"The Middle Ages or medieval period... lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries."
The study of medieval Europe and its cultural, economic, and social developments.
Feudalism: The political, social, and economic system of medieval Europe in which land was divided up among lords in exchange for loyalty and military service.
Chivalry: A code of ethics and behavior followed by knights in medieval Europe, emphasizing honor, bravery, and respect for women.
Crusades: A series of religious wars fought between Christians and Muslims in the Middle Ages, with the goal of taking control of the Holy Land.
Gothic Architecture: A style of architecture that flourished in Europe during the high and late Middle Ages, characterized by pointed arches, ribbed vaults, and slender columns.
Black Death: A devastating pandemic that swept through Europe in the 14th century, killing millions of people and drastically changing the course of history.
Hundred Years' War: A series of conflicts fought between England and France over control of the French throne from 1337 to 1453.
Magna Carta: A document signed by King John of England in 1215 that established basic rights and limits on royal power, laying the foundation for modern constitutional government.
Vikings: Scandinavian warriors and traders who raided and settled in parts of Europe, Asia, and North America during the Middle Ages.
Norman Conquest: The invasion and conquest of England by William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, in 1066.
Monasticism: The religious practice of living in a monastery or convent and dedicating one's life to worship, prayer, and service.
Carolingian Empire: A medieval empire founded by Charlemagne, who united much of Western Europe under his rule and laid the foundations for the Holy Roman Empire.
Holy Roman Empire: A complex political entity that existed in central Europe from the 10th to the 19th century, encompassing parts of Germany, Italy, and other countries.
Byzantine Empire: An eastern successor state of the Roman Empire that lasted from the 4th century until the fall of Constantinople in 1453.
Islamic Golden Age: A period of cultural and intellectual flourishing in the Islamic world from the 8th to the 14th century, characterized by advances in science, philosophy, literature, and art.
Reconquista: The centuries-long effort by Christian kingdoms in Spain to drive out the Muslim Moors and reconquer the Iberian Peninsula.
Early Middle Ages: Also known as the Dark Ages, this period began with the fall of the Roman Empire and lasted from the 5th to the 10th century CE. It was characterized by political disunity, migration, and the rise of feudalism.
High Middle Ages: This period spanned from the 11th to the 13th century CE and was marked by economic growth, cultural and intellectual advancements, and the rise of powerful monarchies.
Late Middle Ages: This period extended from the 14th to the 15th century CE and was defined by political instability, widespread poverty and disease, and social unrest. It saw the Hundred Years' War, the Black Death, and the decline of feudalism.
Medieval Europe: This term refers to the whole period of the Middle Ages, from the fall of the Roman Empire to the start of the modern era, and encompasses all the different types of Middle Ages.
Islamic Middle Ages: This period covers the rise and expansion of Islam from the 7th century to the 15th century CE, which saw the creation of a vast Islamic Empire and cultural and scientific achievements.
Byzantine Middle Ages: This period begins with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and spans until the fall of the Eastern Roman Empire in 1453 CE. It was marked by political, cultural, and religious change, the Justinian Code, and the influence of Greek and Roman culture.
Asian Middle Ages: This term refers to the period of the Middle Ages in Eastern Asia, which was marked by the rise and fall of various empires, the spread of Buddhism and Confucianism, and the creation of advanced architectural and artistic marvels.
African Middle Ages: This period covers the rise and fall of various empires, including the Ghana, Mali, and Songhai empires, as well as cultural and intellectual achievements such as the creation of advanced mathematical and astronomical systems.
Central and South American Middle Ages: This period covers the rise and fall of various empires, including the Aztec and Inca empires, the spread of agriculture and urbanization, and cultural and artistic development.
Northern European Middle Ages: This period covers the rise and fall of various kingdoms and empires, including the Vikings and the Normans, as well as the influence of Christianity and the spread of chivalry and courtly love.
"It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD."
"It ended with the fall of Constantinople in 1453 AD before transitioning into the Renaissance and then the Age of Discovery."
"The Middle Ages is the middle period of the three traditional divisions of Western history: antiquity, medieval, and modern."
"The large-scale movements of the Migration Period... led to the rise of new kingdoms in Western Europe."
"The Middle East and North Africa came under caliphal rule with the Arab conquests."
"The Byzantine Empire survived in the Eastern Mediterranean and advanced secular law through the Code of Justinian."
"In the West, most kingdoms incorporated extant Roman institutions, while the influence of Christianity expanded across Europe."
"[The Carolingian Empire] succumbed to internal conflict and external invasions from the Vikings from the north, Magyars from the east, and the Muslims from the south."
"The population of Europe increased greatly... technological and agricultural innovations allowed trade to flourish... climate change allowed crop yields to increase."
"Manorialism, the organisation of peasants into villages that owed rent and labour services to the nobles, and feudalism, the political structure whereby knights and lower-status nobles owed military service to their overlords in return for the right to rent from lands and manors."
"The East–West Schism of 1054."
"The Crusades were military attempts by Western European Christians to regain control of the Holy Land from Muslims."
"[The Crusades] also contributed to the expansion of Latin Christendom in the Baltic region and the Iberian Peninsula."
"Intellectual life was marked by scholasticism, a philosophy that emphasised joining faith to reason."
"The theology of Thomas Aquinas, the paintings of Giotto, the poetry of Dante and Chaucer, the travels of Marco Polo."
"Difficulties and calamities including famine, plague, and war, which significantly diminished the population of Europe."
"Between 1347 and 1350, the Black Death killed about a third of Europeans."
"Controversy, heresy, and the Western Schism within the Catholic Church paralleled the interstate conflict, civil strife, and peasant revolts that occurred in the kingdoms."
"Cultural and technological developments transformed European society, concluding the Late Middle Ages and beginning the early modern period."