Isha Shenoy - Middle Ages, Islam Assessment_ Study Guide.pdf

Name World History I H Test Study Guide: European Middle Ages, Islam Format: Multiple Choice, Matching, Short Answer (40pts) Directions: Study the following concepts, people and terms to help you prepare. Topics: Middle Ages in Europe Cont...

Name World History I H Test Study Guide: European Middle Ages, Islam Format: Multiple Choice, Matching, Short Answer (40pts) Directions: Study the following concepts, people and terms to help you prepare. Topics: Middle Ages in Europe Context: -Life in Western Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire Political fragmentation (small competing kingdoms) ○ Due to western Roman Empire being disconnected from the emperor ○ Were able to live in small, localized kingdoms that didn’t rely on emperor Territories ruled by various Germanic tribes, or others ○ Presiding tribe was the Franks Decline of urban centers ○ Cities under Roman rule declined, trade networks diminished ○ Rural life prominent (most people were farmers, manual labor), dense even in countryside Due to chaos and no governing system in Rome The strongest and most violent will become in charge Warlords took over No laws → danger Caused a loss of literacy and learning Innovation lost No common language Educational system collapsed Monasteries became centers of knowledge and education (people turned to religion bc Christianity became legal by Constantine, religion presided) Caused disease and plague, close proximity Life consisted of prayer, reading, manual labor (looked forward to death heaven) Economic regression ○ Highly developed Roman economy gave way to local and agrarian economy ○ Barter system replaced money as “currency” Security issues ○ Frequent invasions and internal conflicts between kingdoms ○ Military protection and strength lost ○ Vikings, Magyars, Muslim Moors attacking from all sides → kingdoms become small and divided because no single king could rule ○ Constant warfare Each part led by greedy generals -The rise of Feudalism Feudalism = political, military, economic, and social system of mutual obligations which bound lords, vassals, and subjects to their king as a governing system Emerged because there was no other system;/government that was strong and centralized in Europe Emerged as dominant social, economic, and political system in Western Europe  Decentralized government ○ Power was divided among lords who controlled land and owed military service to noble/king ○ Localized control in absence of strong centralized government that could keep peace in a larger kingdom Land-based economy ○ Land ownership was primary source of wealth and power → partially translated to religious power in Roman Catholic Church ○ Lords granted land (fiefs) to vassals in exchange for loyalty and military service ○ peasants/serfs (slaves) were bound to their king ○ Hierarchal society King → nobles/lords → knights → peasants → serfs (free slaves) Peasants and serfs, especially serfs bound to land, providing agricultural produce to support higher classes Manorial system ○ Manor consisted of lord’s estate, village, surrounding farmland ○ Lord provided protection in exchange for manual labor (favored the lord) ○ Manors were almost entirely self sufficient ○ Church in center of manor - most important entity at the time -The Franks: Clovis, Charles the Hammer, Pepin the Short, Charlemagne Clovis I (466-511) ○ First Frankish king from Merovingian family ○ United Franks and expanded the Franks territory ○ First Germanic king to convert to Christianity → subjects followed ○ Accepted authority of pope and Catholic Church Got more followers = more control (united his people), gave new set of allies, cemented power) New justification for military campaigns and missions (holy wars) Charles the Hammer (686-741) ○ Defeated Islamic empire in Battle of Tours → stopped Muslim expansion into Rome Allied further with Church by promising to defend Christianity and the Church military-wise Went to Church for money to build strong army Victory made Christianity most dominant religion in world Pepin the Short (741-768) ○ Inherited Carolingian kingdom ○ Lombards kidnapped the Pope → Pope wanted help from Pepin ○ Got Pope back → was named “king of the Franks by the Grace of God” Charlemagne ○ Son of Pepin the Short ○ Expanded empire + spread Christianity by force and decree ○ Anointed Holy Roman Emperor in 800 CE Military branch of Catholic Church Religion as a justification for violence → created order + unity ○ After his death → empire falls apart again -Kings vs Church leaders Investiture Conflicts  ○ Conflict between kings and Church revolved on whether king or pope had authority to appoint church officials (bishops) Papal Influence ○ Acting as counterbalance to royal power ○ Popes could excommunicate kings if they were being corrupt or against the Church, undermined their authority/legitimacy ○ Church collected land from kings → economic and spiritual power ○ Papal law presided in manors → created indirect laws for kings that kept them in check and kept Church powerful Beliefs: -Medieval Christians Christianity ○ Believed in monotheistic religion, were certain that God and Heaven existed ○ Ultimate goal of life