The second heir of Rome was the Islamic civilization. Unlike Byzantium, the Islamic civilization was not formed by political forces or bound by a shared cultural past. Instead Islam was one of the first civilizations that was formed around by religion. The religion Islam was founded by Muhammad and rapidly grew through the 7th century transforming into a strong imperial power. Muhammad’s death in 632 CE created a rift in the Islamic world as he died without a clear heir. Thus the two primary factions within Islam formed, the Shias and the Sunnis. For the next eight centuries, the Islamic empire continued to grow and expand despite internal conflicts. The Islamic empire encompassed portions of the Mediterranean, North Africa, the Indian …show more content…
Unlike the other two, Latin Christendom did not begin with any sort of unity or political stability. The ultimate end of the Western Roman Empire left a patchwork of rural kingdoms, chiefdoms and manors scattered throughout Europe. The ‘rise’ of Latin Christendom came in the 8th century with the Carolingians, a Frankish aristocratic family, who established a powerful kingdom in what is now France. The most famous Carolingian being Charlemagne. Charlemagne and his predecessors had systematically taken control of the smaller disjointed kingdoms in the region and united them into the Carolingian Empire. Perhaps their most influential victory was the defeat of the Lombards in 774 in modern Italy. This defeat freed the Pope Adrian I from Lombard control and lead to Charlemagne being named Holy Roman Emperor by the Pope Leo III on Christmas Day 800 CE. This is extremely important for a few reasons, first Charlemagne was the first emperor in the West since the end of the Western Roman Empire and second it established the precedent which would dominate the relationship between the Church and the rulers of Europe for centuries to come. This precedent was the right to legitimize the rightful rulers in Europe, in effect making the Papacy and the Church the authorities on who should rule. It also established the idea of divine right to rule in Europe. This bond between rulers and the Church was a significant factor in the …show more content…
While Islam was a more overtly religious empire, Latin Christendom is undeniably a Christian empire comprised of several Christian kingdoms. the boundaries of the empire were not merely physical, they were spiritual, hence the ensuing conflicts in the Levant. religion grew to be one of the most dominant factors of eastern and western civilization. The conflicts over “holy lands only highlighted and emphasized the fundament theological differences between groups. The differences sparked conflict after conflict, firmly defining one another as distinct. The modern “common” definition of Europe and its boundaries is nearly synonymous with the boundaries of the 13th century empire of Christendom. Yet the geographical boundaries encompass vastly different realities, ideologies and political actors. Historian Peter Burke wrote the Europe “is not so much a place as an idea.” this simple yet profound statement encapsulates the enduring complexities of historical studies of Europe. The Middle Ages and the rise of Christendom in some ways developed a more concrete definition of Europe. In other ways the rise of Christianity and its conflicts further blurred the boundaries by adding a far less fixed attribute into the equation, religion. The empire of Christendom and its defining characteristics continued to change as the Renaissance dawned across
The town of Mecca was the birthplace of Islam, at first the leaders of the city refused the changing of this new religion and forced Muhammad to leave. Muhammad returned and preached to the people about what he had heard, that there is only one god. Islam spread quickly for two main reasons they are the message and military conquest.
There were two men that wanted to be the first caliph (successor) of Muhammad. The first man, named Abu Bakr, many people believed he was a good candidate because he was an old friend and was one of the first ones to convert to Islam. Yet others believed that Ali Talib was the best choice because he was a cousin and a son in law to the prophet. The disputes between the two groups of people would lead to a split; the followers of Abu Bark became the Sunnis and the followers of Ali became the Shia. At the end, the majority of people decided to choose Abu Bark and he became Islam’s first caliph. Abu Bark was Muhammad’s caliph for only two years until he died; even though it was a short period of time, he accomplished big things. For example, the spread of Islam to Byzantines and the Persians. The other caliphs (Umar, Uthman and Ali) expanded the Islamic empire rapidly and grew faster than any other religion. The Muslims conquered a massive amount of land from Indus River, across North Africa and into Spain. There were many factors that help Islam succeed; for example, people would rather fight for God and their salvation instead of fighting for a king, the use of military force by the Muslims and how easy it was to convert to
Charlemagne’s reign before his death was also an important event in the shaping of Europe. Charlemagne (768 -814) also known as “Charles the Great” would raid Italy and capture the Lombard crown adding Northern Italy in 774. He would fight the Saxon’s for over thirty years expanding his territory along the way. The emperor would aggressively convert foreigners after conquering their territory into Christianity. By 800, he extended his territory into the Western and Central regions of Europe. The Carolingian King would create institutions that would mirror the old Roman Empire and set up districts under an appointed authority called a “count” similar to a modern governor.
