DESTINATION Midale Ages Your Guide to Knights and the At Age of Chivalry Cynthia O Brien Le Crabtree Publishing Company www crabtree books com
Before We Start Did you know The many wars of the Middle Ages were mainly fought by knights on horseback Knights tried to live by the ideals of chivalry rules of behavior based on fairness courage and honor TIMES OF CHANGE The first knights appeared in Europe in the 700s Knights dominated battlefields from the until 1100s the 1300s By the 1400s the age of the knight was ending Defining the Middle Ages The Middle Ages is the name given to a period that lasted about 1 000 years beginning around the end of the Roman Empire in 476 The early Middle Ages lasted until about 1000 The later Middle Ages which lasted until about 1500 was a time of great migration and nation building Kings built larger kingdoms by taking land from their neighbors forcing defeated peoples to find new land of their own Knights took a leading role in the kings wars of conquest THE SHAPE OF EUROPE Competing empires In medieval times Christians ruled much of Europe The Pope led the Roman Catholic Church He supported the Holy Roman Empire which dominated central and western Europe The Byzantine Empire of present day Turkey and Greece followed Eastern Orthodox Christianity Meanwhile Islamic empires rose in North Africa the Middle East and Spain Christians and Muslims fought over their religions right but also over land and power DESTINATION MIDDLE AGES
THE FEUDAL SYSTEM Structure of society In the 900s and 1000s the feudal system shaped society The king shared land among his lords in return for their support Each lord granted land to vassals In return a vassal agreed to be loyal to the lord and supply him with soldiers By the 1200s many vassals had become knights Peasants or farmers worked the land left for knights in return for being housed supported and protected TOP OF THE PILE Nobles and nights have the power A strict hierarchy existed in the Middle Ages The king and other nobles such as dukes were the most powerful people Peasants had no wealth or power The first knights right did not own land or have high social standing However after the Crusades began at the end of the 1000s knights became more important By the middle of the 1200s only men of noble birth could become knights Knights fought for their lord and king They fought in the Crusades the battles of the Hundred Years War and many other sieges and conflicts CENTERS OF 1 POWER Medieval kings and lords built fortified homes called castles Castles allowed lords to control the land and people around them The lord his family servants and knights lived in the castle Few knights owned castles but many owned and lived in manor houses These knights had land and had peasants who worked for them My home is my castle YOUR GUIDE TO KNIGHTS AND THE AGE OF CHIVALRY
