Medieval Europe
A. Fill in the blanks:
1. The Byzantine Empire produced a rich tradition of Roman art and literature.
2. Every state in Europe adopted Christianity as the state religion by 900 CE.
3. In 330 CE, Roman Emperor Constantine I renamed Byzantium as Constantinople.
4. Life in a monastery was simple and disciplined.
5. The Church of Rome played a pivotal role in the development of religious and cultural unity among the people of Europe in the medieval period.
B. Match the columns.
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C. Choose the correct answer:
1. The Barbarians were __________ tribes.
i) Roman. [ ]
ii) Germanic. [✓]
iii) Indian. [ ]
iv) American. [ ]
2. ____________ were deployed to spread the message of Christianity.
i) Missionaries. [✓]
ii) Feudal lords. [ ]
iii) King. [ ]
iv) Knights. [ ]
3. The medicinal herbs in the monastery gardens inculcated interest in __________ .
i) science. [ ]
ii) medicine. [ ]
iii) zoology. [ ]
iv) botany. [✓]
4. The economic and cultural exchange between the Christian and the Arab worlds during the Crusades ushered in an era of ____________ in Europe.
i) Renaissance. [✓]
ii) Reformation. [ ]
iii) Darkness. [ ]
iv) Maturity. [ ]
5. ___________ was the holy land of both Christian and Muslims.
i) Constantinople. [ ]
ii) Jerusalem. [✓]
iii) Vatican. [ ]
iv) Old Rome. [ ]
D. Answer the following questions:
1. When and why was the Roman Empire divided?
= By 285 CE, the Roman Empire was divided. Because the Roman Empire had grown so vast that it became difficult to govern all the provinces from Rome.
2. What is the barbarian invasion?
= Western Roman Empire faced repeated attacks by various Germanic groups from North, like the Goths, Vandals, Franks and Lombards. These raids are known as the 'barbarian invasions'.
3. What was life in a monastery like?
= The monks lived in a monastery or abbey. They devoted their entire lives to their religious duties and took vows of not getting married. Women who followed this path were called nuns. They resided in nunneries or convents built for them. They travelled and lived among the common people. However, some of them chose to live a secluded life, away from civilization.
4. What was the main reason for the Crusades?
= Crusades were the Holy Wars of the followers of the Christianity against the Turks to reclaim their Holy Land Jerusalem.
5. How did the Crusades lead to the fall of the feudal lords?
= Post Crusades, the Turks introduced the Crusaders to guns and gunpowder. This rendered the services of the Knights useless and led to the fall of the feudal lords, who were in power during this period.
E. Answer the following in details:
1. What were the factors that led to the fall of the Western Roman Empire?
= By fifth century CE, the powerful Roman Empire started to decline. There are many factors attributed to its fall.
i) Barbarian Invasions: The barbarians like - Goths, Vandals, Franks and Lombards - repeatedly invaded the Roman Empire and breached the boundaries of the Roman Empire and invaded deep into the crux of their expanse. They also looted the city and established numerous 'post-Roman' kingdoms. In 476 CE, the Germanic leader Odoacer overthrow the last West Roman Emperor, Romulus Augustus. This marked the fall of the mighty Western Roman Empire.
ii) Political and Economic Conditions: There was a decrease in the agricultural production which led to a sharp rise in the prices of goods. The rulers started producing more coins which led to inflation. The political system of the Western Roman Empire was weak and unstable. It was 25 emperors in 47 years.
All these reasons led to the fall of the once mighty Roman Empire.
2. Describe the spread of Christianity in Europe.
= Despite the legalising of Christianity by Constantine, most of Europe remained non-Christian in the fifth century CE. However, in the span of the next 500 years, most people in Europe converted into Christianity and every state in Europe adopted Christianity as the state religion. When a king or feudal lord converted to Christianity, his subjects would also convert immediately.
Christian monks travelled far and wide to spread the message of Christ. They started building monasteries to serve as a place of residence and to serve as a place to preach the religion. The monasteries became centres of learning and training. Grand Churches were built in each city of Europe. These Churches were every active in spreading Christian education.
3. How did the Byzantine Empire continue to flourish even after the fall of its western counterpart?
= Even after the fall of its western counterpart, the Eastern Roman Empire still thrived and prospered for centuries. The Byzantine Empire also had to face invasions by the barbarian tribes. However, it could withstand the onslaught due to several factors like its geographic location, stronger administrative centre and internal political stability. It produced a rich tradition of Roman art and literature, and preserved some of the greatest Roman legacies.
4. What role did the monks and monasteries play in medieval Europe?
= The Church of Rome played a pivotal role in the development of religious and cultural unity among the people of Europe in the medieval period. The priests were charged with the duties of preaching and performing religious rituals and rites, as well as helping the poor and the needy. They travelled and lived among the common people. However, some of them chose to live a secluded life, away from civilisation. These priests were known as monks. They devoted their entire lives to their religious duties and took vows of not getting married.
The contribution of monasteries was particularly profound in the field of education. Besides religious texts, the monasteries also trained students in the disciplines of history, philosophy, medicine, law and astrology.
5. It is said that the Crusades brought about many changes in Europe. Explain.
= The Crusades opened the door for both economic and cultural exchange between the Christian and the Arab worlds, which was to continue for centuries. The Christians were deeply impressed by the splendour and the learning of the Arab world. This eventually brought about many changes in Europe as well.
i)Renaissance: The Christian Crusaders gained knowledge of several great civilisations as well as the culture and traditions of the Greeks and Turks. They integrated the best aspects from both the cultures to revive western education and learning. This ushered in the era of Renaissance. The period of Renaissance witnessed a revival of classical Greek and Roman literature, which in turn inaugurated Modern Age in Europe.
ii) Trade and Commerce: The Crusades introduced the Europeans to the opulent lifestyle of the East. They developed a taste for finer things and luxurious lifestyle of the East. European merchants established direct trade links with the East and other parts of the world.
iii) Decline of Feudalism: The Knights were the most powerful and wealthiest of the military orders in Europe during the Crusades. Post the Crusades, the Turks introduced the Crusaders to guns and gunpowder. This reduced the services of the Knights and led to the fall of feudal lords, who were in power during this period.
iv) Centralisation of Power: With the decline of the Feudal lords, the kings gained more power and became the central authoritative figure. the merchant class too became wealthy and gained power. They started demanding the establishment of proper law and order in the cities. They also provided abundant funds to the kings, which furthered the decline of feudal power.