0002 Medieval and Early Modern Times (SMR 1.2) Flashcards
What time period are we talking about when we talk about the world of late antiquity?
Period roughly between 200-700 CE which sees the collapse of the old “empires”: Rome, Han and Gupta
How did authority shift in the world of late antiquity?
approach of a new, less “centralized world”. Empires each had a centralized bureaucratic administration and now there are more localized methods of authority
How did economics change in the world of late antiquity?
Economic change and diversification, central structure allowed for great infrastructure economically and socially but with the end of empires, they all fall
How do world religions impact the world of late antiquity?
Prominence of “World Religions” as empires are replaced by commonwealths which are often religious
What areas are considered part of the World of Late Antiquity?
World of Late Antiguity is defined mostly for Rome – alternatively called the “Late Roman” period but also established for the Near East, largely a mediterranean focus
What was one of the major factors that led to the collapse of empires?
The economy and the environment is one of the major factors that led to collapse of empires
What changes in the economy and environment lead to the collapse of empires? (4)
- Land degradation and deforestation
- Lower agricultural yield due to wars and breakdown in trade; the need for more labor leads to slave and land bound peasants
- New diseases (measles, malaria, smallpox, bubonic plague “black death”)
- Regional specialization and dependence
What would be the result of economic and environmental changes that would lead to an end of empires?
Multiple internal problems that led to the weakening and eventual collapse from invading “barbarians”
What could be a reason that barbarians rose up to invade empires?
Parasitical relationship between “center” (the consumer) and periphery (producer of raw goods). The consumer controls the producer of raw goods and sends it all towards the center which creates an overdependence that fosters resentment.
How did the fall of the Han dynasty impact the Roman Empire?
falls before Roman Empire which also leads to economic troubles of Roman Empire because of Han-Roman trade
What three things led to the fall of the Han Dynasty in China?
- Corruption: incompetent emperors and eunuch dominance at court, court competition and rivalry between units
- Oppression: peasants forced into near serfdom which led to rebellions
- Rebellion & Civil War: 184-208 AD; the Revolt of Yellow Turbans led to revolt of Han generals, split into three kingdoms
What led to the fall of Gupta? (5)
- weak rulers
- dissent over the succession of emperors
-After the silk road is deteriorated with the fall of the Han Dynasty, Gupta struggles economically
- invasion of the Huns
- Gupta was strong supporters of Buddhism and Jainism which aren’t as rigid as caste system leading to social instability.
All contributed to the fall around 535 AD.
What split occurs in the Roman Empire?
In the third century (285), Rome is split into West and East by Diocletian because the empire had become too big, the East lasting 1,000 years longer than West. Split allows for East to care for itself
What were the economic reasons for the fall of the western roman empire?
Rich landowning class resisted paying taxes and the church land was not taxable which led to drop in tax revenue that crippled the Roman economy
Drop in tax revenue led to unsafe roads and therefore a decline in trade
What were the political reasons that the western roman empire fell?
Violent power struggles plagued the empire and the bureaucrat could not enforce the laws
What were the social reasons for the fall of the western roman empire?
Plagues dramatically reduced the population, especially farming and those in the urban populations
Because of economical, political, and social factors, Rome was invaded by who?
Nomadic invasions: could not defend against Ostrogoths, Huns, or Visigoths and falls in the late 400’s CE. Vast majority of invasion circumnavigate the periphery of the Western Roman Empire
Why didn’t the Eastern Roman Empire fall with the Western Roman Empire?
Because the east was home to the older, more established areas of the Roman Empire (Mesopotamia and Egypt), they had economical and political stability, ruling family maintained continuous form of succession so there weren’t emperors competing for position, this stability made it less difficult for invaders. They were not as territorially widespread as the west and this led to more centralized and efficient administration
The Eastern Roman empire would become the ______ empire.
Byzantine
What became the capitol and religion of the Byzantine empire in 330 CE?
Constantinople (modern day Istanbul) established as eastern capitol of Roman Empire with Christianity as the official religion of the empire
Where were Byzantine Bureaucrats trained?
University of Constantinople
What language was spoken in the Byzantine Empire?
Greek
What occurred under Byzantine emperor Justinian I (527-565 CE)?
