Middle Ages

Feudalism

A form of government by which political authority was exercised by the land nobility. The kings give land to lords/knights to reward service and loyalty. These knights/lords rule small land for the king in exchange for military support.

Why does feudalism develop?

Instability in the Middle Ages where the kings were very weak and knights/lords have equal to or more power than these kings. The kings need financial, land, and military support of the nobles in order to remain king; the nobles needed the kings to grant them titles to land.

Most important symbol of wealth in Middle Ages

Land.

What is the purpose of land?

1. To farm it and attain food: crops and meat from hunting

2. To build on it and create villages for workers

Feudal hierarchy system

1. God

2. King

3. Pope

4. Nobles/Knights

5. Peasants/Serfs

Knights

Heavy cavalry; preferred military units in feudal Europe

Peasants

Not slaves, but are required to work the land and remain tied to the land even if the lord of the land changes.

Manorialism

Agricultural organization of Europe’s landed estates, called manors, which became the major economic and social institution. The primary economic system of the Middle Ages.

Who was the wealthiest and largest land owner in Middle ages?

The Catholic Church.

Explain the difference between feudalism and manorialism? *

Feudalism is a government system, based on nobles and land ownership. Manorialism is the economic system, based on land ownership.

Vassal

A person who receives land. It was possible to be both a lord and a vassal.

investiture

A formalized ceremony where a vassal gave a pledge of loyalty and an act of homage. The vassal was given land to govern, but not own. A piece of sod was given during the ceremony.

Fief

A piece of land granted by a king or lord in return for service.

Lord

The person who gives the land

Obligations of the feudal contract:

1. the lord was obligated to protect his vassals.

2. Vassals are obligated to protect the lord and his family and give advice.

Law of Primogeniture

The feudal contract that is passed on to the oldest son.

What was the chief function of the manor?

To produce food.

2 types of peasants that lived on the manor

1. Freemen: minority groups under complete control of the lord but with limited rights.

2. Serfs: majority groups who were bound to the land and could not be evicted.

3 field system

An agricultural method that divides land into three sections and crops were rotated. Rotations protected the soil.

Women in the Middle Ages

They are considered a source of evil, bringing sin into the world (the first being Eve). Women were submissive toward men, so domestic violence occurred. All were under the control of some man.

The responsibilities of Peasant women

They cared for children, prepared food, and tended livestock. During the busiest harvest time, women joined their husbands in the field. They also participated in vital cottage industries, like brewing, baking, and textile production.

The responsibilities of Noble women

They would run the house when their husbands were away at court or war. Some became literate and taught their children to read. They could inherit and own land. They could become drunk and violent toward their servants.

Castles

1. Built for defense

2. Not at castles were built the same

Trade in Western Europe had declined due to:

1. Muslim control of the Western Mediterranean, including the coasts of North Africa and Spain.

2. Viking Raids along the coast.

The results of the Crusades

They increase the connections between cultures. In Europe, this results in: increased demand for trade for luxury goods with the Middle East, changes in customs, changes in fashion, and new trends in education.

Monasteries were refuge for:

1. Unmarried daughters

2. Widows

3. Youngest son without an inheritance

Why did the wealthy give large amounts of money to the church?

1. To safeguard their souls

2. To safeguard their relatives souls

Lay investiture

Clergy are rewarded for their cooperation with kings; in exchange, kings appoint bishops/ church officials (rather than bishops being chosen by other clergy).

What was the problem created by lay investiture?

in many cases the monastery had 2 leaders: the noble’s choice and the church’s choice

Why did church officials cooperate with the noblemen?

1. They did not wish to anger the nobles or lords who protected them

2. Many had little religious feeling

The Cluny Reforms

Duke William of Aquitaine founded a monastery at Cluny. The purpose was to provide general monastic reforms. The two main outcomes of these reforms were:

1. Monks spending more time on church work

2. Having only 1 Abbott as the head of the monastery.

The 5 Holy Roman Emperors (matching)

1. Otto the Great

2. Otto III

3. Henry III

4. Henry IV

5. Henry V

Otto the Great

• As a conqueror of Italy, he fused the German and Italian territories together as the Holy Roman Empire and was crowned by the Pope (first holy roman emperor).

• He raised a great military and defeated invading Magyars at the Battle of Lechfeld.

Otto III

• Spread German influence and Christianity to Poland, Bohemia, and Hungary, by making local leader’s vassals under the dominion of himself and future German kings.

Henry III

• He was a supporter of the Cluny reforms, he welcomed representatives of the reforms movement and aided them in their efforts.

• Problem=The Cluny reforms called for separation of church and state. The governing policy of his was to treat German church officials as government officials and to expect their loyalty.

• Laid groundwork for serious future conflict between church and state.

Henry IV

• Came into conflict with Pope Gregory VII due to his use of lay investiture and appointing officials that will be loyal to him (He is excommunicated and interdicted).

• “Penance of Canossa”: he stood outside the Pope’s palace for 3 days in the snow and elects a new Pope.

• This split signals the beginnings of civil wars/conflicts that undermine the power of the German monarchy.

Henry V

• Concordat of Worms, in which he tries to solve the problem of lay investiture. Tries to separate church and state.

Concordat of Worms

An agreement that resolved the investiture controversy by allowing the church clergy to appoint bishops, but in the physical view of the emperor. Bishops receive symbolic possessions of their office from Church officials; Bishops receive land from the emperor.

William the Conqueror

• Conquered England and brought new institutional developments. Imports French feudalism to England.

• Created the Doomesday Book to record resources

Domesday Book

William orders a census of each county to determine how he could tax his subjects. The census recorded the holdings and possessions of each person. William died before completion, but was completed by his son. The project indicates a shift towards more direct control over subjects.

Henry I

• Created the positions of exchequer, an office that kept track of every piece of revenue in the royal coffers.

Henry II

• Considered one of England’s greatest kings for his contribution to Judicial Reforms:

1. Extended authority of royal courts

2. Common law created

3. Use of 12 men juries.

Thomas Becket Scandal

King Henry II appoints his friend Thomas Becket as Archbishop of Canterbury so the king could control the Church. Once in office, Becket supported the Church authority. Henry II’s supporters murder Becket, causing Henry II great embarrassment, a formal public apology, and ending any change Henry had of influencing Church affairs.

King John

The worst king of England and was defeated in 3 major conflicts:

1. War with France: lost most land in France against King Philip.

2. Conflict with the Pope:

A. Disputed election of new Archbishop of Canterbury

B. Pope authorized Philip to invade and kill John

C. John gives in and recognizes England and Ireland as fiefs to the Pope.

3. Magna Carta: John was forced to sign by the English Barons. It created 3 aspects of English law:

1.Taxation by consent. 2.Fair trial. 3.Representative gov’t.

Magna Carta

The purpose was to limit the power of the King, especially the ability to tax. Many rights in today’s government originated from this. King John had no intention of honoring this and had it declared void by the Pope.

Edward I

• Known for beginning the Parliament, an attempt to gain public favor for his tax requests.

• The original parliament served as a body to approve or disapprove royal requests for taxes.