Link to Source of the Timeline 

Topics on the Page

The Medieval Period

What did Medieval Europe Look Like?

Government in Medieval Times

Kings, Queens and Primogeniture

Political Dynasties

Empires

CROSS-LINK: Developments and Feudalism in Japanese History

What is the Medieval Period?

• In academic use, "the Middle Ages" and "medieval" refer to the period between the Roman Empire and the early modern period.

• Time period from the Fall of Western Rome in the 5th Century CE to the beginning of the Renaissance Period beginning in the 13th-15th Century CE

• There is a common misconception that the whole Roman Empire fell, but the Byzantine Empire in the Eastern Mediterranean was considered the Eastern Roman Empire.

• https://www.britannica.com/place/Byzantine-Empire

•  From the year 1100, the socio-economic system known as "feudalism" developed.

Century by Century overview of Medieval times and Medieval Literature from English 201 course at UMass Amherst.

• Includes information on developments the 12th, 13, 14th and 15th centuries

 Multimedia Resources

• Roughly what was happening everywhere else in the world, showing how the commonly termed Dark Ages weren’t that dark: 

• The Crusades and Medieval Europe

• Medieval Europe Crash Course video

• Middle Ages and Renaissance Facts for Kids

What did Medieval Europe Look Like?

• Understanding what was on the map helps paint a picture of what kingdoms or empires existed during different points in the medieval era.               
• Above: Medieval Europe in the 800s. 

• Above: Medieval Europe around 1190. 

• Above: Medieval Europe around 1500, this map holds a focus on universities within the respective nations.  

How did Government Function in the Medieval Times?

• Typically the Feudal Kingdom

• At the top was a King

• The king would divide the land to his lords, some advise King

• Barons, Dukes, etc

• The Lords would divide their land amongst knights

• And Peasants would work the land

• Peasants do not own their land

• Worked land in exchange for some food, passed up rest

• Click here to learn about the transition away from feudalism. 

When a King Died Who Became the New King? Primogeniture

• In the typical Feudal Kingdom if a King died his eldest son would assume the role of King

• This is often called a Primogeniture

• If it is the youngest son it would be an Ultimogeniture

• Sometimes a kingdom would be split amongst the King's Sons similar to a Gavelkind Law of Kent

• Keeping the title of King in one family is called Hereditary Rule or a Hereditary Monarchy

 Sometimes a woman would inherit the title and be a Queen, although this was not a common occurrence.

• An exception is Queen Elizabeth I of England, she helped establish England as a world power with the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588

• There are many female rulers throughout history on this site: http://www.womeninworldhistory.com/rulers.html

Medieval Queens: 

• What role did women play in a monarchical system of rule? Looking at the impact of queens and who they were can offer insight into the extent of how women operated at the upper end of hierarchies of power in medieval Europe. 
• Here is a list of medieval queens and summaries of what they did. 

Political Dynasties:

• Political Dynasties have been seen throughout history on almost every continent

• Some you may have heard of the Habsburgs of Austria, the Tudors of England and Wales or even the Qin Dynasty of China

• Political dynasties have stood the test of time

• The Current English Dynasty is the Windsor Dynasty

• Originally of German Origin and the formerly Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, the name was changed during World War I due to anti-German Sentiment

• Political Dynasties shaped Europe and rulers married to spread their family name across Europe

• It was not uncommon for there to be multiple Kingdoms ruled by the same dynasty

 Learning Activity

• Give each student a dynasty to study and choose a member of said dynasty to dress as and pretend to be in class as a presentation.
  

  

• Image of the Tudor Dynasty from late Medieval England 

Empires:

• An Empire is when one state controls another

  An example during the medieval period would be the Carolingian Empire of France https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2J_3RTKB1c

• In the video, Charlemagne’s invasion of the Saxons to the North-East is an example of the Empire being built

• The video is a short, fast and surprisingly complex topic. I would recommend introducing the topics of Hereditary Rule, empire and Dynasties. Pausing the video to explain and apply knowledge. I would also recommend using it as an example of how messy and complicated Medieval Europe was

• And during the Carolingian Renaissance segment, try to have students visualize how much more disorganized society was before Charlemagne’s reforms.  

The British Empire has had many rulers rise thanks to a Hereditary Rule. Here is a timeline explaining how each ruler rose, what accomplishments they made, and other events under their reign. It also covers how they died, or how their rule ended.

• That can be found here: https://www.britroyals.com/timeline.asp 

• Here is a short video describing what can also be seen in the British Royal Family Timeline: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNgP6d9HraI 

• In this article from the BBC, in 2011 the British Commonwealth unanimously decided that no longer would gender or whom the Monarch decided to marry affect who acquired the Crown. For centuries, it would be the oldest male child of the current ruler. So even if there was a daughter years older, she would be stepped over in favor of her younger brother. That can be found here: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-15492607

While not from Europe, the current Monarchy in Japan is the oldest in existence and has found all its' new rulers almost exclusively through Hereditary Rule. Here are two timelines, each adding different perspectives.

• One is an older timeline, and ends in 1392 CE. It can be found here: https://www.ancient.eu/timeline/Emperor_of_Japan/.

• The other covers each name and years for every ruler Japan had under this dynasty, and can be found here: https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/jaru/hd_jaru.htm. The inclusion of the Japanese Monarchy further exemplifies the right of Hereditary Rule. It may not be European, but the foundations and concepts are one in the same.

• This article here describes the problem for Japan now. What the British Monarchy solved by allowing Daughters to take the throne, Japan's Monarchy has that ruled out.  As of now, that leaves only on future heir to the throne after the current Emperor passes away. This is a problem, but Japan seems to have a big decision to make in the near future as to the continuation of its current ruling dynasty. The article can be found here: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2020/11/06/commentary/japan-commentary/japan-fragile-monarchy/ 

 Quiz Questions

• How did Charlemagne help shape Medieval Europe?

A.) He standardized religious practices across the Carolingian Empire

B.) The Biggest Mainland European Kingdoms claimed him as a founding figure

C.) He was a major leader in the First Crusade against the Muslims

D.) A & B

E.) B & C

• Explain how conflict with the Islamic world led to the continuation of the medieval period and strengthened the position of the Catholic church and dynastic families during this time. 

• Feedback: The Islamic world was in their golden age during this period and was revolutionizing most areas of knowledge from math to science to literature and more. The unwillingness to coexist with the Islamic world would end up setting the Medieval period back further and would strengthen the Catholic church’s importance. The Catholic church did not agree with studying science and banned most practices thus keeping Medieval Europe Medieval for a long time.

Learning Game: Feudal M&Ms

Sources:

https://www.britannica.com/topic/feudalism

https://www.timemaps.com/encyclopedia/medieval-europe-government-warfare/

http://www.womeninworldhistory.com/rulers.html

https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-is-the-definition-of-a-dynasty.html

https://www.ancient.eu/empire/

https://www.britannica.com/topic/house-of-Windsor