- Codified Roman civil law into Justinian Code
- Built the Hagia Sophia (527 CE)
- First appearance of the bubonic plague, named Justinian Plague
What is the Justinian Code?
a handbook of civil law that brought all laws together, inspiration for later civil codes throughout Europe
What was the Hagia Sophia?
Church of Holy Wisdom, showed cultural and economic stability
The Byzantine empire survived Muslim invasion, crusader attacks, Slavic attacks; was destroyed in the 15th century (1453) by who?
Ottomans
What was the culture and society of the Byzantine empire like?
Direct inheritors of Roman culture so they maintained Roman social structure but allowed for social mobility and occasional influence of important women, like Empress Irene
What was the economic structure of the Byzantine empire?
Included more established and economically valuable provinces (i.e. Egypt, Syria)
Fair and efficient taxation helped maintain both economic and political stability
Where does Christianity have its origins?
origins in early 1st century with teachings of Jesus
What led to a split in the two branches of Christianity?
split can be traced to the Quinisext council in 692 CE and excommunication of leaders in churches in 1054 “The Great Schism”
What were the two branches of Christianity?
Roman Catholic & Eastern Greek Orthodox
What were characteristics of Roman Catholicism?
- Primacy of the Pope unquestioned, believed he was the religious leader of all of Europe and political leader of Papal states
- Preservers of knowledge, culture, and bureaucracy throughout Roman Empire’s collapse
- Conversion of pagan kings, monastacism and patronage of the arts
- Culturally unified Western Europe under the Church
- Stories of church told through pictures and frescos and much later, stained glass
What were characteristics of Eastern/ Greek Orthodox church?
- Rejected Pope’s claims of primacy in the Church
- Caesaropapism
Arts: Mosaics, Icons and Domes
Movement of Iconoclasm: to clean churches of holy images, due to opposition of Roman Church practices
What was Caesaropapism and where was it practiced?
It was an alliance between Church & State in the Eastern/Greek Orthodox belief
The church’s role was to guide and support the emperor’s policies
The Emperor’s role was to defend and propagate the church and give the church special privileges
What were some examples of Eastern/Greek Orthodox art?
Hagia Sophia and the Church of Ravenna
As empires started to fall, what would come in to fill the power vacuum?
World religions
Islam is a monotheistic religion founded by whom?
Founded by Muhammad (570-632 CE) in Mecca, the Arabian Peninsula.
610 CE: Angel Gabriel appears to Muhammad and commands him to recite the word of god
What is the sacred word of god in Islam?
Qur’an (literally “recitation”)
What are the five pillars of Islam?
- Statement of faith: “There is no god but God, and Muhammad is his Prophet” (Shahada)
- Pray five times a day facing Mecca (Salat)
- Give charity to the poor (Almsgiving)
- Fast during the month of Ramadan (Sawm)
- Complete the hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca during one’s life if able (Hajj)
What are the two school of Islamic rule that arose after Muhammad’s death in 632?
Sunni and Shi’a
Who took initial leadership after the death of Muhammad in 632?
Initially leadership passed to Abu Bakr, Muhammad’s father in law who became caliph. After 3 caliphs, debate rose over the succession of leadership
What did the Sunni believe about leadership and succcession?
leader of the Muslim society should be primarily a political leader (Caliph) and elected amonth the religious; majority of Muslims today are Sunni, argues that there should be no classes and that leadership shouldn’t be birthright
What were the Crusades?
Series of Christian holy wars conducted against Muslim “infidels”
What were the aims of the Crusades?
Aims both religious and political: Pope hoped to reclaim Jerusalem and use it as a tool to maintain power and especially because of the rivalry with the Greek Orthodox Church in the East, and also unite Western European leaders (who were infighting over power) under Pope’s influence
While the Crusades were mostly important for Western Europe, why was it politically important for Muslim history?
It was less important for Muslim history but was politically important for the Muslim in that their subsequent victories by military leader, Salah al-Din, which made them the ultimate caliphate
Who called for the first crusade in 1095 and what was the result?
Pope Urban II called for Christian knights to take up arms and seize the holy land. Initially they are successful in the first battle and Jerusalem is taken as well as the kingdom of Akar and areas around Levant, but subsequent crusades were unsuccessful to to new crusaders not being familiar with the political situation and not understanding the balance of power between Jerusalem and the Muslim govt
When did the crusades take place?
