars between Christians and Muslims
Rise Of Feudalism
The socio-economic system based on land ownership by a few
wealthy people is called ‘‘feudalism’’.
The local nobles were in charge of their lands ,not the national
Kings .The nobles become more powerful than the kings
Feudalism was never a unified ,single system. It grew up first in
northern tribe during the 8th and 9th centuries until it reached the
Netherlands ,England ,Germany
Three Middle Ages features contributed to the growth of feudalism:
1. Feudal lords
-In 8th century ,Charles Martel had no money to pay for his officers .So he gave
them land to pay for his officers .Later on the officers became the feudal lords
2.The stirrup
-In 8th century the stirrup invented for horse riders(knights) .Most knights did not
have the money to buy armor and horses. Thus, they pledge their service to rich nobles
who paid them in land and provided their weapons and horses.
3. Feudal contract
-Lords took control of their lands ,which they divided among lesser lords called
‘‘vassals’’ .Under a feudal contract a lord provided his vassal with a fief(land) .The fief
also included peasants who worked the land .The lord still owned the land but the vassal
had the rights to use it and passed it on to his heirs .The noble exchange of rights and
duties between nobles was done in unwritten contracts called ‘‘feudal contract’’
 Importance of warfare
Even after the invasion of the Vikings ,life continued to be full of threats. Warfare
continued , but this time the feudal lords started to compete with one another for
power.
They fought over boundaries and inheritance. Among feudal lords warfare was a way
of life, and the nobles loved fighting.
One noble wrote ‘‘It gives me great joy to see aligned on the fields, knights and horses
in battle array’’ But to the peasants, warfare was a disaster. An attacking army of
knights could destroy their crops.
The church could declare a truce of god, to ban fighting for a while, but the nobles and
knights loved a good fight.
Feudal lords built strong stone castles for protection and serves as a evacuation when
attacked. Medieval castles were unpleasant to live in ,they were so dark and had no
windows .Only in the late middle ages did homes of nobles become luxurious.
Chivalry: A Code of Conduct but Not for the Poor
- Feudal nobles developed a code of conduct called
chivalry. The code of chivalry mattered because it
combined Christian values and the virtues of being a
warrior. A knight was expected to be brave, loyal,
generous and courteous. He was supposed to respect
and protect noblewomen and to defend his family’s
honor. Chivalry also dedicated the rules of fighting.
 Feudal Life and Amusements
-Feudal life was really dull, dirty, cold and short. A noble, knight or
peasant’s life span was short perhaps no more than 30 and 35 years of
age. Hence, a woman’s first duty was to raise a large family, whether she
was a noblewoman or a commoner. A big family ensured continuity of
the family line, especially if she gave birth to boys.
- Medieval homes had no toilet, running water or heater. Medieval folks
had a phobia for taking baths, because it could make them sick. Pigafetta,
in his diary of Magellan’s time in the Philippines, was amazed to find the
Filipinos enjoying frequent baths. Poor hygiene, too much drinking and
fighting killed off medieval people young.
-Favorite events were feasting, fighting and hunting.
-The feudal lords and knights loved dueling or friendly tournaments.
PEASANTS, PRIESTS AND THE
DECLINE OF FEUDALISM
Peasants Serfs – The other people living in the manor
were the servants, skilled freemen (artisans, entertainers,
etc.), and peasant serfs farmers. They lived under the lord’s
authority and depended on him for their living.
The poor had no hope of escaping poverty. Today “feudal” is
the name used for the worst type of economy, when poor
people do not own the lands they work.
Improvements of Agriculture- In the early Middle Ages,
farming methods were as primitive as in the time of the
Mesopotamians. They were still using the same ancient wooden
wheel and plow. However, people gradually invented new methods
and technology, which made medieval farming more efficient.