The First Crusade, for instance, was justified as being a response to the plea for help from Emperor Alexius Comnenus in repelling the Seljuk Turks who had invaded Byzantine territories in Anatolia. Equally, the Third Crusade was called to reconquer the lands captured by Saladin in an effort to preserve Christian rule in the region. In this essay I will argue that the Crusades were a complex series of campaigns which cannot be arbitrarily defined as solely defensive or expansionist exercises. Rather, their interpretation should be more nuanced; with each Crusade intended for both the expansion and defence of Christian territories to varying degrees. I shall be primarily investigating the expansion or defence of the boundaries of Christendom from a Traditionalist perspective within the First and Third Crusades, before taking a Pluralist view in studying the Iberian campaigns to determine whether Holy
In the 16th Century, Europeans had their faith shattered and were forced to realize that there was doubt in what they believed in. From the countless wars being fought in the name of religion, to the once great and wealthy countries that needed to reaffirm their place in the world, ‘all that they had once taken for granted was suddenly cast into doubt’ (446). Europeans were desperately searching for new foundations to put their faith in ‘in the face of intellectual, religious, and political challenges’ (446). This period is an example of the expression “Age of Doubt, Age of Uncertainty”.
Charlemagne reorganized the economy of his empire. He standardized tolls and customs dues as well as weights and measures and he did anything he could do to improve the commerce there. The principal significance of Charlemagne's empire was that it united the Christian lands of western Europe and firmly established the power of the church. He was initiated as the ruler of the "Holy Roman Empire" by the Pope, giving credence to the power of the Church, and setting the stage for the Church to become a huge part of Western
With the decline of the Western Roman empire Western Europe was a disjointed land that had no true unifying structure till the rise of Christianity. In Roman antiquity people used the State or empire of Rome to define themselves and give them a sense of unity despite having a diverse group of people within the empire. When Western Rome fell this belief based on a Roman cultural identity disappeared and no longer were people able to identify themselves with any particular group as they once have. The Christian religion was able to fill this vacuum by having the people associate themselves to a religion instead of a given state or cultural group. During Medieval Europe Christianity became the unifying force that would define what it meant to be European. Christianity gave political leaders legitimacy by showing that they have been favored by the gods. The clergyman that recorded the histories surrounding the kings of the Medieval Europe also provided a link to the Roman Empire to give the Kings a link to Roman empire of antiquity. Christianity became the center of the cultural life in western Europe and created a new social elite in Europe which would dominate literacy and knowledge within Europe for centuries. Christianity provided Europe with an escape from the disorder of the Medieval ages and give them a spiritual outlet for their fears and desires for a better life, whether in the physical life or in the spiritual world after death.
Charlemagne, or Charles the Great, reigned during a time of much turmoil and upheaval in Europe during middle ages. Charlemagne’s background and family history contributed much to his rise to power. The triumphs of his past lineage prepared him to take on the task of governing the Frankish Empire, and defending it from invaders. Charlemagne accomplished much during his supremacy. He not only brought education back into medieval Europe, but also invented an efficient way to govern his people. His conquests against the many adversaries of the Holy Roman Empire expanded his empire across the majority of Europe. His conquests also formed strong ties between the Catholic Church and the State. Charlemagne’s drive to convert Europe’s primitive and pagan tribes to Christianity nearly effaced the Saxons, whom he battled with for the majority of his reign. The crowning of Charlemagne as Holy Roman Emperor created a turning point in history. Within years after his death, however, his once great empire amounted to nothing. Charlemagne’s reign as King of the Franks and as Holy Roman Emperor greatly influenced the course of Europe during the middle ages.
hammed. Byzantine and the Muslims worlds were the very first in the western world to base their governing off of their monotheistic beliefs. The religion of Islam began in Mecca, however the beginning of the Muslim period started with Mohammed’s voyage from Mecca to Medina. The religion quickly spread from India to Spain.
