The Middle ages lasted from the 5th all the way to the 15th century in Europe. The beginning of the Middle Ages is marked with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the end of the Middle Ages by the rise of the humanism idea in North Italy, known as Renaissance.
The Middle Ages is usually split into three different periods:
The First period is the end of the Roman Empire and the invasion of the Barbarians who created their own kingdom on the ruins of the Western Roman Empire. At the same time and later during the 7th Century, territories of the formerly Eastern Empire were conquered by the Islamic Empire.
The Second period is known as High Middle Ages which started around 1000 AD. It was marked with the growth of the population in Europe, and with new society form-Feudalism. Also the first ideas of the Crusades were introduced; it was an attempt of the Christians to regain the power over the Middle East and the Holy Land.
The Late Middle Ages was probably the worst period of the Middle Ages regarding the overall health situation in Europe. Indeed, the Black Death, killed a 3rd of the population in Europe. It was one of the reasons the rulers turned their back to the Catholic Church and decided to adopt the new Humanistic ideas of Renaissance. With the end of the Middle Ages came the Early Modern period.
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The period of European history during 14th to 16th century (1300-1500) is considered as the Late Middle Ages. At the end of 13th century, Europe faced a series of famines and plagues including the Great Famine during 1315 to 1317 and the Black Death. Because of these natural disasters, the population of Europe got reduced … Read more
Knighthood in the middle ages was something of a prestigious position. The knight was charged with the obligation of learning the art of war and adhering to the code of chivalry. This code demanded that the knight demonstrate bravery, loyalty, generosity, courtesy and devotion especially to his liege. It was also his primary responsibility to … Read more
During the Middle Ages, members of nobility enjoyed a leisure life and often they used to appoint or employ a professional clown whose major task was to entertain a king or noblemen of the medieval period. These jesters also referred to as a clown, or buffoon, or a fool. These jesters in the Middle Ages … Read more
Japan in the Middle Ages is also referred to as the “Classical Period” in Japan. Three main periods, the Asuka period, the Nara period, and the Heian period, made up the classical period. During this time empirical dynasties flourished and Buddhism became a central part of the culture. The classical period in Japan in the … Read more
Many people used to fear the Inquisition in the Middle Ages. They did not express remorse or offer deals to anyone that they were investigating for they felt that they were on a mission from God and were created in order to seek out those that committed Heresy in regards to the Catholic church. There … Read more
Historians often divide the whole medieval ages in three distinct periods, the Early Middle Ages, the High Middle Ages and the Late Middle Ages. The period of early middle ages is considered to begin just after the collapse of Roman Empire from 5th century to 10th century. According to historians, the period around 11th, 12th … Read more
During the Middle Ages, Franks conquered the West Germanic Tribes after the fall of Roman Empire. The Frankish Empire of Germany was divided in 843 among the heirs of Charlemagne. In 962, Otto I became the first emperor of the Holy Roman Empire which established itself as an important political force of Medieval Europe. Unification … Read more
History of France The name of France is derived from a medieval tribe called the Franks. A 15 year old boy with the name of Clovis became leader of his small Frankish tribe in 481. He began killing the other members of his family to reduce the number of competitors for the authority. He then … Read more
In the middle ages, land was known as fief. The Lord or the king in exchange of services gave fief to him, and this was known as the medieval feudalism or the feudal system. This concept involved the provision of land (fief) for military services. The fief came with labor from peasants who were supposed … Read more
In order to attain security after the fall of the Roman Empire, against Germanic barbarians, Islamic invaders, and pagan enemies, European kingdoms gradually accepted the customs of feudalism. The feudalistic set up of European Middle Ages was also strengthened by the emergence of Christian religious revolutions. Historians often describe feudalism as the military and judicial … Read more