was to achieve salvation and reach heaven ○ Attained through ethical behavior and following Church rules ○ Sacraments (outward sights of inward grace) or ceremonies that confirmed their Christianity Could be denied or accepted by bishops ○ Ten commandments as ethical guidelines Women ○ Women could only be nuns, Church also taught all were “equal before god” ○ BUT, led to idea that women are weaker and need sympathy/protection from harsh judgment Led to Chivalry - informal code of conduct for men (gentlemanly) ○ Harsh rules of conduct for women Walk straight, be careful, don’t be deceitful, don’t laugh, don’t talk too much, eating manners, no scolding, no drinking -Role and power of the Catholic Church Spiritual authority - Pope was leader of all Chirstians ○ Believed to be derived from Jesus through the first pope Sacrament Control and Restriction ○ Exclusive control of administration of sacraments (essential for heaven) ○ Significant power over lives of peasants Monasteries ○ Centers of learning, agriculture, charity ○ Played vital roles in every aspect of life Economic power ○ Vast tracts of land and fiefs ○ Tithes (percentage of earnings) → influenced local and regional economies Political influence ○ Could excommunicate kings, declare crusades, etc. ○ Canon law - legal system of Church governed daily aspects of life (marriage, wills, moral conduct) Events: (How did these events weaken institutions and lead to the end of the Middle Ages?) -The Crusades Economic Impact ○ Opened up trade routes, increased trade and rise of merchant class  ○ Weakened the feudal system → wealth and power moved away from the nobility to the urban centers and merchants Cultural exchange ○ Transfer of knowledge, technology, ideas → fostered growth and learning ○ Intellectual revival weakened Church’s control over education and life in general Military Failures ○ Failure of many Crusades undermine credibility of papacy and Church’s moral authority ○ Damaged Church’s prestige and influence -Strong Monarchs and the Seeds of Democracy (Domesday Book, Magna Carta, Model Parliament, Trial by Jury, Rule of Law) Domesday Book ○ William the Conqueror commissioned this to administer taxes ○ Comprehensive survey of land and property in England established strong centralized control ○ Centralized leaders had good understanding over their region ○ Efficient taxation ○ Reduced power of local lords (not needed if there is strong centralized power) Magna Carta ○ Charter signed by King John to avert civil war ○ Limited king’s power → established certain legal protections of nobles and commoners ○ Laid groundwork for constitutional law ○ Weakened Church’s power via Canon law ○ included sections about legal rights of townspeople and Church ○ article protecting every freeman from unfair arrest, imprisonment, legal actions, etc. Model Parliament ○ King Edward I initiated Model Parliament Included House of Lords, House of Commons Nobles, clergy, commoners Step towards political representation of many people, not just supreme rule by Pope Reduced absolute power of monarchy Legal Reforms ○ Established principle that justice should be administered according to consistent laws ○ This weakened arbitrary rule by feudal lords and kings -Bubonic Plague Killed ⅓ of population Labor shortages ○ Gave surviving workers more bargaining power ○ Weakened feudal system (peasants and serfs demanded better conditions and wages, left manors for cities) ○ Cheap labor was uprooted Economic Disruption ○ Disrupted trade and agriculture ○ Economic turmoil  ○ Local economies collapsed → decline of feudalism Social and religious ○ Church was unable to explain the plague → loss of faith and credibility → loss of followers ○ Questioning of authority Overall destabilizing for Europe -Church Failures, Scandal, Corruption (lay investiture, loss of faith, dual papacy) Lay Investiture Conflict ○ Secular leaders or the pope choose authority? ○ Weakened Church’s influence ○ Growing power of secular leaders Corruption and scandals ○ Selling church offices to the highest bidders ○ Nepotism + moral corruption with Christian faiths ○ Widespread criticism of Church + loss of respect Dual papacy ○ Two centers of power ○ Division of the papacy, dual papacy undermined Church’s unity and authority ○ Eroded trust in Church and highlighted/exposed it’s weaknesses -Hundred Years War (Joan of Arc, nationalism) Military innovation ○ War saw the introduction of new military technologies and tactics (ex. Longbow, gunpowder) ○ Diminished dominance of feudal knights and castles (altered warfare nature and power structures) Nationalism ○ National identity sense in ENgland and France ○ Ex. Joan of Arc was a symbol of unity and resistance + motivated knights and shifted loyalty from feudal lords to groups Invalidates knights as leading military force of middle ages Islam Context: -People of the Book (Monotheism and Abrahamic faiths) Abrahamic religions (father of monotheism): Judaism, Christianity, Islam All monotheistic (believe in same god by different names) Each have sacred texts (Tanakh, Bible, Quran) All believe in prophets who gave God’s messages to humanity ○ Judaism - Moses, Isaiah ○ Christianity - Jesus Christ ○ Islam - Muhammad is final prophet All emphasize ethical monotheism (way to live life) Slightly different practices, similar overarching beliefs -Early Islamic History Timeline: How did Islam Develop? 