Chapter 8 cont

Al-Andalus

the part of the Iberian Peninsula under muslim control (modern day spain)

Anointment

an alliance between the papacy and the Frankish monarch that started with the Pippins gift to the papacy that brought a special spiritual and moral character to kingship

Boyars

high ranking nobles in Russia who were descendents of viking warriors and held their lands as free and clear private property

Capitularies

administrative and legislative orders divided into capitula, chapters or articles

Caliph

a successor, as chosen by a group of Muhammed's closest followers

Civitas

the city and surrounding territory that served as the basis of the administrative system in the Frankish Kingdoms, based on Roman models

Comites

senior official or royal companion, later called a count, who presided over the civitas

Double Monastery

a monastery that housed both men and women in two adjoining establishments and was governed by one superior, an abbess

Feudalism

a political system in which a vassal was generally given a piece of land in return for loyalty/aid/military service

Five Pillars of Islam

the five practices Muslims must fulfill according to the Shari'a including:
1. profession of faith
2. prayer
3. fasting
4. giving alms to the poor
5. pilgrimage to mecca

Frank

term that began to be associated with freedom and taxation

Infidel

a disparaging term used for a person who does not believe in a particular religion (non-believer)

Kievan Rus

a confederation of slavic territories ruled by descendents of vikings which practiced orthodox christianity

Manorialism

a system in which peasant residents of manors, or farming villages, provided work and goods for their lord in exchange for protection

Miniscule

a handwriting/scripture that had both upper and lowercase letters, helped to improve legibility of texts

Missi Dominici

agents of the lord king who served as a link between local authorities and the central government

Qur'an

Islam's sacred text

Serfs

peasants bound to the land by a relationship with a manorial lord

Treaty of Verdun

treaty signed in 843 by Louis' three sons (charlemagne's grandsons) dividing the empire into three parts and setting the pattern for political boundaries in Europe that has been maintained today

Vassals

warriors who swore loyalty and service to a noble in exchange for land, protection, and support

Muhammed

began life as a merchant in the caravan trade, had a series of visions in which the angel Gabriel instructed him to preach, these visions were recorded in the Qur'an

The Hegira

Muhammed and his followers were forced to leave Mecca and go to Medina

Allah

Muslim god

Expansion of Islam

Syria, Egypt, and all of North Africa came under Muslim control

center of the empire was established at Damascus by the ruling Umayyad family

in choosing successors to Muhammed two sects emerged: Sunnis and Shi'ites

Sunnis

traditionalists

Shiites

islamic minority

Clovis

Merovingian king who divided the kingdom into four parts however a lack of clear rules for succession meant numerous wars

Merovingian Dukes

controlled military forces in specific regions

Mayor

merovingian secular official (most important)

Charlemagne

carolingian; crude, brutal but extremely intelligent, significantly expanded territory

Government of the Carolingian Empire

not a modern state, a collection of peoples and tribes held together by personal oaths of faith and loyalty; power rested in aristocracy;

The imperial coronation of Charlemagne

In 800, Pope Leo crowned Charlemagne emperor

Louis the Pious

Charlemagne's son who came to rule the empire; his three sons took power after his death and divided the empire among themselves in the Treaty of Verdun

Carolingian Intellectual Revival

a focus on scholarship and religion developed; double monasteries were created

Beowulf

an epic poem written by a Monk

Venerable Bede

produced the earliest history of the english people

Medical Care

-prescription of drugs
-poor diet, eye infections, infected wounds were common
-many women died in childbirth
-folk medicine was available

The Vikings

or "normans"; came from scandinavia, raided throughout europe and took control, assimilated Slavic culture, adopted orthodox christianity, created a loose federation of slavic tribes under a single ruling dynasty based in Kiev