Middle Age Name Drops
The Feudal System
Dynasties Last Forever
A Government of the People
Change with the Times
100

invaded England, leading a Franco Norman army to victory over the Anglo Saxon forces, suppressed subsequent English revolts in what has become known as the Norman Conquest

William of Normandy

100

agricultural estate established by a lord that used peasants for the labor

Manor

100

(581–618 CE) reunited China after nearly four centuries of division, founded by Emperor Wen, known for monumental construction projects—most notably the Grand Canal—and significant reforms in government, law, and land distribution

Sui Dynasty

100

a uniform system of law that developed in England based on court decisions and on customs and usage rather on written law codes; replaced law codes that varied from place to place

Common Law

100

a gift or money or property paid at the time of marriage, either by the bride’s parents to her husband or, in Islamic societies, by a husband to his wife

Dowry

200

(King of England, 1154-1189) significantly expands the Anglo French empire, and reformed English law, laying the groundwork for Common Law through traveling judges and jury systems

Henry II

200

peasant that is legally bound to the land who had to provide labor services, pay rents, and be subject to the authority of the vassal

Serf

200

(618–907 C.E.) golden age of Chinese civilization, characterized by immense prosperity and territorial expansion, founded by the Li family and thrived as a major world power with a period of high artistic achievement, notably in poetry and technological advancements

Tang Dynasty

200

a social or political class

Estate

200

a ceramic made of fine clay baked at very high temperatures

Porcelain

300

the first of the great Capetian kings of medieval France (reigned 1180–1223), who gradually reconquered the French territories held by the kings of England and also furthered the royal domains

Phillip II

300

served as a lord of a fief in the capacity of civil and military authority

Vassal

300

(960–1279) was known for its incredible economic prosperity, technological innovation (like gunpowder, paper money, and movable type printing), flourishing arts, and advancements in science, engineering, and Neo-Confucian philosophy

Song Dynasty

300

13th century England, the representative government that emerged; it was composed of two knights from every county, two people from every town, and all the nobles and bishops throughout England

Parliament

300

in China, a group of people who controlled much of the land and produced most of the candidates for civil service

Scholar Gentry

400

German king (from 936), and Holy Roman emperor (962–973) consolidated the German Reich by his suppression of rebellious vassals, uses church as a stabilizing influence to create a secure empire

Otto I

400

unwritten rules that established the relationship between the lord (nobility) and their vassals

Feudal Contract

400

(1215–1294) was a 13th century Mongol leader, grandson of Genghis Khan, who founded the Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368) and became the first non-Chinese ruler to conquer all of China

Kublai Khan

400

the Great Charter of rights, which King John was forced to sign by the English nobles at Runnymede in 1215

Magna Carta

400

a revised form of Confucianism that evolved as a response to Buddhism and held sway in China from the late Tang dynasty to the end of the dynastic system in twentieth century

Neo Confucianism

500

ruled a vast area, beginning with Sicily and stretching through Italy all the way north to Germany; viewed himself as a direct successor to the Roman emperors

Frederick II

500

the ideal of civilized behavior that develops among the nobility that was a code of ethics that was upheld by knights

Chivalry

500

are considered the two greatest, most influential poets of China's Tang Dynasty

Li Bo and Du Fu

500

the middle class that included merchants, industrialists, and professionals (artisans)

Bourgeoise

500

heavy wheeled plow with an iron plowshare that is pulled by animals

Carruca