1095-1230, For 200 years, waves of Christian soldiers invaded Muslim territories
Who controlled Jerusalem at the time of Crusades?
Jerusalem at the time was not controlled by the Abbasid Caliphate but by Muslim warriors who attempted to push back against the Byzantines
What were the socio-economic impacts on Western Europe from the Crusades?
initially united European kings and great lords. It also united Roman and Eastern Orthodox churches but in the long term it intensified religious division between Christians & non christians and Christians and Jew. It also brought about growing tension between the two churches longterm
What was the Knights Templar?
A Christian group that, during the crusades, were in Jerusalem protecting people who wanted to visit the holy sites. They were controversial but Pope Innocent II gave them special rights and didn’t make them pay taxes. They became defenders of Papal states
They set up banks and financial institution in the holy land, had their own rules “The Rule of Templars”
Later kings would arrest them
What was the intellectual and ideological impact of the crusades?
Crusaders brought back artifacts of art and philosophy and some of the classic and ancient texts
What was the economic impact of the Crusades?
exposed Western Europeans to the exotic luxuries of the silk road
Encouraged trade with Muslim merchants, created increased European demand for Asian goods
How did the geography of the Middle East impact the crusades?
Geographically, the crusader states were essentially surrounded by the Great Seljug Empire, so when the second crusade comes in and disrupts the diplomatic balance, it polarizes the diplomacy between Christian and non-Christian groups
Why did Islam experience a quick rise in power?
Islam is unique because of its quick rise in power and that it not only became a religion but a theocratic state, rapid succession due to belief in single, monotheistic god, went into attack mode against Byzantine empire
Where did Muhammad move to once he was kicked out of Mecca?
621: Moves to Medina and establishes the Muslim state: beginning of the Hajira (“migration”) dating
What two battles occurred after Muhammad’s Death?
Battle of Yarmuk
Battle of Qadisyyah
What happened at the Battle of Yarmuk in 636?
fall of Christian control in Syria
What happened at the Battle of Qadisyyah?
fall of Persia (Iraq and Iran) to Muslims, ended Sassanid Empire
Besides Syria and Persia, what other countries were conquered by Islamic rule?
Egypt, North Africa (Algeria), Spain, the Indus Valley, Southern Italy
The _______ took over part of Africa while ______ took over East Africa
Abbasids / Fatima
What were the effects of Muslim conquest?
- Muslims isolated Europeans which helped to create the middle ages
- Created an isolation that kept Christians from technologically moving forward
- Appeal of Islam, to many conquered people, was that it lessened the social rigidity of empires, all were equal before god
What occurred in Baghdad under the Abicides (Shiite) Caliphate?
- adopts pre-Islamic administration
-Baghdad becomes cosmopolitan city
-Patronage of arts, literature, philosophy and sciences (particularly medicine)
- Baghdad “universities” where masters in subjects would live and teach disciples
What was the Golden Age of Islam financed by?
Financed by the gold imported from sub-Saharan West Africa (Timbuktu!)
What was education like in the Golden Age of Islam?
- High tolerance for non-Islamic learning
- Translation and teaching of Greek, Persian, Egyptian and Indian works
- Commentators like Ibn Rushd (Avveroes), Ibn Arabi, Avicenna create new schools of philosophy
- Islamic knowledge was revered
-Established house of wisdom in Baghdad and had the Muslim Renaissance, had much of Hellenistic age knowledge
Trigonometry, algebra
What led to the end of the Golden Age of Islam under Abicides Caliphate?
Over time they conformed to their rival’s, Sunni beliefs which caused internal uprising and eventual overthrow of the Abicides by Fatima Caliphate
What spurred the economy in the Golden Age of Islam?
Abicides Caliphate traded with Umayyad Caliphate in West Africa and Southern Europe in the Iberian Peninsula
Who was the famous leader of the Carolingians and the first holy roman emperor?
Charlemagne (768): “Grandfather of Europe” and the originator of Western Europe
Charlemagne united what territories?
United the Frankish territories (Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Austria) and he conquered the Lombard Territory in Northern Italy
Christmas Day 800, Charlemagne was crowned as the first Holy Roman Emperor by who? What was the importance of this?
Crowned as the first Holy Roman Emperor by the Pope – shows that he honored the Papacy
Important because he would later establish many monasteries and make land grants to the church
Carolingian lands would later become what?
