Transcript 1 Intro to Middle Ages Feudalism 2007

The Middle Ages
The Decline of the
Roman Empire & the
Rise of Feudalism
Barbarians Ruled Western Europe
 By
500 A.D. Western Roman
Empire fell to barbarian tribes:
–Visigoths controlled Spain
–Ostrogoths controlled Italy
–Franks controlled Gaul (France)
–Vandals controlled North Africa
–Angles, Saxons, Jutes battled
for Britannia
–Celts ruled Ireland & Scotland
The Middle Ages
 After
the fall of Rome, Western
Europe entered the Middle Ages from
500-1500 A.D.
Latin
barbarianAges:
 Reasons
for blended
the risewith
of Middle
languages
to make
Italian,
The
“Dark
Ages”
The
“Medieval”
era
–No Roman
emperor
to
make
rules
500 –French,
1000 Spanish, etc.
–No Roman army to protect people
–No common language to unite them
–No longer citizens of a common
empire; people now loyal to family
members (clan) or feudalism
Decline of Civilization
 Constant
warfare among the
barbarian tribes & the Romans
made it too dangerous to trade:
–With no trade, towns & cities
became useless
–People built to farming villages
to make food & find protection
–Priests became the only people
who could read & write
No Roman Government?
 Without
the Roman Government,
how are things different in
Western Europe:
–Trade? No more trade
–Food? Self-sufficient farmers
–Safety? Dangerous fighting
–Leadership?
No emperors
–Language? Different languages
–Religion?
Polytheism
Feudalism
 Feudalism
began in Europe as a
way to offer protection:
–Feudalism is a series of
agreements between lords &
knights in which lords offer land
in exchange for loyalty & military
protection from knights
–Lords built castles to protect
peasants from outside invasions
Feudal
Structure
Knights were specially trained soldiers
who protect the lords & peasants
Some peasants were serfs &
could not leave the lord’s estate
Kings had land but very little power
Lords (also called Nobles) were the
upper-class landowners; they had
inherited titles (“Duke,” “Earl,” “Sir”)
Manorial System
 The
manorial system produced
the food for people to eat:
–Lords allowed peasants to live
on their land in exchange for a
portion of the food they grew
–Peasants agreed to pay “rent”
to the nobles in exchange for
shelter & protection
 Peasant life was difficult: they
were dependent upon the lords &
got lots of diseases
I am the King!! I
have so much
land!!
I think I’ll build myself a
castle, but I have no power
so maybe I should give fiefs
to some lords
Thank you king for
this fief. As your
loyal lords we will
oversee this land
We will fight for the king
and provide him with food
from our lands, but this
territory to too large.
Let’s pick the best land to
build our homes on, then
let’s give fiefs to some
vassals!!
Thank you lords for this fief. We
promise loyalty, military service,
& a portion of our food
Let’s pick the best land to
build our homes on!!
Aren’t we going to need
protection, too?
Oh yeah, let’s give
fiefs to some
knights also!
Let’s allow serfs to do all the work &
provide us with food! We will gain their
work & loyalty
Thank you vassals for allowing us to live
on this land. We provide you loyalty,
military service, & a portion of our food
According to the code of Chivalry, I will
forever protect my lord & vassal, my God,
and my sweetie-pie at home!
The Power of the Christian Church
 Many
people in Western Europe
after the fall of the Roman Empire
were polytheistic but Christians
converted many “barbarians”
 In this time of chaos, the Christian
church emerged as a stable &
unifying force in Western Europe
The Power of the Christian Church
 Catholicism
became the dominant
religion in Western Europe:
–Without a common government
to hold everyone together, the
Church filled an
important role in
peoples’ lives
–The Catholic Pope
became the
strongest political
leader in Western Europe
The Power of the Christian Church
 Each
territory in Western Europe
had a monastery (where monks
lived) & provided order for the
feudal manors:
–Local priests were important
because the church taught that
all people are sinners & need
God’s forgiveness
–Christians paid a tithe
(percentage of their food as a
tax to the church)