ASSIGNMENT : Western Civilization

Question 1

A myriad of factors contributed the decline of the medieval Christian Europe in 1300. First, the decline was contributed by the emergence of Black Death (bubonic plague), an epidemic that later came to be understood that it was being transmitted by rats. It was believed that this plague was brought to Europe by ships that were docking at the European harbors. Initially, plagues and epidemics were unheard of, and one of the major factors that make the Black Death to be widely recognized was due to the high number of individuals who had succumbed to the severity of this epidemic, especially in areas that it had hardly affected.

In addition, the decline of the medieval Christian Europe was also contributed by the economic decline that hit the Europe, especially following the occurrence of the outbreak. Initially, Europe had a consistent economic growth, especially as a result of the trade that had thrived in the area. However, after the occurrence of the Black Death, most individuals were affected, to such an extent that the remnants were concentrating on how to dispose of the dead bodies, rather than attending to their daily economic activities. In addition, it was believed that the disease was being spread from one individual to the other through close interaction, and this made most individuals to fear interactions with others. This hardly hit trade, as people would opt to stay indoors rather than participating in trade.

Moreover, during the fourteenth century, there were numerous contributions that had been introduced by the church, including the Peter`s Pence (a form of direct tax), and this made most individuals criticize priests as extortionate and greedy. In addition, the luxurious and wealthy lifestyles of bishops and other prelates made individuals feel that their contributions were being embezzled by those that they had entrusted as custodians.

Question 3

Between 900 and 1300, Europe experienced the highest levels of population growth in the human history. The increased of the human population called for extensive measures of agricultural production, to not only feed the increased population but also gather enough yields for security. One avenue that the occupants of this land embraced was to try to be innovation, in such a way that they can come up with technologies of increasing food production. The Europeans adopted the approach of using horses as draft animals because horses were not only stronger but fast and more efficient that ox. Horses needed less food to do more work than oxen. The uses of horses resulted in increased agricultural yields during the consecutive years, and this stimulated the economic growth in Europe.

The Romans also developed heavy wheel plow, which could cut the soil deeper than the conventional ones. In addition, water mills were also developed, and a combination of all of these developments contributed to increased agricultural production. Moreover, as new methods of cultivating were being developed, the demand for land increased, and this stimulated the aspect of not allowing some piece of land being left fallow, but also being used to rear animals. In these pieces of land, manure used to accumulate, making the land more fertile. Initially, towns were either ecclesiastical sites and/or governmental sites. However, after the development of urban centers, they started being used as business centers as well as accommodation hubs for business merchants.