In the 8th and 10th centuries, these improvement in agriculture

became widespread. One important advance was three-field system of
crop and rotation. On the manor, there were several large fields. In the
fall, peasants planted one field with winter crops (wheat or rye). In the
spring, they planted a second field with summer crops (oats, peas,
beans and barley).
New inventions also grew more foods. These inventions included
the iron plow (suitable for thick wet soil of northern European), the
horseshoe, harness and use of the horse (instead of oxen), the
watermill and windmill. In northern Europe, miners produced great
quantities of iron for farming tools, as well as weapon and plows.
The windmills and watermills provided new sources of energy for
grinding grain.

The improvements in agriculture led to food surpluses, which

supported a growing population. As the population in northern
Europe increased, the center of Western civilization shifted from
southern Europe (Italy) to northern Europe (France, England,
Germany).
Importance of the Church in Feudal Society- The Roman
Church was an essential part of feudal society. During much of the
Middle Ages, kings and the feudal lords depended on the educated
clergy to become officials in their courts.
Under the Roman Empire, Christianity started in the cities. For most
Christians, the parish priest was their only contact with religion and
help. The Church influenced every aspect of feudal life.
In the early Middle Ages, the church faced two problems: (1)
converting non- Christians and (2) adapting church organization to
new circumstances. Missionaries preached the gospel in northern
and eastern Europe. As you read, the barbarian tribes were
converted one by one to Christianity because of the influence of
women and missionaries.
-Under the Roman Empire, Christianity started in the cities.
-In the Middle Ages, bishops and archbishops were nobles. Parish priests
were commoners. The pope in Rome continued as the spiritual leader of the
Western Church.
-For most Christians, the parish priest was their only contact with religion
and help.
-The Church influenced every aspects of feudal life. Church officials gave
blessings at ceremonies for knighthood, baptisms, weddings or deaths.
-Knights wages war in the name of Christian ideas. They usually carried
religious relics or signs, following the example of Constantine. Feuds and
wars only stopped when the Church declared the truth the truce of God, or
a period of peace. Paris priests, monks and church officials helped to make
Christian values an important part of everyday life in medieval Europe.
Evil Effects of Feudalism
1. It created aristocracy or upper class that was selfish,
greedy, and snobbish.
2. It delayed the formation of national states because
the strong feudal lords had no national consciousness or
love of nation.
3. It perpetuated the worst kind of economy, without
opportunities for the poor.
4. The Church grew into absolute power, due to its union
with feudal authorities.
Decline of Feudalism- European feudalism ended
with Middle Ages. The causes of disappearance were
the following.
1. the Crusades;
2. the growth of towns and cities;
3. the rise of kings and a more centralized economy;
4. the introduction of new weapons of warfare; and
5. the Renaissance and Reformation which changed
the cultural and religious attitudes of people.
These innovations forced nobles to unite under the
power of a stronger leader, like the king. The
economic growth of towns and cities changed the
basis of wealth from land to money. The Crusades
and the introduction of firearms and other weapons
changed warfare to long distance fighting, with bigger
armies and weapons. The Renaissance and
Reformation completely changed the attitudes of
people, as we shall see in the next chapter.
 THE CRUSADES
The Crusades- The capture of the city of Jerusalem by the Seljuk Moors in 1055 was the
immediate spark that ignited the First Crusades. The Moors destroyed sites holy to
Christendom, massacred Christians, and closed the Holy Land to pilgrims and trade. The
Moorish atrocities angered Christian in Byzantine and Europe. They united in a common cause
to regain the Holy Land.
A crusade was a holy war declared by the people who commanded kings and nobles into a
military. A Christian warrior’s emblem was a red cross on his armor and on his shield. The
crusaders joined the crusade because the popes granted them plenary indulgence (total
pardon) for their sins and the promise of immediate entry into heaven if they died (thus,
avoiding purgatory). They looked forward to the other rewards of victors in battle.
The Moors also regarded the wars as their jihad (holy war) against the enemies of Islam.
The popes declared many Crusades. At least nine were regular crusades against the Moors in
the Holy Land.
 Important Events of the Crusades
There were several important events during the Crusades, which greatly
influenced world civilization.
- Pope Urban II called for the First Crusades to the Holy Land (1066-1099). The battle cry of the
crusaders (and, incidentally of their enemies, the Moors) was, “It is the will of God!” The First
Crusade was the only successful crusade. The Christians briefly recaptured Jerusalem and
founded small crusaders kingdoms in Palestine. But the knights started quarrelling, and waged
war against each other. Eventually, they lost Jerusalem and all that they had gained.

