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Recommended: The medieval period 1100-1500

During the European Medieval Ages, several changes occurred that had a significant effect on society. These changes were connected because they were both caused by the same underlying issue. The main factor that led to the peasant rebellions and the Crusades was the corruption of the upper class. The wealthy population in this time period did whatever they had to, to secure their wealth even though it came with a very high cost.
In the European Medieval Ages, which began in the fifth century, feudalism was the overall government system, while manorialism was the economic system within feudalism. “Feudalism was a loosely organized system of rule in which powerful local lords divided their landholdings among lesser lords. In exchange, these lesser lords, or vassals, pledged service and loyalty to the greater lord” (Ellis and Esler 186). A lord’s manor was usually self-sufficient, with lords, knights and peasants living on it. The obligation of the vassals and lords were formed through a tradition known as the feudal contract. This contract was beneficial to both people because the vassals gained the lord’s protection and were given a fief (estate), while the lord received forty days of military service and the loyalty of the vassal. Everything in a manor house was centrally located like a watermill, a church and the manor house (Ellis and Esler 186). Food, clothing, furniture and tools were produced by self sufficient peasants. The peasants were not slaves but could not leave the land without the lord’s agreement. They worked for the lord and paid occasional fees. The lord gave the peasants land that they farmed and kept the profit from (Ellis and Esler 189).
Those living on the manor had contact with the Church thro...

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...tain their luxurious lifestyle, but caused the peasants and burghers to face financial difficulty (Harman 149). The reason the empire was wealthy was due to the “pillaging of the peasantry and the subjection of the slaves”(Harman 82). This is an example of the wealthy’s fraudulent behavior (Harman 82).

Evidence Section- 547
Due to feudalism, the upper class had a huge amount of power over the peasants. They abused this power to the point of peasant rebellions. Additionally the Pope’s manipulation skills led to one of the worst, most violent events in history, the Crusades. This murder of hundreds of thousands of people occurred because the Pope was able to manipulate the Christians so they would fight this battle. This demonstrates that with great power comes great responsibility and since the wealthy didn’t understand this responsibility society collapsed.

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