History of Medieval Europe

Medieval Europe was the period after the fall of Rome, and during this time, Europe was the cultural backwater of the world, least innovative and knowledgeable in science, math, literature, etc. In this period of uncertainty and warfare (many nomadic tribes invaded), the Roman Catholic Church took power as it was the only unifying force on the continent and provided solace (in the form of religion) to its followers. The Church then became extremely powerful, with the pope having utmost say in the decision of kings, and controlled every aspect of Europeans' lives, from their calendars (religious holidays and Sundays), to beliefs in God, to attitudes toward new innovations (people were heavily skeptical of new finds in the Scientific Revolution later), to marriage (holy), gender roles (women were seen as either temptresses or virgins and heavily subservient to men), to the Crusades (necessity to convert infidels), etc.

The little iconic art in the medieval period was all of saints and Christian figures. Christianity also played a major role in encouraging the building of new architecture, which is where we get our Gothic (with flying buttresses) and Romanesque buildings, but it also played a major role in silencing new thought such as science and supporting wars, such as the Crusades. Economics also influenced the development of medieval Europe. Most of Europe was composed of feudalism and manoralism at the time, creating small, self-sufficient estates. This system usually involved a landlord providing security to the serfs in exchange for food. (Although generally equal at first, this soon became stratified). However, this system did not facilitate trade in most of Europe, which is why its economy was generally stagnant as compared to China, India, and basically the rest of the world. One exception, though, was Italy, which conducted much trade with Islamic countries and ushered in the Renaissance. In Japan, Buddhism was soon silenced with the Tokugawa Shogunate, but it left its mark on Shintoism, which was a combination of Buddhism and native kami religions. Shintoism then vastly influenced reverence of ancestors, respect to others, etc., and left a profound mark on Japanese religion and culture.

However, Buddhism before the Shogunate posed a threat to the Shogun with its wealth and differing ideals, and the Shogunate crushed it, allowing itself to grow in power. Religion didn't really affect Japan that much, but Shintoism did provide a cultural uniqueness from other Asian countries that gave Japan a sense of identity. Japan's economics vastly affected it. Following the entrance of American Commodore Matthew Perry, who forced open Japanese trading ports, Japan began to industrialize. Seeing Japan's weakness to foreigners as a way to discredit the shogunate, smaller daimyos overthrew the shogunate and established the emperor as the reigning figure again, then issued in the Meiji Restoration, which attempted to reform Japan as an industrial entity capable of taking on the West. Western advisors, bureaucrats were invited, and Japan spurred on economic growth by building new industries, encouraging infrastructure, etc. They also strengthened the military. This allowed Japan to develop as one of the only Asian entities not to be conquered and greatly altered the course of history for China and other European countries. Religion and economics greatly affected the development of medieval Europe and Japan.