Weighing Early Medieval Europe: An Analysis of Its Political and Social Systems

Summary

This article discusses the early Middle Ages as a distinct period in history where values such as liberalism, secularism, and toleration were not yet prevalent. There were many different early medieval realities and local experiences that were distinct from each other. The article elaborates on six major shifts in the history of early medieval Europe, specifically three in the West, two in the East, and one in the North. Such major shifts, as discussed in this article, led to the creation of political and social hierarchies across a wide area and the linkage between wealth, exploitation, exchange, and political power.

Table of Contents

• The Break-up of the Western Roman Empire
• Cultural Shift as the Second Major Shift in the West
• Three Blocks of Political Power Between 400 and 1000
• Wealth, Exploitation, Exchange, and Political Power
• The Significance of Tax-Raising States
• The Culture of Public Assembly

Q&A

Q1: How was early medieval Europe different from modern-day society?

A: Early medieval Europe was fundamentally different from modern society. Values such as liberalism, secularism, and toleration were not yet present in early medieval times. The political and social systems throughout the period were underpinned by underlying structures that were significantly different from those in the modern-day.

Q2: What were the major shifts in early medieval Europe?

A: There were six major shifts in the history of early medieval Europe, three in the West, two in the East, and one in the North. The first and most important shift was the break-up of the Western Roman empire. The second major shift in the West was cultural, specifically the development of an explicitly moralized political practice. The period between 400 and 1000 can be split into three blocks of political power in the West, the polycentric power struggle in the Merovingian Francia, Visigothic Spain and Lombard Italy against the Umayyad caliphate and a Byzantine Empire. The rise of three major powers in the Franks, Byzantines, and Abbasids with the Franks weakening and the Byzantines strengthening by 950.

Q3: What was the significance of the break-up of the Western Roman empire?

A: The break-up of the Western Roman empire in the fifth century in the West was a period of great change. The fiscal basis of the Roman state was gradually removed from centrality in the post-Roman kingdoms. Local realities in the West favored simpler political systems, leading to a militarization of political culture.

Q4: How did political power change in early medieval Europe?

A: The period between 400 and 1000 saw the formation of stable political and social hierarchies across a wide area between the Frankish and Byzantine empires in the South and the hunter-gatherers of the far northern forests, starting with the Anglo-Saxons in the eighth century. Wealth and power were overwhelmingly based on the land and the ability to exploit it, while a strong state essentially depended on peasant exploitation. The power of rulers was based on permanent political patterns, and rulers had to cope with the politics of land, where their power was based on the personal loyalty of armed men.

Q5: What was the culture of public assembly in early medieval Europe?

A: The culture of public assembly was an essential element of early medieval political systems that continued from the Roman empire and relied on the clear sense of the difference between the public and private spheres. The assembly was a crucial part of the public sphere that linked the king directly to all free male population.

Conclusion

The early medieval period in Europe was a distinct period in history with significant differences from modern-day society. The break-up of the Western Roman empire was the most critical shift in the period, leading to the formation of stable political and social hierarchies across a wide area between the Frankish and Byzantine empires in the South and the hunter-gatherers of the far northern forests. Wealth and power were overwhelmingly based on the land and the ability to exploit it. The culture of public assembly was an essential element of early medieval political systems that linked the king directly to all free male population. Overall, the early medieval period in Europe was characterized by permanent political patterns, political hierarchies, and the politics of land, where personal loyalty was the key to governance.