The 1100's

by Cothran, Helen; Egendorf, Laura K.

• ISBN13: 9780737705300
• ISBN10: 0737705302
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2001-04-01
• Publisher: Greenhaven Pr

Summary

This anthology chronicles the major events occurring in the twelfth century including the Crusades, the rise of knights and samurai warriors, the development of the first universities, the coming of Genghis Khan, and the fall of the Toltec civilization. Chapters include essays on these topics and many other twelfth-century events occurring in Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

Table of Contents

Foreword	13	(1)
Introduction	14	(11)
The Rise of the Papacy
Preface	25	(2)
The Rise of the Papacy: An Overview	27	(4)
Bernhard Schimmelpfennig
The power of the church grew in the twelfth century due to the growth in the number of towns, which needed new churches and clergymen to run them
With the increase in papal power came abuses of power within the church, but reformers who pointed out the church's faults were punished
St. Bernard and the Rise of Cistercian Monasticism	31	(5)
Louis J. Lekai
In the twelfth century men joined the austere Cistercian monastic order in astonishing numbers
The popularity of the order was due in large part to the holy and charismatic Bernard of Clairvaux, the most notable Cistercian monk
Bernard's Sermon on Humility	36	(4)
Bernard of Clairvaux
Bernard argues that true humility is necessary to attain divine grace
People must not only embrace humiliation at the hands of others but must voluntarily humiliate themselves to become exalted
Frederick I Barbarossa: Power over the Papacy	40	(4)
Marcel Pacaut
Frederick I Barbarossa was the most famous leader of medieval Germany
During Barbarossa's reign, the power of the church weakened and German imperial power grew
The Becket Controversy	44	(6)
Roger of Hoveden
Thomas Becket, archbishop of Canterbury, quarreled with King Henry II of England over church jurisdiction in criminal matters
Roger argues that Becket was unduly persecuted for his defense of church sovereignty and was eventually murdered by men loyal to the king
Henry II: Conflict with the Church	50	(12)
John Harvey
King Henry II of England has been unfairly criticized for his treatment of Thomas Becket during their dispute over church sovereignty
The king was justifiably concerned over increasing church abuses of power and was right to seek increased accountability from the church
The Crusades
Preface	59	(3)
The Holy Crusades	62	(8)
Sidney Packard
The Crusades were a series of European military expeditions to reclaim the Holy Land from the Muslims and to unite the Eastern and Western Christian Churches
The Crusades failed to achieve either goal, however, and resulted in deepening religious intolerance
Crusading Knights: Knights Templar and Hospitaler	70	(8)
Frances Gies
The Knights Templar and Hospitaler were military orders of knights whose duty it was to protect Christian strongholds in the Holy Land from the Muslims during the Crusades
The Templars and Hospitalers enjoyed enormous popularity and were successful for many years in frustrating Muslim attempts to win back the Holy Land
The Islamic Reaction to the Crusades	78	(6)
P.H. Newby
When the Crusades first began, the Muslims did not feel threatened by the invading Christians nor did they make much of an attempt to defend the Holy Land from them
As the Crusades continued and Christian atrocities increased, however, the Muslims began to fight back
The Crusaders Through the Eyes of a Muslim	84	(12)
Usama ibn Munqidh
Usama reports that knights and other Christian crusaders who lived in the Holy Land for a time began to adopt local customs and were generally respectful to and respected by the Muslims
The crusaders newly arrived, however, often treated the locals abominably and were viewed by the Muslims as barbaric
Chivalry and Courtly Love
Preface	94	(2)
Feudalism and Knightly Ethics	96	(5)
Fred A. Cazel
Feudalism was a social and economic system whereby a lord granted vassals, such as knights, land in exchange for homage and services during wars
Because feudalism effectively controlled knights' unruly behavior only in relations with their lords, a social ethic called chivalry developed which required knights to be brave, generous, and courteous to women
The World of Knights: Fact and Fiction	101	(7)
Andrea Hopkins
The popular image of the knight as a brave warrior riding a white horse while defending his lady's honor in battle is only partly true
Real knights were often greedy and savage, and sometimes slaughtered thousands of people for religious causes
Chretien de Troyes and Courtly Love	108	(7)
Peter S. Noble
Chretien wrote about the highly romanticized love between knights and ladies---called courtly love---in his tales of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table
Women in particular enjoyed his romantic stories because they placed women at the center of medieval life and helped raise their status
Lancelot and Guinevere	115	(6)
Chretien de Troyes
In Chretien's medieval tale, Queen Guinevere asks the knight Lancelot to demonstrate his love for her by humiliating himself during a jousting tournament
Lancelot obeys her every command and proves that he is the queen's true love
The Influence of the Troubadours	121	(4)
Raimon De Loi
The troubadours were poets in the service of the high courts of France who sang of courtly love between a faithful male lover and a hard-to-get female
The troubadours believed that the lovers must never marry, however, for real love cannot exist between married people
Songs of a Troubadour	125	(8)
Bernart De Ventadorn
The poet writes about a star-struck lover and the indifferent object of his tormented affection
The lover reveres his lady because she is pure while at the same time pressures her sexually
Romantic Legend: Eleanor of Aquitaine	133	(8)
D.D.R. Owen
Like Queen Guinevere, Eleanor of Aquitaine became a popular figure representing romantic love between men and women
But Eleanor's own love life was not ideal; her first marriage to the king of France was annulled and her second to the king of England quickly deteriorated
The Twelfth-Century Renaissance
Preface	139	(2)
Overview: The Twelfth-Century Renaissance	141	(7)
Marshall Clagett
Gaines Post
Robert Reynolds
The twelfth century was a time of explosive creativity inspired by the rediscovery of ancient Greek and Roman texts