- Two famous organizations originated from crusades. The St. John’s Knights became the
ambulance brigade in modern England, which still operates ambulances and gives first aid.
Secondly, the Knights Templar became the Masonic Society, a worldwide brotherhood to which
famous Filipinos revolutionaries like Rizal, Aguinaldo and Bonifacio belonged in the 19 th
century.
 The Third Crusades (1189-92) was known as the “Crusade of Kings”, because it included Richard the
Lionhearted of England, Philip Augustus of France, and Frederick Barbarossa of Germany. The Syrian
folk hero, Saladin, defeated all three kings and leaped into his place in world history.

The Fourth Crusade (1104) was rerouted to Constantinople, where the Roman Catholic knights
burned and looted the city, and massacred the unprepared Byzantine Orthodox Knights. The bloody
battle between brothers in the faith shocked Christendom. The pope excommunicated the Catholic
knights, but that was not enough for the Byzantines.

In the Children’s Crusade (1212), about 30,000 boys and girls, age nine to twelve, left home and
marched to the Holy Land on foot, thinking they would be protected by their religious sign and relics.
Most children were killed or taken into slavery. The tragedy shocked the world.

In Europe, Catholic Spain won the crusade against the Moors in Andalucia (719-1492). Out of these
wars came the story of Rodrigo Vivar (El Cid), the greatest Spanish knight, and the joint monarchy of
Ferdinand and Isabella, the first kings of Spain.
 In the 16th century, Legazpi and his troops were filled with crusades fever
after learning that there were Moorish (Moro) raiding parties and
flourishing kingdoms in the Philippines. Had it not been for their crusading
zeal, the Philippines might have become mostly Muslims, Like the nearby
countries. Hence, the Spanish-Moro wars in the Philippines were the real
“last crusades.”

The Battle of Lepanto

In Europe, the Battle of Lepanto (1571) was the last crusade. The Ottoman
Turks attempted to invade Europe after the fall of Constantinople and their
control of the Mediterranean. Spain being the defender of Christianity was
asked by the pope to stop the Moorish naval invasion, just as Charles Martel
had stopped their land invasion before.
Philips II hastily organized coalition navy made of Spanish, Austrian and
Italian ships, and placed it under the command of his stepbrother Don
Juan of Austrian. The Battle of Lepanto, fought off the Greek coast,
pitted the heavily outnumbered Christian fleet, against those of the
Muslim Turks. The savage nature of the fighting involved fierce hand-
to-hand fighting. The Christian fleet decisively defeated the Turkish
navy and stopped their naval invasion of Europe. However, the Turks
soon rebuilt their navy, and closed the Mediterranean to Christian
voyages anyway.

The Battle of Lepanto stopped the Muslim invasion of Europe by sea

but closed the Mediterranean to the Christians.
Results of the Crusades
Historians regards the crusades as an overall miserable failure for the Christian
popes and nobles, who started them. The successive failures of the crusades
killed the enthusiasm of European popes and nobles to fight anymore. Relations
worsened between the two main Christian empires, due to the crusaders who
invaded Byzantine in 1144.
The word “crusade” today means a harmless prayer meeting to a Christian; but,
to a Muslims, it is a declaration of war.
However, the Crusaders had unintended beneficial effects. Europeans came in
direct contact with advanced civilization of the East, and they developed a
knowledge and liking for innovations of the East. The Crusades created a demand
for the exotic goods from the more developed world of Asia (spices, medicine,
fruit, cloths, weapons, etc.).
Finally, the Crusades quite literally killed of
feudalism, due to the deaths of many feudal lords
and knights in the Crusades.
This created a new politician economy that led to
the Age of Kings, the beginning of mercantilism,
and new opportunities for people. Towns and cities,
the free merchants, and the monarchy, were the
real winners of the crusades, apart, of course, from
the Moors.