Feudalism, Social Orders, and Political Reorganization New Styles of Kingship and Political Organizations Political Re-organization, 800-1000s EnglandStrong forms of KingshipAlfred the Great (r. 871-899), King of the Anglo-Saxons King Cnut (r. 1017-1038Translation of religious works into Anglo-Saxon Conversion to Christianity Reform of the Legal SystemCentralization of Power Cultural ties with Scandinavia Spread of Christianity, conversion of Viking invadersTenuous royal control Political Re-organization, 800-1000s Frankish Kingdom (West Francia)Weak but prestigious KingsHugh Capet (r. 987-996) inaugurates Capetian DynastyRoyal rituals: anointing and coronation ceremonies Paris established as the capital of France, important cultural, economic, and intellectual centerFrom strong forms of rulership and centralized authority to weak forms of rulership and decentralized authorityInternal fragmentation, limited royal authority Political Re-organization, 800-1000s Germany (Holy Roman Empire)Strong kingshipOtto I, (r. 936-973), King of Germany, King of Italy, and Emperor since 962. Otto II (r. 973-983) Otto III (r. 983-1002)Ottonian Renaissance: Spread of education and learning (including women) Adoption of Arabic numerals Production of manuscripts Byzantine influencePolitical gains during the Carolingian era remained under the OttoniansAdopted primogeniture and patrilineal succession, thus avoiding division of the state. Strong polity Political Re-organization, 800-1000s Iberian Peninsula (Christian Iberia)Warrior KingsAlfonso the Great (r. 848-910), founder and ruler of Kingdom of Leon (first Christian Kingdom in Muslim occupied Iberia). Knighthood culture, strong military ethos Poem of “El Cid” (Famous Castilian who conquered territories from Muslims)Christian rulers continued to expand onto Muslim territories in a process known as the Reconquista (Reconquest) Political Re-organization, 800-1000s Italian PeninsulaDifferent polities: Communes and City-States controlled by a number of families Factional politics Strong Papacy Pope Sylvester II (r. 999-1003)Adoption of Arab number system and arithmetic Revival of liberal arts curriculum Most sophisticated culture due to mercantile activitiesEmergence of communes and city-states with shared governancePolitical fragmentation Discussion question Based on what you know about feudalism and politics in this period, in what ways is this map depiction of the distribution of power in Europe around 1050 deceptive? 1Research Proposal Guidelines: 30 PointsA research proposal details what you intend to accomplish with your research project. It describes what you have and intend to do as well as indicate the value of your work. The purpose of the proposal is to set the writing the goals and purpose of your research project. While the content is subject to change as you continue your research, write with certainty and provide concrete details, clarif ...

1. Feudalism, Social Orders, and Political Reorganization
New Styles of Kingship and Political Organizations
Political Re-organization, 800-1000s
EnglandStrong forms of KingshipAlfred the Great (r. 871-899),
King of the Anglo-Saxons
King Cnut (r. 1017-1038Translation of religious works into
Anglo-Saxon
Conversion to Christianity
Reform of the Legal SystemCentralization of Power
Cultural ties with Scandinavia
Spread of Christianity, conversion of Viking invadersTenuous

2. royal control
Political Re-organization, 800-1000s
Frankish Kingdom (West Francia)Weak but prestigious
KingsHugh Capet (r. 987-996) inaugurates Capetian
DynastyRoyal rituals: anointing and coronation ceremonies
Paris established as the capital of France, important cultural,
economic, and intellectual centerFrom strong forms of rulership
and centralized authority to weak forms of rulership and
decentralized authorityInternal fragmentation, limited royal
authority
Political Re-organization, 800-1000s
Germany (Holy Roman Empire)Strong kingshipOtto I, (r. 936-
973), King of Germany, King of Italy, and Emperor since 962.
Otto II (r. 973-983)
Otto III (r. 983-1002)Ottonian Renaissance:
Spread of education and learning (including women)
Adoption of Arabic numerals
Production of manuscripts
Byzantine influencePolitical gains during the Carolingian era
remained under the OttoniansAdopted primogeniture and
patrilineal succession, thus avoiding division of the state.
Strong polity
Political Re-organization, 800-1000s

3. Iberian Peninsula (Christian Iberia)Warrior KingsAlfonso the
Great (r. 848-910), founder and ruler of Kingdom of Leon (first
Christian Kingdom in Muslim occupied Iberia). Knighthood
culture, strong military ethos
Poem of “El Cid” (Famous Castilian who conquered territories
from Muslims)Christian rulers continued to expand onto Muslim
territories in a process known as the Reconquista (Reconquest)
Political Re-organization, 800-1000s
Italian PeninsulaDifferent polities:
Communes and City-States controlled by a number of families
Factional politics
Strong Papacy
Pope Sylvester II (r. 999-1003)Adoption of Arab number
system and arithmetic
Revival of liberal arts curriculum
Most sophisticated culture due to mercantile
activitiesEmergence of communes and city-states with shared
governancePolitical fragmentation
Discussion question
Based on what you know about feudalism and politics in this
period, in what ways is this map depiction of the distribution of
power in Europe around 1050 deceptive?

