The Civilization Of The Middle Ages

In European history, the Middle Ages lasted from the fifth to the fifteenth century. The Middle Ages began with the collapse of the Western Roman Empire and merged into the Renaissance. The barbarian invaders, formed new kingdoms in the Western Roman Empire. In the seventh century, North Africa and the Middle East were under the rule of an Islamic empire. During the Middle Ages, people had different religious beliefs (than the church); this was referred to as heresy. This caused people of the church and political officials to fight . The Dark Ages is an accurate characterization of the Middle Ages in some respects, however there were positive aspects of that time that contradict that perception. Government, culture, education, and the economy are factors that show how the Middle Ages changed over time in both positive and negative ways.

The political system and government had a major impact on the characterization that the Middle Ages was a dark time. Certain kingdoms were “unable to suppress violence” (document A). Travel during this time was considered dangerous because there were so many highway robbers. The government had no homogeneity and had a weak system. Cities became more isolated and practically disappeared. The biggest cause of this decline was the lack of a centralized government that could keep order. Although the government system impacted the Middle Ages in a negative way, there was a system of government that had many benefits; feudalism. Feudalism is a contract in which the kings sign land to the nobles (or vassals) in return for military service. A vassal is a person who works for a lord, usually giving the lord military protection. In exchange for the vassals protection, the lord would give a p...

... middle of paper ...

...of the Middle Ages, this period in time is perceived to be the Dark Ages. Building new universities and other economic development was foreshadowed by an inadequate government system and poverty-stricken farming communities that literally isolated them from the rest of the world. Additionally, while trade routes may have been established, trade suffered because of its underdeveloped structure. During these Medieval times, education became a luxury that only the wealthy could enjoy. With the increasing costs of education today, we are headed in that same direction. Similarly, economic prosperity during the Dark Ages had ups and downs just like today’s economy. Most recently, universities and huge, powerful companies were virtually unfazed by the “great recession of 2008.” Each and every generation has both positive and negative factors that help define them.