Middle+Ages+(c.+476–1450)+POLITICAL


 * The Middle Ages: Politics **

The Middle Ages political history is said to begin at the fall of the Roman Empire and go on till the Renaissance. During this time period the Catholic Church ruled European politics with the power of God, and Monarchs/Kingdoms rose and fell at the will of the Pope and the Church. Musicians during this time period worked mostly for the Church, creating music to be sung during Mass. The Middle Ages can be broken up into three parts; the early middle ages, the high middle ages, and the late middle ages. The early middle ages saw the fall of the Roman Empire and the warring of separate states attempting to gain a political foothold in their respective areas. The high middle ages saw prosperous crops as well as manorialism,and a birth of the political structure that existed for several hundred years.. The late middle ages saw famine, the Black Death, a weakening of Papal power, and peasant revolts that snowballed the world into the renaissance.

During the medieval era, the East saw the growth and development of the T'ang Dynasty in a united China from the 7th to 10th centuries. The T'ang dynasty promoted foreign trade, underlying their rule, one of the most well-known trade route, the Silk Road to western Asia and Europe was developed and maintained. Confucianism also emerged during the T'ang dynasty, which encouraged education. The principles of Confucianism were used to unify the T'ang's national culture. The Roman empire on the other hand, called the Byzantine Empire, emerged unscathed from invasions and wars of the 5th century. The Emperor Justinian, was the most prominent figure of his time. Justinian reconquered the western countries. i.e. (Italy, North Africa and Southern Spain) In 555, the Roman law in Corpus Juris Civillis was codified. The Western countries were later best-known as the Holy Roman Empire.
 * Laws **
 * This is an illustration of Confucianism during the T'ang Dynasty in China. **
 * This is an illustration of the Justinian Code from the Holy Roman Empire. **

Feudalism was the reigning political system during the Middle Ages period. It was based around a system of mutual obligations among the social hierarchies of the region. The serfs would provide hard labor for the landowners such as dukes, knights, or princes, and in return the lords would allow the serfs to live on the land and provide very basic forms of protection. An additional component of the serf's payment was complete and unwavering devotion, or fealty, to the king of the area, the very same price the lords had to pay for the land. The Catholic Church reserved the right to power on par with or even far greater than the kings, making them the ultimate power in most situations. Living conditions for the hard-working, yet little earning, serfs was oftentimes difficult and disconcerting. Many turned to religious services and faith as a bastion of hope and happiness, further cementing the Church's substantial role in the Western European way of life.
 * Political Systems **


 * Musicians' role in the Medieval Era **

Music was a relatively prominent part of life in the medieval era. Simple song and dance were popular activities among commoners, especially later in the medieval era when the seeds of secularism had begun sprouting into the renaissance. Popular subject matter in early secular music were history, love, crusades, and chivalry. These melodies served as a means of historical preservation of significant events that took place during this period.

Musicians, sometimes known as minstrels or jongleurs, were called troubadours (Southern) and trouveres (Northern) then. They were traveling performers who entertained people from town to town, castle to castle. They sang about actual events that took place in daily life, and thus functioned as "reporters" of their days, so to speak. The people were treated with different attitudes. Some people respected them while others thought lowly of them.

The Catholic Church reserved the right to power on par fall of the Roman Empire occured in 476 C.E, which essentially left Europe in the dark, with or even far greater than the kings, making them the ultimate power in most situations. Photograph:A painting shows serfs giving animals to their lord. Living conditions for the hard-working, yet little earning, serfs was oftentimes difficult and disconcerting. Many turned to religious services and faith as a bastion of hope and happiness, further cementing the Church's substantial role in the Western European way of life. Musicians' role in the Medieval Era Music lack of learning and knowledge and a strong political power. During the Early Midd Ages, Charlemagne crowned himself emperor. This new emperor was a relatively prominent part of life strong warrior, extending the empire over much of central and eastern Europe. He united Christian Europe and instituted new schools for grammar, rhetoric, logic, arithmetic, astronomy, geometry, and most importantly (to us) music. Pope Gregory the Great also instituted the Gregorian Chants, compiling music to be use in the medieval era. Simple song and dance were popular activities among commoners, especially later in the medieval era when the seeds of secularism had begun sprouting into the renaissance. Popular subject matter in early secular music were history, love, crusades, and chivalry. These melodies served as a means of historical preservation of significant events that took place during this period. Musicians, sometimes known as minstrels or jongleurs, were called troubadours (Southern) and trouveres (Northern) then. They were traveling performers who entertained people from town to town, castle to castle. They sang about actual events that took place in daily life, and thus functioned as "reporters" of their days, so to speak. The people were treated with different attitudes. Some people respected them while others thought lowly of them. Leaders Mass and for sacred reasons.
 * Leaders **