4. 1Research Proposal Guidelines: 30 PointsA research proposal
details what you intend to accomplish with your research
project. It describes what you have and intend to do as well as
indicate the value of your work. The purpose of the proposal is
to set the writing the goals and purpose of your research
project. While the content is subject to change as you continue
your research, write with certainty and provide concrete details,
clarifying for the reader how and why this research project is
meaningful. Write a 200-300 word proposal on a Business
related topic that previews the argument and possible research
for your final paper. Be sure to include a research question and
a potential working thesis statement. Keep in mind that your
thesis and research may change. Write this assignment for an
academic audience and be sure to include not only formal
English usage but also appropriate discourse for your topic and
a college level reader. This includes tone and word choice as
well as challenging material. Use the same manuscript format as
the example Research Proposal on page 415 of our textbook (see
copy on page 2 of these guidelines). Before you submit for
grading, make sure that you proofread for errors in grammar and
mechanics.
Grading Rubric:
Criteria
Excellent:10 points
Satisfactory: 7 points

5. Needs Improvement: 0-6 points
Content and Development
Provides a detailed overview of the research project that
challenges an academic audience.
Provides an overview of the research project including the
limits of the topic, avenues of research, and the overall purpose.
Does not provide an overview of the research project topic.
Research Question and Working Thesis Statement
Includes an appropriately complex research question and a
working thesis statement that makes an argument that can be
viewed from multiple perspectives.
Includes a research question and a working thesis statement that
makes an argument that can be viewed from multiple
perspectives.
Does not include a research question or a working thesis
statement that makes an argument that can be viewed from
multiple perspectives.
Uses Appropriate Writing Style
Writes fluently and is clearly understandable. Actively engages
an academic audience with tone and word choice. Correctly
employs manuscript format.
Writes with some errors but is easily understandable. Addresses
an academic audience with tone and word choice. Closely aligns
to manuscript format.
Is hard to understand, does not address an academic audience
and/or does not use manuscript formatting.
Example Research Proposal: This text was adapted by Saylor
Academy under a Creative Commons Attribution-
NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License without attribution as
requested by the work's original creator or
licensor. https://saylordotorg.github.io/text_writing-for-
success/s15-02-steps-in-developing-a-research.html

6. The Roman Empire Legacy to the Medieval World
Ancient Italy
City of Rome
Roman Republic
Expansion of Rome during the Republican Period
Roman Roads, Italian Peninsula
Roman Roads
Roman Aqueducts, Segovia, Spain
Nimes, France

7. Augustus, 63 BC – 14 CE
First Roman Emperor, Founder of the Roman Empire, ruled
from 27 BCE until his death in 14 CE.
Cultural Features of the Roman World
Panen et Circenses (Bread and Circuses)
Roman Theater in North Africa
Coliseum of Rome
The Crisis of the Third Century
Succession Crisis
Size
Army
External Threats

8. Inflation
Diocletian’s Reorganization of 293
16
The Persistence of Polytheism
To a limited degree, polytheism and Christianity influenced
each other. But people disagreed about the relationship of
divinity or divinities to the human world. Polytheists found
aspects of Christian belief troubling. Specifically, Christ’s
crucifixion seemed a symptom of weakness, the Christian
embrace of sinners was troubling, and the Christian claim to
universality and truth seemed unjustified. Yet, Polytheism
remained deeply held by many and the path to acceptance,
legalization was difficult.
Diocletian’s Great Persecution and the Conversion of
Constantine
Believing that Rome’s problems were caused by the gods’ anger
at the Christians who rejected them, Diocletian launched the
Great Persecution in 303 C.E. in an effort to please the gods.
Unevenly applied by the tetrarchs, the persecution involved a
purge of Christian officials, confiscated property, the
destruction of churches, and gruesome executions. Social
stability was damaged, but Christianity was not destroyed and
the persecutions aroused sympathy for Christians among some
Roman polytheists. The Great Persecution ended dramatically
when Diocletian’s successor Constantine attributed his success

9. in a battle in 312 C.E. to the Christian God and converted to
Christianity.
Emperor Constantine’s Conversion
Edict of Milan
Despite his conversion, Constantine did not outlaw polytheism
or make Christianity the official religion. While personally
promoting Christianity, in the Edict of Milan in 313 he decreed
religious freedom for all faiths. Constantine attempted to find
middle ground between polytheism and Christianity by
supporting both. He returned Christian property seized under
the Great Persecution and compensated polytheists who had
bought the confiscated property. Constantine also continued to
hold the traditional office of Pontifex Maximus (“chief priest”)
to honor his non-Christian subjects, who still greatly
outnumbered Christians.
Making Christianity Official
After Constantine, there were sporadic attempts to eradicate the
gains made by Christianity. But they were not successful.
In 391 Theodosius I made Christianity the state religion by
enforcing a ban on polytheist sacrifices. Pagan temples were
often converted into churches, and Christians received
advantages in official careers.
Jews and determined polytheists became second-class citizens.
Spot Map, The Empire’s East/West Division, 395

10. 22
The Roman Empire and the Barbarians, 284 AD
Roman Empire and the Barbarians
Peoples and Kingdoms of the Roman World, 526
25