The Roman Empire was overthrown in 476 C.E. by uncivil, barbaric Germanic tribes who were allied for the sole purpose of burning and sacking the Roman Empire. There was a strong need for a leader who would unite Germanic people and put and bring civility to them as well. The Holy Roman Empire was founded on a set of Roman values which included Catholicism as well as an imperial state of mind. The first emperor was the Frankish King Charlemagne who was coronated at St. Peter’s Basilica in the year 800 . Charlemagne’s imperial attitude and love of god gave him the power to set an incredible foundation for the entirety of medieval to modern-day Europe. The influence of Charlemagne and his Holy Roman Empire can be seen in many aspects of European
The Muslim Empire began to expand vastly under the Umayyads, with the empire becoming so large many people were converting to Islam religion. The Umayyads were the second of the four major caliphates after the death of Muhammad. The Empire used many different ways to spread the Islamic civilization consisting of war, classes, and appeal. The Islamic civilization spread so strongly because of the way it allured the common man.
During the Middle Ages, the politics and religious systems of the former western Roman Empire changed in many ways due to a number of events and interactions. One of the most important and defining events of this period was the rise of both Latin Christendom and the rise of the Islamic Caliphates. More specifically, is was the ensuing interactions between the two as both faiths struggled to establish their dominance. The rise of the heirs to the Roman Empire, Byzantium, the Caliphates and Latin Christendom, led to conflict and a more clearly defined and structured western world. This “new” western world was no longer simply divided along geographical and political lines, but was now demarcated by an additional principal characteristic:
A Vanished World: Muslims, Christians, and Jews in Medieval Spain is survey medieval Spain, where Christians, Jews, and Muslims once lived side by side and the Muslims were in charge. The book tries to lead the reader to the conclusion that there is indeed a historical precedent for the three major religions establishing a beneficially symbiotic relationship which may be an enduring lesson for coexistence. The author, Chris Lowney, is an ex-Jesuit and holds degrees in medieval history and philosophy.
Throughout history it is evident that many religions have been tried, tested, and, for some, radically changed. Many religions have gone through periods of time in which the way they were run or enforced underwent changes in practice and leadership. In many cases disagreements and differing outlooks among members of certain religions were to blame for these changes. Christianity and Islam are two examples of religions that have experienced changes over the course of their existence. While these religions seem to have little in common at first glance, both have strikingly similar pasts that consist of radical splits due to disagreements among members of the Christian and Islamic churches, resulting in new branches within each religion.
Islam is a major world religion. Its origin can be traced back to 610 CE in Arabia. The basis of this religion is the revelations to the prophet Mohammad. Dissatisfied with his life, he traveled to deserts, hills, and the wilderness surrounding Mecca, where he lived, to meditate and reflect. He became a new man through his revelations, which many of his followers believe Allah transmitted to him through his angel Gabriel. Islam was originally an Arab religion, but many different beliefs and practices were added to it, making it extremely popular and aiding in its rapid spread. This new religion spread to many different areas surrounding Arabia, both under Mohammad and after his death. The Muslim Empire grew to encompass Spain and the Eastern Roman Empire as well Persia and Africa. Many different practices and methods were used to spread Islam. The religion itself was appealing to, in addition to the inhabitants of Arabia, other people in the surrounding areas because of its distinct religious beliefs and practices, such as the five pillars, as well as the humility and prayerfulness of the Islamic people. They fought cruel, vicious wars with their enemies. Many different things motivated the warriors to expand, but above all, the riches they would gain from the people of the Fertile Crescent encouraged them to expand.