The Middle Ages or historically known as the medieval period because it is midway between the end of the Roman Enpire in the 5th century and the Renaissance which started in the 15th century (Southern, 85). The period does not have precise dates, but many scholars say that the Middle Ages lasted from 500 to 1500 A.D. Despite the barbarian invasion amongst the majority of the European lands, the beginning of the 8th century up until the thirteenth century, continental Europe became a major superpower with a promising growth of the economy. This was due to the inventions that made the production of goods easier. For example, medieval farmers do not have modern machineries to plow their fields and plant their crops. They relied heavily on the use of medieval technologies such as ploughing method. Ploughing is usually done by horses and cattle wherein a plough is attached to the animal mainly for the purpose of preparing the fields for crop planting. By the 11th century, new crops were discovered for the purpose of making a profit. Hops for example are used to produce liquor and the invention of wine press by the 12th century became a popular method of manufacturing ale and wine (Dyer, 17). The inventions in architecture such as the modern heating and irrigation also contributed to the economic stability of Europe during the dark ages. Moreover, towns became more productive by creating more trading posts wherein people can sell their items. In addition, the invention of coins as a form of payment instead of barter trade and the invention of the ‘double-entry’ system in medieval accounting helped merchants to utilize their expenses and control their funds (Massa, 50). More and more people were pressed into service for the house of the lords. People, particularly the peasants endured a day’s of hardwork just to produce goods for their master. These events and inventions created the Medieval superpower. The taxes imposed by the kings and queens on their people were used to finance the Crusades, in order to search for more lands for trade.
Great changes swept Europe during the late Middle Ages. The late Middle Ages saw the development of new and more formal structures for business, learning and the Church. Rich boys belonging to the ancient family lineage or perhaps those whose families belong to the rich medieval peasants can afford to pay for their education (Dyer, 13). Males are the dominant gender in the society. Their power is absolute and they have many liberties compared to medieval women who has few rights. Women does not have the right of their own. When they marry, they must surrender their wealth to their husbands; they are often left home to help tend the garden, look after the children and the house. The Church became a superpower in the Medieval society since it was governed by bishops and archbishops. They are the ones responsible for establishing protocols on how women should behave and perform their rightful conduct to honor their husbands (Massa, 52). Hence, because of the male dominance in the society, business became prosperous because during the medieval period, running a business is quite a dangerous and tedious task. Men can fully concentrate on their businesses whilst their wives ran the household. Learning and education was only meant for the rich whilst the poor remained illiterate. Women were also educated to be able to help her husband in running their business and household. Men and women have different tasks; hence, each of them can concentrate their full attention only on the tasks assigned to them. Because of this, the Middle Ages also became more prosperous because everyone does their assigned work. In addition, the money market became more popular and many merchants engaged the use of gold coins as a form of payment. Furthermore, newly discovered trade links after the Crusades and the sail to Asia and other explorations contributed to the prosperity of Europe during the Middle Ages.
Works Cited
Dyer, Christopher. Making a Living in the Middle Ages. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2002. Print.
Massa, Paola. 'The Economy in the Fifteenth Century'. An Economic History of Europe. Antonio Di Vittorio and Katherine Hunt. 2nd Ed. New York: Routledge, 2006. Print.
Southern, R. W. Western Society and the Church in the Middle Ages. Harmondsworth, England: Penguin Books, 1970. Print.
