Introduction
Medieval period was characterized by the fall of Western Roman Empire. This period saw an increase in tendencies and practice of the Late Antiquity. During this period, there was de- urbanization and an increase in the invasion by the Barbarians. The Roman Catholic Church was a symbol of cultural unity and influence. Emergence of monasticism was greatly evident in the west. The European monasticism was greatly shaped by traditions and ideas. The style of monasticism mainly focused on community experiences and practices with regard to the spiritual life.
Discussion
The wars were holy wars which were started by armed pilgrimages in order to free Jerusalem from Muslim’s grip. The crusades were prompted by the Byzantine emperor who asked for aid from Pope Urban the 2nd.The effect of this was the mobilization of tens of thousands of Europeans citizens which led to the capture of Jerusalem and the surrounding regions. This conquest led to a series of conflicts with the neighboring Islamic regions (Bulliet, 1979). The medieval period saw the crusaders capture most of the Islamic territories in Europe. The Muslims’ counter attack on the other hand saw the repossession of all the crusaders’ regions in the Asian mainland a situation that led to a boundary between Islam and western Christianity that exists up to date.
Feudalism during the medieval period was a set of organized political and military customs. The emergence of Feudalism was primarily caused by the decentralization of an empire. The military structure experienced drastic changes caused by the heredity nature of the systems. The medieval period saw the European monarchies acquire a more organized structure then finally disappear. Chivalry is the term used to refer to the medieval period knighthood. The knighthood exercised an aristocratic system which was founded on military organizations which recruited individuals for service to the knights. Another practice closely related to chivalry was the practice of heraldry (Bulliet, 1979). Chivalry also had some elaborate virtues that had to be practiced. Some of these theories which included religious chivalry were expounded in the subsequent era, known as crusaders era.
Courtly love was a conception during the, medieval period used to express love and admiration. This was supposed to be a secret between the involved parties of the nobility. Courtly love was more defined on the virtue of erotic desire and spiritual attainment. Courtly love was mainly developed in four phases around the time of the first crusaders. This kind of love was the one that led to the nobility that was not based on family backgrounds and wealth but rather on character and actions.
The revival of town life and urbanization occurred at the high middle ages and was accompanied by a gradual urbanization process. This revival was aided by the frequent raids between the Scandinavians and the Hungarians which led to conversion to Christianity. This middle age period saw an explosive population surge that flowed into towns that led to clearing of massive land for settlement. The rise of towns led to economic stimulation which saw the creation of new religious differentiations and trade associations. The medieval period came along with numerous religious groupings. The crusaders for example had an elaborate religious system. The monastic structure was also affected by other religious elites (Bulliet, 1979).
In the late thirteenth century, Europe experienced drastic changes spurred by innovation, the economic systems at the time were also doing very well. This process created vast technological advancement which was mainly aided by cross cultural interactions. Some of the major agricultural innovated tools could not be individually owned hence medieval villages formed a type of collective ownership system which greatly contributed to the growth of the villages.
Reference
Bulliet R.W. (1979). Conversion to Islam in the Medieval Period: An Essay in Quantities History. New York: Harvard University Press.