Unit 4
The Byzantine Empire, the Islamic World and Medieval Europe
Notes
The Byzantine Empire
- The eastern Roman Empire ruled from Constantinople until 1453. Justinian's Code preserved Roman law.
- The Great Schism (1054) split the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches.
The Islamic world
- Islam began with Muhammad in Arabia. The Hijra (622) begins the Islamic calendar. Muslims follow the Quran and the Five Pillars.
- The Sunni-Shia split began over leadership. The Umayyad and Abbasid caliphates expanded Islam from Spain to India.
- The Islamic Golden Age advanced algebra, medicine and astronomy and preserved Greek learning.
Medieval Europe
- Feudalism and manorialism gave local protection after Rome fell. Charlemagne was crowned in 800.
- The Catholic Church shaped daily life, politics and learning.
- The Crusades increased trade and contact with Asia but also caused lasting hostility.
- Magna Carta (1215) limited royal power. The Black Death and the Hundred Years' War weakened feudalism.
Topics in this unit
Each topic has its own short notes and practice.
Practice
622, 1054, 1215, 1453.
Byzantine scholars and the House of Wisdom both kept Greek works alive.
Plague deaths created labor shortages that raised wages.
In 1215 King John agreed that he too was subject to law.
Exhausted rival empires were less able to resist.
Crusaders brought back a taste for spices and silk, boosting Venice and Genoa.
Free response
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Free-response question
Between 500 and 1500, Christian Europe, the Byzantine Empire and the Islamic world interacted through trade, learning and conflict.
(a) Describe ONE achievement of the Islamic Golden Age.
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Al-Khwarizmi developed algebra, and Ibn Sina wrote a medical encyclopedia used in Europe for centuries. Scholars in Baghdad's House of Wisdom translated Greek works.
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(b) Explain TWO causes of the Crusades.
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The Byzantine emperor asked for help against the Seljuk Turks, and Pope Urban II called on Christians to retake Jerusalem. Many knights also joined to gain land, wealth or forgiveness of sins.
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(c) Explain ONE long-term effect of the Crusades.
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The Crusades increased trade between Europe and the Middle East. Demand for spices and silk enriched Italian cities like Venice and helped revive towns and a money economy.
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