Carolingian lands later became the core lands of the Holy Roman Empire and France
What was society like under Charlemagne?
Peace and prosperity allowed for chivalry (code of honor) and courtly love (social artistic interaction between knights and ladies of the court)
What did Charlemagne do upon his death?
Split the Carolingian Empire and gave to his three grandsons: Louis the German, Charles the Bald, and Emperor Lothair, which happened in two treaties
After the breakup of the Carolingian empire with the death of Charlemagne, Europe became ______ leading to a system of Feudalism
Decentralized
What is the essence of Feudalism?
King gave land to vassals in exchange for military service and loyalty
Local land owners were called _______. They concentrated their power in ______ and held their land in a hereditary manner ( ______ )
Vassals
Plantations/ Manors
Fiefs
Who were the serfs and what rights did they have?
had the right to work a portion of land, pass that onto their children, but could not leave the land. Could keep a portion of what they grew, but majority of their earnings went to the lord
If the lord or the land suffered, the serf suffered but if the lord or the land thrived, the serf could also thrive. They were able to use whatever excess they had to make an excess profit (i.e. turning milk into cheese)
Explain the Stratified society of feudalism?
Kings or great lords gave land to vassal lords, in return, vassal lords would provide advice and council as well as a fighting force with military coming from their knights. Their knights would be trained and taken care of by the vassal lord. In return, the knights provided law and order, and shelter for the peasants. The peasants in response would obey and work the lord for the knights.
Each area would have its own great lords in feudalism meaning that feudalism was ______ and _______.
Localized and decentralized
What was the concept of Chivalry in Feudalism?
code of conduct for vassals in their role as knights. Emphasized warrior qualities, generosity, loyalty
What did the Shi’a believe about leadership and succession?
Believes that political and religious leadership should be the same person (imam), the authority of Imam comes from God and are infallible and sinless, the descendents of Muhmammad. Majority in Iraq & Iran
Most caliphates are Sunni but some have been Shi’a. What is one example of a Shiite caliphate?
Fatima
What Caliph was around from 661-750 and was based in Syria but spread Islam into North Africa, Spain and even France until it was stopped at the Battle of Tours?
The Ummayad Caliph
What Caliph was around from 750-1258 CE in Bagdad and is responsible for the Golden Age of Islamic Civilization?
Abbasid Caliph
What ended the Abbasid Caliph in 1258?
Mongol invasion ended the Abbasid Caliph in 1258 CE – over time the Mongols would convert to Islam and start the Ilkanate Caliph
How did Muslims spread their religion following the death of Muhammad?
Muslims were surrounded by Polytheistic arab tribes. After the death of Muhammad, they go on the offense to take over other areas to preserve Islamic faith and society
While medieval Japan is never really conquered by foreign powers, it did have two types of rulers. What were these?
one where Japan is ruled by emperors and familial clans (imperial rule) and the other where they are run by samurai class (Samurai rule)
How did Japan’s geography impact the culture and political structure?
Japan’s geography of mountains, rivers, etc led to the development of small, isolated, independent communities
Some clan attempted to copy the Chinese model and create a strong, centralized state (Yamato clan, 600’s; Fujiwara clan, 700’s) but were not successful, eventually samurai dominated
What was Shinto in Japanese medieval culture?
Idea that everything possessed a kami (spirit)
What was Zen Buddhism?
a streamlined version of Buddhism with militant aspects that appealed to the samurai class in medieval Japan
Japan created the world’s first novel, what was it called?
“Tale of Genji”
What were the two Shogunates of Japanese feudalism?
1185-1333: Kamakura Shogunate
1603 - 1868: Tokugawa Shogunate
What was the structure of Japanese feudalism?
Shogun (supreme general)
Daimyo (regional military leader)
Samurai (warriors)
Peasants
What was the Shogun’s role?
supreme general, controlled the centralized military govt and gave land to Daimyo
What was the Daimyo’s role?
regional military leaders, were granted land by shogun, would give Shogun counsel and advice and return profits of the land back to Shogun
What was the Samurai’s role?
Warriors who served daimyo as their lord, provided training by Daimyo, and return profits of the land with taxes back ot Daimyo, was the law and order and labor sources for the peasants
