Medieval period in Europe started in fifth century CE (with the fall of the Roman Empire) and lasted till fifteenth century CE with the beginning of Renaissance and the age of discovery. Medieval period in India however spans from eight to eighteenth century CE (further divided into early medieval period and later medieval period).
There were three distinct phases in Medieval Europe:
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- Decline of Roman empire
- Spread of Christianity
- The Crusades
Decline of Roman Empire
Roman Empire was divided into two house Western and Eastern Roman empire.
There was a decline of Western Roman empire due to reasons such as:
- Barbarian invasions: there were repeated attacks by Germanic tribes from north.
- Political and economic instability.
476 CE saw the fall of Rome when Germanic leader Odoacer overthrew the last Western Roman emperor, Romulus Augustus.
Byzantine Empire
Eastern Roman empire or Byzantine Empire withstood Germanic onslaughts, and continued to flourish for centuries.
Eventually, Islamic Turkish Invaders from the East captured Constantinople in 1453 CE.
Spread of Christianity
Post the decline of the Roman Empire, there was rapid spread of Christianity across Europe.
Numerous churches and monasteries were established. The Monasteries emerged as centres of learning.
The Crusades
In 638 CE, Muslim Turks captured Jerusalem and the holy land of Palestine. In eleventh century, Turks invaded lands of the Byzantine Empire.
Pope Urban II to gave a call for “Holy wars’ or ‘Crusades’ against the Turks to reclaim their holy land.
Eight crusades failed to capture the Holy land.
Impact of the crusades
- Renaissance Era: Christian crusaders gain knowledge of Greek and Turkish civilizations and ushered in the era of Renaissance (14th to the 17th century). It is often described as a “rebirth” or “reawakening” of classical learning and ideals from ancient Greece and Rome. The Renaissance marked a transition from the medieval period to the modern era.
- Flourishing trade and Commerce: Trade and Commerce flourished as European merchants established direct links with the East and other parts of the world.
- Decline of feudalism: The Turks introduced the crusaders to guns and gunpowder thereby rendering the services of the knights useless leading to the fall of the feudal Lords.
- Centralisation of power: The king’s gained more power, the Merchant class became wealthier and demanded establishment of proper law and order in cities, further leading to the decline of feudal power.
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