Question 1:
At times, it is thought that religion is as old as humanity is. That is, all along, people chose to believe in some kind of a super-natural being that controlled the happenings in those days and still continues to determine how people’s lives run today. Religion has its roots to the belief that there is a creator who controls everything. In the Franco-Eurasian continents in the 10th Century CE, there were various religions that dominated the land. The oldest form of religion was the Hellenism (sdsu.edu, 31). This religion was largely Greek based. It did not believe in the existence of God. Rather, it believed in the philosophical and scientific ideas that existed at the time. The second religion was Christianity. At the beginning, this was seen as a minority religion in the largely monotheistic era. Its popularity began in the shores of the Mediterranean and then it spread all through Europe. It spread in Southwest Asia, Egypt and in Russia. It gradually became a strong religion in the land. Closely tied with the Christianity was Islam. The two sprouted from the Jewish monotheism but believed in different ideologies. This brought out the difference between them. Islam was the third universal religion and it evolved in a very dramatic manner. It had the holy book Qur’an and believed in Mohammed as the messenger of God.
The three religions spread in different ways, but the main way was through conviction. Messengers of the different religions went to other places and started convincing people to convert into their faith. As such, the religions started growing and gaining popularity as the news was spread to different people in different places.
Another method that the religions spread was through conquest. That is, the religions had their spheres of interest. They also went on and claimed more land and territories in other places. The people in an area that was annexed by the religion were ultimately forced to convert into the new faith. This, albeit through forced means, led to the spread of the religions.
The three religions brought unity in the region in different ways. First of all, there was the development of education. In the Greek Hellenism, the people believed in scientific and philosophical ideas. As such, the people who believed in these ended up being less than one umbrella of faith. Similarly, Christianity and Islam also came up with their ideologies. They developed their education systems through which they could teach their people the laws of their religion as they also imparted other forms of knowledge such as mathematics and sociology. As such, the people who believed in a particular religion ended up being united since they had a common interest.
Question 2:
Historical events are often very influential in shaping the life of the people at the moment they occur and also in the future. In the 100-1450 CE, there were some events that took place that were very influential in shaping the life of the people in the later days. One of these events was the religious crusades that took place during this era (newcanaan.k12.ct.us, 1). These events took place as the Christians sought to curtail the spread of the Islam since they felt threatened by its expansion. Partially, the crusades were also driven by money and greed as the people thought that they could become wealthier by getting the rich Eastland lands. In the first crusade, the Christians conquered the Holy land, which is Jerusalem. The second crusade was characterized by the capture of Constantinople. However, the Arabs quickly won back the spoils as the Christians, mainly the Catholics and the Eastern Orthodox members disagreed with each other and drifted apart. The significance of these events is that they led to the great rivalry between the Islam and Christians. This rivalry exists even today where the two religions do not seem to agree on anything; from their faith to the manner in which they worship. As such, the crusades were of great significance.
There was also a political move that greatly affected the manner in which the people lived in England. During this era, it is important to note that the church was very influential in the political arena. As such, any decision made by the church was of great significance to the nation. In 1215 C.E, King John signed the Magna Carta under the influence of high ranking nobles. This was a very strong document that restored the feudal powers of the noble class. As such, they gained immense power and had the ability to rule over the whole nation. As a matter of fact, they owned all the land and the people became their servants. However, the most significance of the document is that it laid the foundation for the Parliament. After the establishment of the parliament, it was later split into the House of Lords and the House of Commons. As such, it can be seen that the document had political significance in England.
In France, there was also an event that occurred which had political significance. England and France got involved in what came to be known as the Hundred Years of war. This was took place between 1337 and 1453. As such, it had great significance to the nations when it ended. In the long run, England withdrew its intent to annex France and withdrew from the land. The significance of this event is that it led to poor relations between France and England. Today, the two might be in very good terms. They were even allies in the later World Wars and they fought strongly against the Germans. However, it is worth noting that the two have histories of hostility against each other since long in history. This rivalry could have sprung from the war which left both sides exhausted but harboring bitterness against the other (newcannan.k12.ct.us, 14).
Works Cited
Newcanaan.k12.ct.us. 1000-1450 Europe. 2012. Web, 30th April 2012, http://www2.newcanaan.k12.ct.us/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?sectiondetailid=5149&
Sdsu.edu. Patterns of Interregional Unity 300 – 1500 CE. N.d. Web, 30th April 2012, http://worldhistoryforusall.sdsu.edu/eras/era5.php
