Early Medieval Rulers and Empires
This Frankish ruler ruled the largest amount of Europe since the Roman Empire
Charlemagne
A decentralized political system based on land given in exchange for loyalty and service
Feudalism/feudal system
The most powerful institution in Europe during the Middle Ages
Roman Catholic Church
A sense of shared language, culture, and identity that helped form nation-states.
Nationalism
The rise of towns in the middle ages was largely due to an increase in this
Trade/commerce
The Middle Ages began with this event in 476 AD
The fall of the Roman Empire
A noble who was given land by the king to administer. He granted it to others in exchange for loyalty
a lord
This term is used to describe the idea that the Church was "universal," encompassing Christians of all regions
catholic
This 1215 document limited the power of the English king
Magna Carta
King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella united their two kingdoms through marriage to form this nation-state
Spain
Charlemagne ruled over area that largely became these two modern countries in Europe
France and Germany
A peasant bound to the land who owed labor to the lord but was not enslaved; made up over 90% of Europe's population
Serf
There were 8 of these campaigns in which Christians of Europe united in an attempt to drive Muslims out of the Holy Land
the Crusades
England's lawmaking body that represented the people and forced the king to share power. It also had the "power of the purse" to levy taxes
Parliament
The social class made up of merchants, bankers, and skilled workers. They did not fit within the feudal social hierarchy
the middle class
This person crowned Charlemagne as the first Holy Roman Emperor on Christmas day 800
the pope
the economic system centered on self-sufficient estates called manors
manorialism/manor system
A punishment where someone was banned from the Church and denied sacraments
excommunication
A long conflict between England and France that helped weaken feudalism. France won in the end
The Hundred Years' War
Guilds
This Frankish ruler was known as "the Hammer" for his role in driving the Muslims out of France in 732
Charles Martel
A person in a feudal society who pledged loyalty and service to a lord (a person above them) in exchange for land.
Vassal
Popes often got into conflicts with these types of people, especially as nation-states began to grow in power in the late Middle Ages
Kings
The French peasant girl who inspired nationalism and helped turn the tide of a long war against England
Joan of Arc
Name two things that led to the decline in feudalism in the late Middle Ages
Nationalism/increased power of kings, trade, the Crusades, rise of the middle class, creation of uniform laws for nations