Untitled Flashcards Set

Islam and Its Expansion

• Muhammad: A merchant-turned-prophet who received revelations recorded in the Qur’an.

• The Hegira: Muhammad and his followers fled Mecca for Medina.

• Five Pillars of Islam: Core Muslim practices: faith, prayer, fasting, charity, and pilgrimage.

• Qur’an: Islam’s sacred text.

• Allah: The Muslim god.

• Expansion of Islam: Conquered Syria, Egypt, and North Africa. The Umayyads established the capital in Damascus.

• Sunnis vs. Shi’ites: Sunnis are traditionalists, while Shi’ites are a minority group.

• Al-Andalus: Muslim-controlled Spain.

The Frankish Kingdom and Feudal Europe

• Clovis: First Merovingian king; divided his kingdom, leading to wars.

• Merovingian Dukes: Regional military leaders.

• Mayor: Most important secular official in the Merovingian kingdom.

• Anointment: Alliance between the papacy and Frankish monarchs, starting with Pippin’s gift to the Pope.

• Charlemagne: A Carolingian ruler who expanded territory and promoted learning. Crowned emperor in 800 by Pope Leo III.

• Louis the Pious: Charlemagne’s son; his three sons split the empire via the Treaty of Verdun (843), shaping European boundaries.

Carolingian Society

• Carolingian Government: A system held together by personal loyalty and aristocratic power.

• Missi Dominici: Officials who connected local rulers with the central government.

• Carolingian Intellectual Revival: A focus on scholarship, religion, and the creation of double monasteries (housing men and women under an abbess).

• Miniscule: A new writing style with upper and lowercase letters for better readability.

Medieval Society and Feudalism

• Civitas: City and surrounding area as an administrative unit.

• Comites: Officials overseeing the civitas (later called counts).

• Capitularies: Administrative and legal orders.

• Feudalism: A system where vassals (warriors) received land from nobles in exchange for loyalty.

• Manorialism: Peasants (often serfs) worked for lords in exchange for protection.

The Kievan Rus and the Vikings

• Kievan Rus: A confederation of Slavic territories ruled by Viking descendants, adopting Orthodox Christianity.

• Boyars: High-ranking Russian nobles descended from Viking warriors.

• Vikings (Normans): Scandinavian raiders who settled in Europe, influenced Slavic culture, and ruled from Kiev.

Religion and Learning in the Middle Ages

• Beowulf: An epic poem written by a monk.

• Venerable Bede: Wrote an early history of the English people.

Medical Care

• Relied on folk medicine, but many suffered from poor diets, infections, and complications in childbirth.