West European Studies, Essay Example

It was during the eleventh and twelfth centuries that Europe witnessed both a revival and transformation bringing about a new sense of purpose and growth. Populations were on the increase and there was expansion of lands devoted to agricultural purposes. Commerce was being revived and particularly on new lands in the Mediterranean area acquire from Byzantium and Islam lands. In the late 11^th century the Feudal Lords began to lose control and dominance of regions under their power. They were facing new challenges from re-vitalised Catholic Church, the forces of a developing new economy and trade.  It was becoming the time of the Kings, those monarchs concerned with being state builders.

All of this started to see a cessation in the amount of violence.  The most important changes being in the agricultural arena where farmers could now work outside the protection of the manor house and work the fields and land again.  This started to facilitate the build of a stronger more robust economy and the creation of a more complex social structure. It was the agricultural expansion that became the main driver behind establishing more urban centres and towns. This in turn allowed for the development of merchants and craftsman thereby promoting the exchange of goods and trade. “Thus those living in the towns could start to make demands of these feudal lords.  Interestingly, the feudal lords did not recognize the threat of this middle class and the beginning of a commercial economy. All they saw was the tax money they could collect” (Anon, 2010)

Serfdom also declined because people could leave for towns and exchange goods. In addition the Black Death had killed a lot of people in Europe and this increased to demand for workers. The changing agricultural practices pushed people off the land into trading relationships with the urban dwellers.

Works Cited

Anon. (2010). Revival in the High Middle Ages. Retrieved 11 27, 2009, from Hawaiiu.edu: http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/distance/hist151/revival.htm