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Jun 29, 2024 · 651 – Islamic Conquest of Persia. The Islamic conquest of Persia, completed in 651 AD, marks the end of the Sassanian Empire and the expansion of the Islamic Caliphate. After two decades of conflict, the Battle of al-Qadisiyyah (636) and the subsequent campaigns lead to the fall of the Sassanian capital, Ctesiphon.
- Middle Ages – The King: Leader of The Feudal System
- Middle Ages – Barons: Executors of The Feudal System
- Knights
- Fire
- Battering Ram
- Ladders
- Catapult
- Mining
- Siege
- Early Middle Ages
The King was in complete control under the feudal system (at least nominally). He owned all the land in the country and decided to whom he would lease land. He therefore typically allowed tenants he could trust to lease land from him. However, before they were given any land they had to swear an oath of fealty to the King at all times. The men who ...
Barons leased land from the King that was known as a manor. They were known as the Lord of the Manor and were in complete control of this land. They established their own system of justice, minted their own money and set their own taxes. In return for the land they had been given by the King, the Barons had to serve on the royal council, pay rent a...
Knights were given land by a Baron in return for military service when demanded by the King. They also had to protect the Baron and his family, as well as the Manor, from attack. The Knights kept as much of the land as they wished for their own personal use and distributed the rest to villeins (serfs). Although not as rich as the Barons, Knights we...
Fire was the best way to attack the early Motte and Bailey castles since they were made entirely of wood. The fire might be started by building a bonfire against the outer wooden fence (palisade) or, more usually, by archers shooting fire-arrows into the castle. As the fire spread through the castle those living inside would be forced to leave allo...
The thick stone walls of the Stone Keep castles were difficult for men to knock down. Although pickaxes could be used against castles with thinner walls, it would take a very long time to knock a hole through a castle with very thick walls. The battering ram was particularly useful since the weight of several men would be put behind it. This would ...
Ladders were used by those attacking a castle to climb over the walls and fight the castle inhabitants within the castle walls. However, ladders had the disadvantage of leaving the man climbing the ladder subject to attack by arrow, boiling water or oil, or by being thrown to the ground if the ladder was pushed away from the wall. To prevent this t...
A variety of catapults or siege engines were developed during the Middle Ages to fire stones, fireballs or other objects such as dead sheep, cattle, or plague victims, at the castle walls or into the castle itself. This type of catapult works by twisting rope as tightly as possible so that it acts like elastic when the arm is released.
A good way of attacking a stone castle was through mining. Attackers would dig a tunnel underground up to the castle walls, under the gatehouse if possible. They would then set a charge and make an explosion which would make the walls crumble and collapse. The advantage of mining was that the attack could not be seen by those living in the castle. ...
Another good way of attacking a stone castle was by placing it under siege. Attackers would surround a castle with both men and catapults so that no one could enter or leave the castle. Sieges could last for months, usually until the inhabitants of the castle ran out of food and were starving. One of the castle owner’s main line of defence against ...
These pictures (above) show the costume worn in the early Middle Ages by the rich. The man is wearing a woollen tunic, belted at the waist that has been embroidered around the hem and sleeves. Over this he has a woollen cloak fastened with a brooch. The man’s wife is wearing a woollen dress, tied at the waist over a white linen underskirt. Over thi...
Jul 18, 2024 · Li Shimin, one of the co-founders of the Tang Dynasty in China, became emperor after his father’s death, ruling from 626 to 649. Taking on the name Taizong, he built an empire over much of East Asia, ushering in a golden age for Chinese history. Today, he remains an exemplar of a wise ruler and administrator.
Oct 24, 2024 · The Middle Ages was the period in European history from the collapse of Roman civilization in the 5th century CE to the period of the Renaissance (variously interpreted as beginning in the 13th, 14th, or 15th century, depending on the region of Europe and other factors).
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
May 26, 2024 · The medieval period, also known as the Middle Ages, is one of the most fascinating and impactful eras in European and world history. Spanning approximately 1000 years from the 5th to the 15th century, the medieval period saw the formation of European kingdoms, the rise of the Catholic Church, the ravages of the Black Death, and the beginnings of the Renaissance and the Age of Discovery.
Apr 22, 2010 · People use the phrase “Middle Ages” to describe Europe between the fall of Rome in 476 CE and the beginning of the Renaissance in the 14th century.
Oct 29, 2024 · Accessed 11 November 2024. History of Europe - Medieval, Feudalism, Crusades: The period of European history extending from about 500 to 1400–1500 ce is traditionally known as the Middle Ages. The term was first used by 15th-century scholars to designate the period between their own time and the fall of the Western Roman Empire.
