Political and Social Developments in Europe and Africa (1200-1450)

Feudalism

A system of mutual obligations established in Europe.

Roman Catholic Church

A dominant and unifying institution in Western Europe after the decline of the Roman Empire.

Holy Roman Empire

Established in 962 with the coronation of Otto I.

Lay Investiture Controversy

A dispute over the appointment of bishops occurring in the 11th and 12th centuries.

Norman Conquest of England

Occurred in 1066 under William the Conqueror, leading to a tightly organized feudal system in England.

Great Schism of 1054

Divided the Christian Church into the Roman Catholic Church (West) and the Orthodox Church (East).

Magna Carta

Signed in 1215, limiting royal power and establishing certain rights.

Mongol Empire

Expanded into Eastern Europe, impacting the development of Kievan Rus.

Renaissance

Begins in Southern Europe in the late 13th Century, with a renewed interest in humanism and classical learning.

Little Ice Age

May be a factor during the 14th Century.

Ivan the Great

Led the region around Moscow to become independent of the Mongols in the late 15th Century.

Great Zimbabwe

Abandoned by the end of the 1400s due to overgrazing.

Kin-based networks

The primary form of political organization in Sub-Saharan Africa before 1000.

Kingdom of Ghana

Founded around the 5th century, peaking in influence from the 8th to the 11th centuries.

Hausa Kingdoms

Formed seven independent city-states in what is now Nigeria before 1000.

Swahili Civilization

Emerges on the East Coast of Africa around the 8th century, thriving on Indian Ocean trade.

Great Zimbabwe

A massive stone wall built around the capital city in the late 13th Century.

Mansa Musa

Ruler of Mali who made a famous pilgrimage to Mecca, showcasing Mali's wealth and influence.

Ibn Battuta

Traveled through Mali, documenting its society and the presence of Islam alongside traditional customs.

Kano

Became the most successful city-state among the Hausa Kingdoms, a major center for trans-Saharan trade.

Ethiopia

Made diplomatic contact with European kingdoms in the late 15th Century.

Delhi Sultanate

Blended Islamic and Hindu traditions during the period of c. 1200 - c. 1450.

King

The highest social layer in feudal European society, granting land to lords in exchange for service and tribute.

Lord

A noble who received land (a fief) from the king and in return provided service and tribute, including military support.

Knight

A warrior who received land from a lord in exchange for military service and protection. They were vassals to the lords.

Serf

Peasant laborers tied to the land they worked for a lord. While not slaves, they had limited freedom and were obligated to provide produce and service to the lord.

Otto I

Crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 962, his reign marked a significant period for the Empire.

Charlemagne

An earlier Frankish king who was also designated Emperor of the Romans, serving as a historical precedent for Otto I.

William the Conqueror

Led the Norman invasion of England in 1066 and established a tightly organized feudal system.

King John

Forced by English nobles to sign the Magna Carta in 1215, limiting his power.

Pope

The supreme bishop of the Roman Catholic Church, wielding significant religious and political influence in Western Europe.

Bishops

Regional religious leaders in the Roman Catholic Church, who owed allegiance to the Pope and supervised local priests.

Priests

Local religious officials in the Roman Catholic Church, serving communities within manors.

Justinian I

A famous Byzantine emperor in the 6th century known for his legal reforms, the Code of Justinian.

Dante Alighieri

A writer of the Southern Renaissance (1265-1321) known for 'The Divine Comedy,' which used a religious framework but showed independence from the Church.

Medicis

A wealthy family in Florence who were significant patrons of the arts during the Renaissance.

Ivan the Great

Led the effort to make the region independent of the Mongols in the late 15th century, marking the beginning of modern Russia.

Chief

Male leader of a kin-based network in Sub-Saharan Africa, responsible for mediating conflicts and making decisions.

Ibn Battuta

A 14th-century Moroccan scholar well-versed in Islamic law who traveled extensively across Asia, Africa, and Southern Europe, documenting his observations, including those of Mali society.

Sundiata

Believed by most scholars to be the founding ruler of the Mali Empire in the 13th century, a Muslim who used his faith to establish trade relationships.

Mansa Musa

Nephew of Sundiata, a famous ruler of Mali in the 14th century whose pilgrimage to Mecca was renowned for its lavish display of gold.

Rulers of Ghana

Kings who governed the kingdom of Ghana from its capital, Koumbi Saleh, aided by nobles and an army, controlling the gold and salt trade.

Rulers of the Hausa Kingdoms

Kings who ruled the independent city-states of the Hausa Kingdoms, which thrived on trans-Saharan trade.

Rulers of Zimbabwe

Chiefs and kings who governed the kingdom of Zimbabwe, which prospered through agriculture, grazing, trade, and gold, building impressive stone structures.

Griots and Griottes

Oral historians, storytellers, musicians, and counselors in Sub-Saharan African societies who preserved and transmitted history and cultural knowledge.

Emperor Abyssinia

The ruler of Ethiopia in the 15th century who received assistance from Portugal against the Adas Sultanate.

Sunni Ali

An important figure in the later Songhai Empire (after the timeframe), who seized Timbuktu and Djenné.

Genghis Khan

Founder of the Mongol Empire, which became the largest land-based empire in history and impacted various regions, including Eastern Europe.

Confucian Scholars

Individuals who adhered to Confucianism and formed the bureaucracy of the Song Dynasty in China.

Feudalism

The primary organizing principle in Europe during this period, characterized by a system of mutual obligations that exists between classes.

King

Granted land to Lords in exchange for service and tribute.

