Chapter 10 Persia

Chapter 10 1

Shannon Kehoe Political

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Feudalism Nobles held the political power and possessed special legal status A male noble was seen as an adult when he inherited his property (when his father died) Liberal spending on many luxuries signified power and status, Oftentimes, such spending would inevitably lead to large debts Vassals Were required to fight for lord or king whenever required Were also required to attend their lord’s court for significant occasions Holding the manorial court was a very important duty Warfare among the nobility was a great source of trouble for the monarchy, so the monarchy looked to the middle class as a means of support. The crusades dealt with many problems for the monarchy. Economic

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Peasantry did most work Slavery- property of their lord, could be sold/ bought Serfdom- property of their lord, could not be sold/bought Lords ran the Manor Different sizes “Manor usually contained a village” Demesne: manorial land actually possessed by the lord and not held by tenants Usually, every manor had a pasture and a forest Field division Divided into 2-3 fields, then into strips for individual peasants One of the fields was left fallow Fallow: the land is plowed, but is not tilled or sown Used animal manure as fertilizer Low yields Yield: the amount or quantity produced or returned Believed that the amount needed for survival was 3 times the amount produced Average 13th century manor= 5:1 yield Monasteries In the late middle ages, monasteries such as Cluny did not gain enough income to provide the lavish lifestyle the monks there were used to. Many monasteries fell into debt and received fewer donations Religious

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Christian “Regulated and infused daily life” Church

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Shannon Kehoe

Was not against making Christians slaves Was the center of the social, political, and economic life of a village Contained many rituals and ceremonies 12th century – sacramental religion emerged Seven sacraments—could only be delivered by a priest Baptism, penance, Eucharist, confirmation, orders, matrimony, extreme unction (basically last rights) Was thought that the sacraments brought grace and salvation 11th century, emphasis on devotion to Mary came about Peasants believed that God was directly involved with human affairs and sin was caused by the devil If one committed a sin, one could redeem oneself by making a pilgrimage to the shrine of a great saint Monks Lived in monasteries Daily life in monasteries revolved around liturgy Liturgy: public worship Extravagant spending on objects was justified by the need to praise god and enhance the liturgy Some monasteries became involved with mining lead and iron Acted as hostels and provided schools and hospitals for travelers Aristocratic monks/choir monks did not farm. They depended on lay brothers Lay brothers: peasants who did the agricultural labor for the monastery since choir monks were aristocrats and therefore could not till the land themselves. Lay brothers were supervised by a cellarer when farming for the monastery Cellarer: person in a monastery responsible for providing food and drink Almoner: took care of the poor Novice master: trained recruits Raised and bred horses Converted wasteland to agriculture Performed prayers, an important social service, among other economic and cultural services Many children were given as oblates to the church; these children grew to become monks. Monasteries provided careers for aristocratic children. Eventually, the monasteries began recruiting from the middle class, not just the aristocracy Nuns Lived in convents Were established for noble women The abbess/prioress typically had high social status “Some abbesses achieved national prominence” Nuns performed religious duties, administration, sewing, and sometimes even

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Shannon Kehoe

copied manuscripts Hildegard Bingen was a scholarly nun Isabella of Lancaster was a prioress Enjoyed court life and traveling

Social Serf: a person who is bound to the land and owned by the feudal lord Had to pay fees to their lord Were bound to the land, was a “hereditary position”, 3 ways to become free (for a serf) Granted freedom by their lord Purchased from their lord by a third party By belonging to a town’s guild for a year and a day Could move upward socially or gain freedom by helping to settle new land Most peasant homes contained a nuclear family Men Most doctors were men Women Midwives: non professionals who sometime performed Cesarean births (Csections) Worked the fields Managed the home “dominated” in beer and ale production Nobel Women Would run the estate, the men would be off traveling, looking after the rest of their lands Warfare caused many of these women to become widows and run the estate along with the rest of the lands. Because of this, they had the opportunity to become very powerful. Diet (for peasantry) Vegetables, fruit, grains, beer, cheese, a little fish and meat, but mostly bread Most peasants didn’t live beyond the age of 40 Thought to be a large increase in meat consumption by mid 13th century Children Peasant helped with chores Noble Probable decrease in infanticide, probable increase in abandonments (which was socially acceptable) Often sold, or given to monasteries as oblates Aristocratic children had large amounts of playtime and freedom Age seven, served in a lord’s home and received formal arms training

Chapter 10 4 • • •

Shannon Kehoe

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Formal training was finished at age 21 with a knighthood ceremony Noble Youths Knights with live fathers had to entertain themselves with traveling, tournaments, and drinking (carousing) Marriage Used primogeniture, late marriages, and birth control to preserve family estates Primogeniture: an exclusive right of inheritance belonging to the eldest son A young man’s father must be dead in order for him to be considered a man and eligible for marriage Women of the nobility married young. Their families gave large dowries Tension arose between the young unmarried knights, the young women and their older husbands Differences and arguments between generations were common in the 12th and 13th centuries Oblates: a layman living in a monastery under a modified rule and without vows Urbanites had greater access to doctors Nobles Were politically powerful and “possessed special legal status” Were professional fighters Were supposed to protect the weak, the poor, and the church Practice chivalry: display courage, courtesy, loyalty, generosity, and graciousness Sometimes viewed peasants with contempt, as dumb, and condemned to labor by God Other times viewed peasants as virtuous and beloved by God Had to look after their lands, which involved traveling a lot Knights “All nobles were knights, but not all knights were noble” French and English linked knights with being morally superior, aware of family duties and obligations, and belonging to a hereditary and superior class Ministerial: Germany, large class of non-noble knights

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Intellectual Iron production in 1100 increased, allowed for better tools (farming) Hospitals started in 12th century Padded horse collar Led to horses being used in agriculture Allowed for a large increase in production Poor medical care Caused a lot of infants to die Literacy Learning to read and write was uncommon until the 11th and 12th centuries (among

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Chapter 10 5

Shannon Kehoe

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noble children) Law and medicine were investigated concurrently, possibly in the royal court Cistercians Important order of monks in England. Devoted their time to simple services and hard manual labor Developed agriculture in the Low countries, France, England, and Germany

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Artistic Liturgy: collection of ideas, phrases, or observations was the inspiration behind a lot of art

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