Agriculture in the Middle Ages

Quick Facts: Who was Agriculture in the Middle Ages?

Subject:

Agriculture in the Middle Ages

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Farming practices, crops, and society in Europe from 476 CE to approximately 1500 CE.

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

Agriculture in the Middle Ages describes the farming practices, crops, technology, and agricultural society and economy of Europe from the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 to approximately 1500. The Middle Ages are sometimes called the Medieval Age or Period. The Middle Ages are also divided into the Early, High, and Late Middle Ages. The early modern period followed the Middle Ages. Epidemics and climatic cooling caused a large decrease in the European population in the 6th century.

Career & Major Achievements

Compared to the Roman period, agriculture in the Middle Ages in Western Europe became more focused on self-sufficiency. The Feudal period began about 1000. The agricultural population under feudalism in Northern Europe was typically organized into manors consisting of several hundred or more acres of land presided over by a Lord of the manor, with a Roman Catholic church and priest. Most of the people living on the manor were peasant farmers or serfs who grew crops for themselves, and either labored for the lord and church or paid rent for their land. Barley and wheat were the most important crops in most European regions; oats and rye were also grown, along with a variety of vegetables and fruits.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Oxen and horses were used as draft animals. Sheep were raised for wool and pigs were raised for meat. Crop failures due to bad weather were frequent throughout the Middle Ages and famine was often the result. The medieval system of agriculture began to break down in the 14th century with the development of more intensive agricultural methods in the Low Countries and after the population losses of the Black Death in 1347–1351 made more land available to a diminished number of farmers. Medieval farming practices, however, continued with little change in the Slavic regions and some other areas until the mid-19th century.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1000: 1000 Milestone — The Feudal period began about 1000.
2. 1347: 1347 Milestone — The medieval system of agriculture began to break down in the 14th century with the development of more intensive agricultural methods in the Low Countries and after the population losses of the Black Death in 1347–1351 made more land available to a diminished number of farmers.
3. 1500: 1500 Milestone — Agriculture in the Middle Ages describes the farming practices, crops, technology, and agricultural society and economy of Europe from the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 to approximately 1500.

Notable Quotes by Agriculture in the Middle Ages

“John of Ephesus' account speaks of "crops of wheat...white and standing but there was no one to reap them and store the wheat"”

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Agriculture in the Middle Ages

True or False: “The primary focus of agriculture in Western Europe during the Middle Ages shifted towards self-sufficiency compared to the Roman period.”

Answer (TRUE ⭕): This shift was partly due to the breakdown of the large-scale Roman imperial market and taxation system.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Abd al-Samad — Historical peer (Born in 1500) (1500): Founding master of Mughal miniature painting, active in the 16th century.
• Atahualpa — Historical peer (Born in 1500) (1500): The last effective Inca Emperor, whose reign marked the end of the great Andean civilization.
• Bi Sheng — Historical peer (Born in 1000) (1000): Pioneering Chinese inventor of the world's first movable type printing system.
• Bjarni Herjólfsson — Historical peer (Died in 1000) (1000): Icelandic explorer credited with the first European sighting of the mainland Americas in 986.
• Catherine of Siena — Historical peer (Born in 1347) (1347): Italian mystic and diplomat whose letters influenced papal and Italian politics.
• Emperor Go-Kameyama — Historical peer (Born in 1347) (1347): 99th Emperor of Japan, last ruler of the Southern Court during the Nanboku-chō period.
• Muhammad bin Tughluq — Historical peer (Died in 1351) (1351): Eighteenth Sultan of Delhi, known for ambitious, often erratic policies.

Frequently Asked Questions about Agriculture in the Middle Ages