The Dark Ages
The Medieval Period in history was between the 5th and 15th centuries. Also called the Middle Ages, or Dark Ages, it was a time of change in Europe. The Middle Ages began with the fall of the Roman Empire to several invading German tribes, and ended when Renaissance came to Europe. The Dark Ages were not "Dark". The people of the Middle Ages had a different lifestyle than the Greeks and Romans.
The Middle Ages were faced with several problems. People had to constantly worry about possible foreign invasion. There was also a lack of a common currency. Food shortages were constant. Another significant problem in the Middle Ages was illiteracy.
There was however, no lack of government. The Middle Ages are honored for their great system of government, Feudalism. Feudalism was the form of government during the Middle Ages. William I introduced Feudalism.
Similar to many empires before the Middle Ages, there was a social class during the Medieval Times. Kings were the leaders. The lord and his lady were the most powerful besides him. Knights were the next in power. The majority of the people were the lower class serfs.
During the Middle Ages David Ross specifies, "The social structure was organized around the system of Feudalism. Feudalism in practice meant that the country was not governed by the king but by individual lords, or barons, who administered their own estates, dispensed their own justice, minted their own money, levied taxes and tolls, and demanded military service from vassals. Usually the lords could field greater armies than the king. In theory the king was the chief feudal lord, but in reality the individual lords were supreme in their own territory. Many kings were little more than figurehead rulers." (Ross).
The kings in power during the Middle Ages were the rulers over all of the Feudal States in their realm, which were governed by Lords.
Certain Kings from Medieval Times are...
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