610 - Arabia was region of diverse beliefs (polytheism, Judaism, Christianity) ○ Kaaba was important polytheistic idol worship 570 - Muhammad was born in Mecca (worked as a respected merchant) 610 - Muhammad received first message from angel Gabriel in cave of Hira  ○ Compiled into the Quran 610-622 - Muhammad preached monotheism and social justice ○ Severe persecution for him from Meccan polytheistic authorities (who benefitted off Kaaba tourism) 622 - Muhammad and few followers migrated from Mecca to Medina (called Hijra) 622-630 - Muslim community established, Muhammad as a religious and political leader who outlined rules for citizens ○ Several battles with Meccans, peaceful conquest of Mecca in 630 632 - death of Muhammad in Medina → questions about new leadership Beliefs: -5 Pillars: Shahadah, Salah, Zakat, Sawm, Hajj Shahadah ○ profession/exclamation of faith to one god Allah, Muhammad as prophet ○ Complete acceptance and commitment to Islam Salah ○ Individuals have a direct relationship with god by praying five times a day towards Mecca ○ In mosque or at home, wudu cleansing before prayer (men/women separated in mosque) Zakat ○ Social responsibility, service to God (obligatory) ○ 2.5% of total net worth towards the needy in the community Sawm ○ Fasting during Ramadan to seek better perception of God and exercise self-control ○ Experience what it would be like to be poor and hungry ○ Break fast with iftar - special meal (joyous month) Hajj ○ Pilgrimage to Mecca for those who are physically and financially able ○ Spiritual gathering of Muslims from all over the world to follow path of Muhammad -Sacred Texts: Qu’ran, Hadith Quran = holy book of Islam, literal word of God as revealed to Muhammad via angel Gabriel ○ Primary source of Islamic theology, law, and guidance for personal conduct Hadith = collections of sayings, actions, and approvals by the prophet Muhammad (supposedly he approved them) ○ Secondary source of Islamic law and guidance (more modern and applicable today) Split of Islam: -Reasons for the split, Sunni, Shia After Muhammad died, there was dispute over how the Muslim community should be ruled  He didn’t want anyone to worship him, rather to worship God (this is why he didn’t name a successor, didn’t want to make himself too important) Sunni ○ Believed leader should be elected by Muslim community ○ They must be pious and devout (ex. Abu Bakr) Shia ○ Believed leader should be a blood relative ○ Ali (cousin of Muhammad) should be named leader Each group fought for their own system Sunni Shia conflict is now largely political and ethnic, not religious ○ Iran = Shia, Saudi Arabia = Sunni -Caliph = religious and political leaders of the community (successor to Muhammad) Spread: -Why did Islam spread? -Factors that supported the spread Religious appeal ○ Message of monotheism, social justice, equality resonated with people ○ Emphasis on community and charity Military conquest ○ Conducted military campaigns that expanded Islamic state ○ Conquered Arabian Peninsula, Byzantine empire, etc ○ Rapid expansion led by powerful generals (holy war, used faith for motivation) Political stability ○ Unified political and administrative system under the caliphs ○ Facilitated trade, travel, cultural exchange Economic factors ○ Controlled key trade routes connecting East and West ○ Merchants spread Islamic beliefs and practices through interactions with various cultures Weakness of surrounding empires (Byzantine) → Islamic empire took advantage of that Golden Age: -Baghdada, Major accomplishments of Islamic Empire and scholars Lifestyle ○ Commercial center - ships brought goods for trade ○ Taxes came from all over empire ○ Wealth middle class from merchants ○ Luxurious lifestyle Intellectual advances ○ Translation of books Allowed for education  Translated texts from Greece, India, etc. ○ House of Wisdom (vast library and academy) Medical advances ○ Avid research in biology ○ Wrote texts about their research ○ Many famous practicing physicians Astronomy ○ Scientific research based on translations of Ptolemy’s works Built observatories, could determine length of terrestrial degree, corrected errors ○ Wrote books on mathematics Chemistry and Geography ○ Created chemistry - distinguished between acids and alkalis, produced drugs, invented lab equipment still used today ○ Travelers and merchants kept records and maps used by Columbus Literature and Music ○ Arabic language and storytelling - gifted poets, well-respected ○ Music with many different kinds of instruments to compliment language Art, Architecture, Schools ○ Architecture and decorative arts - mosques, arches, dignified prayer areas, palaces, patterns, crafts ○ Elementary school for boys and girls, theological colleges to study Islam Serve as models for education even today Efficient Government ○ Well-trained police force and standing army to keep everything under control ○ Canal systems for maximum food supplies (wealthy nation, allowed for more expedition) ○ Inns and hostels in Baghdad ○ Speedy mail system (carrier-pigeon service)