Lords

Contracted Knights for protection and military service, and granted land to peasants (serfs).

Knights

Provided military service to Lords.

Peasants (Serfs)

Worked the land of the Lords, providing produce in exchange for protection.

Serfdom

While not slaves, serfs were certainly not free; their lives were tied to the land, and they required the Lord's permission for significant life events like marriage and travel.

Decentralized Power

Feudalism led to a decentralized political landscape where kings had limited direct control, relying on the loyalty and service of powerful lords.

Manorial System

The economic aspect of feudalism revolved around self-sufficient manors where wealth was measured in land.

Code of Chivalry

An unwritten set of rules emphasizing honor, courtesy, and bravery aimed to resolve disputes, particularly among the nobility.

Evolution of Monarchies

Despite feudalism, monarchies in regions like Norman England began to consolidate power.

William the Conqueror

Established a tightly organized feudal system.

Magna Carta

The 1215 document marked an early step in limiting royal power, requiring the king to respect certain rights.

Holy Roman Empire

This empire, beginning with Otto I in 962, represented an attempt to revive imperial authority but faced power struggles with the Papacy.

Concordat of Worms

The 1122 agreement resolved the lay investiture controversy in favor of Church autonomy.

Roman Catholic Church

The most powerful institution in a fragmented Europe, remaining powerful from Roman times to the 16th century.

Centralized Hierarchy

The Church possessed a hierarchical structure with the Pope in Rome at the apex, followed by bishops and local priests.

Intellectual and Cultural Influence

Church officials were often the only literate individuals, playing a crucial role in writing and reading.

Monasticism

Monasteries served not only as religious centers but also as economic units involved in agriculture and providing protection.

Women in Monasticism

Women could become nuns and exert influence within monasteries.

The Great Schism (1054)

The division of the Christian Church into the Roman Catholic Church (West) and the Orthodox Church (East) had lasting religious and cultural consequences.

Jews in Medieval Europe

The Jewish population grew, with many becoming involved in moneylending due to Church restrictions on Christians charging interest. This contributed to economic growth but also fueled antisemitism.

The Crusades

Authorized by the Catholic Church (e.g., Pope Urban II), these wars aimed to reclaim the Holy Land and offered participants 'indulgence,' a release from penalties for sins.

Diversity of Political Structures

Africa exhibited a wide range of political organization, from kin-based networks to large kingdoms and empires.

Kin-Based Networks

Political organization in Sub-Saharan Africa where families governed themselves, often led by a chief.

Rise of Kingdoms and Empires

As populations grew, larger kingdoms gained prominence after 1000 CE. Examples include Ghana, Mali, Zimbabwe, and Ethiopia.

Influence of Trade

Trade played a crucial role in the development and wealth of African states.

Trans-Saharan Trade

Connected West Africa with North Africa, facilitating the exchange of gold, salt, and the spread of Islam.

Indian Ocean Trade

Linked East Africa with the Middle East, South Asia, and East Asia, with coastal city-states and kingdoms like Zimbabwe prospering through this trade.

Impact of Islam

Islam spread across North and West Africa through trade and missionary efforts, influencing political organization, law, and culture.

Ghana

An early West African kingdom that controlled gold and salt trade, reaching its peak from the 8th to 11th centuries.

Mali

Rose after Ghana's decline, becoming a powerful empire known for its gold trade and rulers like Sundiata and Mansa Musa.

Hausa Kingdoms

A collection of loosely connected city-states in present-day Nigeria that thrived on trans-Saharan trade.

Zimbabwe

An East African kingdom that prospered through agriculture, grazing, trade (especially gold with Indian Ocean networks), and was known for its impressive stone architecture.

Ethiopia (Axum)

A unique, isolated Christian kingdom in East Africa that maintained its faith amidst surrounding Islamic and Jewish communities.

Ethiopia

A location that possibly could be the location of the Lost Ark, the Ark of the Covenant.

Swahili Civilization

A collection of independent city-states on East Africa's coast that rose due to their strategic location in the Indian Ocean trade.

Cultural Traditions

Oral tradition was vital, with 'Griots,' or storytellers, preserving history, family lineages, and the deeds of leaders.

Trend Towards Larger States

Globally, there was a general trend of larger states growing while smaller ones declined between c. 1200 and c. 1450.

Role of Religion

Religion played a significant role in state-building in many parts of the world, providing legitimacy to rulers and uniting populations.

Importance of Trade

Trade networks were crucial for the economic and political development of states across continents, facilitating the exchange of goods, wealth, and ideas.

Decentralization vs. Centralization

While many regions saw the rise of more centralized states, Europe remained largely decentralized under feudalism.

Feudalism

A decentralized system of mutual obligations based on land ownership and service, with a hierarchy from king to serfs.

Griots

Storytellers who preserved a people's history and passed that history on from generation to generation.

Islam in West Africa

A dominant belief system that was voluntarily adopted by the elite.

Hausa Kingdoms

Decentralized political systems in inland Africa initially lacking central authority.

Great Zimbabwe

A civilization that built its wealth on agriculture, cattle, and control of gold trade.

Trans-Saharan Trade

A trade network that contributed to the power of kingdoms like Ghana and Mali through control of gold and salt.

Indian Ocean Trade

A trade network that facilitated the emergence of the Swahili civilization as a collection of independent city-states.

Christianity in Europe

A significant religion that played a vital part in state-building during this period.

Confucianism in China

A belief system that provided legitimacy to rulers and united populations in China.

Decentralized Political Systems

Political systems that lack a central authority, exemplified by the independent city-states of the Niger River Valley.