Medieval World: 500 AD-1500 AD

Medieval World: 500 AD-1500 AD

Medieval Europe

The Byzantine Empire

• The Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantine Empire was a vast empire, and its capital, Constantinople, was the largest city of that time.

• The Byzantines built beautiful churches. The most famous of these is the Church of St. Sophia in Constantinople. This church was built during the reign of the Byzantine emperor Justinian in the 6th century AD.

• The Ottoman Turks conquered the Byzantine territories in 1453.

Feudalism

• The word 'feudal' comes from the word feud, which originally meant a fief or land held on condition of service. In a feudal society, land was the source of power.

• Feudalism originated in the 8th & 9th centuries.

• First of all, the feudal system developed in Western Europe.

• The main division in feudal society was between 'feudal lords', who either got a share of the peasants' produce or had peasants to work on their lands without payment, and 'peasants’, who worked on the land.

Feudal Hierarchy

1. Feudal Lords:

• (a) Kings

• (b) Dukes & Earls

• (c) Barons

• (d) Knights

2. Peasants:

• Three categories: freeholders, serfs, & slaves

In the feudal hierarchy, the king stood at the top and the peasant at the bottom.

The economic life under the feudal system was predominantly rural. The unit of land, which was like a village-farm, was called 'manor'.

Crusades (1095 AD - 1291 AD)

• Crusades mean military expeditions, under the banner of the Cross, organised in Western Christendom to recover the Holy Places of Palestine from Muslim occupation.

• Four Crusades were fought by European Christians to liberate Jerusalem from the Seljuq Turks (Muslims).

Major Crusades

• The 1st Crusade (1095–99) was launched after the provocative preaching of Pope Urban II.

• The greatest leader of the church was called 'the Pope'. 'Pope' means 'The Father'.

• Jerusalem was captured, and the Crusader states — the Kingdom of Jerusalem, Edessa, Antioch, and Tripoli — were created.

• The fall of Edessa (1144) inspired the unsuccessful 2nd Crusade (1147–48).

• The capture of Jerusalem by Saladin in 1187 led to the inconclusive 3rd Crusade (1189–92), led by Philip II Augustus (France), Frederick I Barbarossa (Germany), and Richard I (the 'Lion Heart') (England).

• The 4th Crusade (1202–91) was diverted to Egypt and ended up sacking Constantinople (1204).

• The Crusade failed to recover the lost ground, and Acre, the last Western foothold in Palestine, was lost in 1291.

Arab Civilization

Origins of Islam

• In the 7th century, a new religion, Islam, arose in Arabia, leading to a big empire.

• Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam, was born in Mecca in 570 AD.

• At the age of 40, he had visions of truth and became a prophet.

• Muhammad was convinced that Allah was the only God.

• He forbade idol worship, faced opposition, and eventually migrated to Medina in 622 AD — known as the Hijra (start of the Hijra Era or Hijri calendar).

Islamic Teachings

• The Quran, the holy book of Islam, contains the word of Allah revealed to the Prophet Muhammad through Archangel Gibril (Gabriel.

• The Quran is divided into 114 suras (chapters) and ayat (verses).

• Alongside the Quran, Muslims follow the Sunnah (practices) and Hadees (sayings of Muhammad).

Spread of Islam

• Muhammad was both a religious and political leader.

• After he died in 632 AD, his successors were called Caliphs (Khalifas).

• Before his death, nearly all of Arabia had become a unified Islamic state.

• Within 100 years, the Khalifas conquered Iran, Syria, Egypt, Central Asia, North Africa, and Spain — forming the largest empire seen till then.

Islamic Dynasties

• The first three Khalifas ruled from Medina, then the capital shifted to Kufah.

• By 660 AD, the Omayyad Dynasty ruled from Damascus.

• Around 750 AD, the Abbasids overthrew them and made Baghdad their capital.

• Harun al-Rashid, an Abbasid ruler, is famous in many legends.

• The Abbasids ruled for 300 years before the Seljuq Turks took over.

• In the 15th century, Ottoman Turks took over Constantinople, ending the Eastern Roman Empire.

Contributions of the Arab Civilization

• Their vast empire combined Greek, Iranian, and Indian knowledge, which they developed further.

• Al-Razi (Rhazes) discovered the nature of smallpox, and Ibn Sina (Avicenna) proved tuberculosis is infectious.

• In Mathematics, Arabs adopted Indian numerals (Hindsah) — known in the West as Arabic numerals.

• Famous works: 'Rubaiyat' by Omar Khayyam, 'Shahnama' by Firdausi, and 'Arabian Nights' (1001 stories).

• Architectural elements: bulb-like domes, minarets, horseshoe arches, twisted columns.

• Developed Calligraphy and book illumination.

• Renowned for carpets, leather work, swords, silks, metalwork, and glassware.

Medieval China

Dynasties of Medieval China

• Tang Dynasty (618–906 AD) ruled first.

• Followed by the Sung Dynasty for 300 years.

• Then came the Mongol rule for 100 years.

• The Ming Dynasty ruled for another 300 years.

• In 1644, the Manchus conquered China and ruled until 1911 AD.

Contributions of Medieval China

• Sung rulers started using paper money to prevent wealth drain.

• Gunpowder was invented in the 10th century, 400 years before the West.

• Built iron-chain suspension bridges in the 10th century.

• Devised the first method of printing — revolutionary for knowledge sharing.

Medieval Japan

Geography and Governance

• Japan is made up of hundreds of islands, four major ones: Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu, and Shikoku.

• Unified as a single state by the 7th century AD.

• Edo (Kyoto) became the capital in the 8th century, and remained for over 1000 years.

• Real power was in the hands of aristocratic families.

• By the end of the 12th century, the Shogun system began.

• The Shogun (General) became the ruler, while the emperor stayed in Kyoto.

• Until 1867, the Shoguns ruled Japan.

• Tokugawa Ieyasu founded the last Shogun dynasty.

• In 1867, the last Shogun was overthrown, and power was restored to the emperor. Japan began industrialization.

Cultural Contributions

• Samurai warriors were similar to European knights.

• Haiku, a unique poetry form, has 17 syllables.

• Ikebana, the art of flower arrangement, became globally imitated.

Religious Developments

• Buddhism reached Japan in the 6th century via China & Korea.

• At times, it eclipsed Shintoism.

• Zen Buddhism, a Japanese school of thought, comes from the word ‘Dhyana’.

Seven Wonders of the Medieval World

Final Thoughts

The medieval period was a time of immense cultural, political, and technological transformation across the world. From the rise of powerful empires like the Byzantine and Arab civilizations to the development of feudal societies in Europe and Japan, this era shaped the foundation of the modern world.

Religion played a central role in both uniting and dividing people, as seen in the Crusades and the spread of Islam and Buddhism. Incredible contributions in science, architecture, literature, and governance emerged from both East and West.

Despite wars and conquests, this period also saw the blending of cultures and ideas. Understanding medieval history helps us appreciate the diverse roots of our global heritage today.