A growing economy channeled money to the popes and kings, who were then able to establish the political and social stability required for learning to flourish
The Rise of Universities	148	(7)
Lawrence Cunningham
John Reich
The modern university can be traced back to the schools that arose in the late twelfth century
Twelfth-century schools were made possible by the growth of cities, which required men capable of handling increasingly complex jobs and provided the money to educate them
Conflicting Philosophies: Humanism and Scholasticism	155	(9)
Dom. David Knowles
Humanists became intimately connected to the classical texts of Greece and Rome that they studied and whose style they carefully imitated
Those who subscribed to scholasticism, however, cared only about the ideas presented in the texts
Abelard the Intellectual	164	(8)
Jacques Le Goff
Abelard was the first professor, and his scholarly work was so controversial that he was engaged in endless conflicts with other scholars
He became involved in a devastating personal conflict as well when he married Heloise despite the disapproval of her uncle
The Letters of Abelard and Heloise	172	(13)
Peter Abelard
Heloise
When the marriage between Abelard and Heloise fell apart under persecution by both enemies and friends, Abelard forced Heloise to join a convent while he took refuge in an abbey
From the convent, Heloise wrote a passionate letter to Abelard excoriating him for not loving her, and he responded by telling her that she should pray for him
John of Salisbury and Christian Humanism	185	(5)
Marjorie Chibnall
John of Salisbury was a central figure of English learning in the twelfth century who believed that learning was of no value unless it informed moral conduct
He argued against many prevailing beliefs in his day and often advised contemporaries about their political and personal conduct through well-crafted letters
In Defense of Eloquence	190	(5)
John
John of Salisbury argues that eloquence is the best conduit for attaining wealth, winning favor, and earning fame
Eloquence is not an innate talent, however, and must be cultivated through study and practice
Human Intellect Is Limited	195	(5)
Moses Maimonides
The Arab Moses Maimonides argues that there are limits to human intelligence
The human mind has a limited ability to perceive because of arrogance, ignorance, training, and the complexity of the subjects studied
Vertical Cathedrals: The Rise of Gothic Architecture	200	(9)
Russell Chamberlin
Gothic architecture developed out of earlier Romanesque designs, which were characterized by rounded arches, heavy columns, and dark interiors
By contrast, Gothic cathedrals are characterized by pointed arches, stained glass windows, and soaring heights
Asia
Preface	207	(2)
The Rise of China as a Sea Power	209	(7)
Jung-Pang Lo
A variety of geographic, economic, and social factors led to the rise of China as a sea power in the twelfth century
As people began to migrate from impoverished northern regions to the coast in search of opportunity, coastal economies grew and sea trade expanded
The expansion of China's sea trade provided opportunities for people to travel to new lands and explore new ideas
Confucianism in Twelfth-Century China	216	(7)
James T.C. Liu
Three Confucian schools developed in China during the Sung dynasty
Neo-Confucianism aimed to reform traditional Confucian views of government and society
New Policy sought fundamental improvements, and the School of Mind de-emphasized the role of conduct and morality in Confucianism
Chinese Rituals in the Twelfth Century	223	(4)
Chu Hsi
Patricia Buckley Ebrey
Chu Hsi was a prominent Chinese philosopher during the twelfth century
In this excerpt from his book Family Rituals, he explains how sacrificial rites should be performed
The Samurai Code of Honor	227	(6)
Eiko Ikegami
During the eleventh and twelfth centuries in Japan, the samurai became a distinct social group who valued honor, military professionalism, and courage
Although the samurai often violated the rules of warfare, people nevertheless admired them as men of principle
An Example of Japanese Storytelling	233	(3)
Anonymous
Marian Ury
Konjaku monogatari (Tales of Times Now Past) is a collection of sixty-two stories, believed to have been compiled in 1120 A.D. One of the stories tells of a brave lieutenant who has many followers
The Development of the Kamakura Government	236	(5)
Edwin O. Reischauer
After losing two wars to the Taira family, the Minamoto family of Japan finally defeated the Taira in 1185 and established a government in the town of Kamakura
Led by the Shogun Minamoto Yoritomo, the Kamakura government controlled all aspects of Japanese society, including art and literature
The Rise of Genghis Khan	241	(8)
Daniel Cohen
Genghis (also known as Chingis) Khan is one of the most notable conquerors in world history
Genghis overcame personal obstacles to achieve his rise to power in the twelfth century, including the murder of his father, imprisonment, the kidnapping of his wife, and a break with his closest friend
Temujin Slays His Brother	249	(6)
Anonymous
Paul Kahn
The Secret History of the Mongols was written in the mid-1300s, a few decades after Genghis Khan's death in 1227
It details Khan's life, including his decision to murder his half-brother
The Americas
Preface	253	(2)
Talking Pottery: The Chimu Indians of Peru	255	(9)
Victor W. von Hagen
The Chimu civilization in central Peru lasted longer than any other in Middle America except for the Mayan civilization, which preceded it
Chimu pottery depicts in great detail the intimate lives of the people, including their proclivity for war, face painting, and sex
The Demise of the Toltecs	264	(10)
Richard A. Diehl
The Toltecs were ancestors of the Aztecs who lived in central Mexico in the cosmopolitan city of Tula
The Toltecs planted crops and reared children, but they also performed ritual human sacrifices and participated in cannibalism
Their disappearance is largely a mystery
The Rise and Fall of the Anasazi Indians	274	(15)
Linda S. Cordell
The Anasazi Indians were ancient people who occupied the plateau country in the southwestern United States from around A.D. 200 to 1300
The fortunes of these desert-dwelling people were dependent on water, and many archaeologists attribute their mysterious disappearance to a severe and long-lasting drought
Chronology	289	(4)
For Further Reading	293	(4)
Index	297