State and the City in the High Middle Ages
  1. Problem:  Though the roots of nation states in some areas (e.g., England, France [see last lecture] and Spain) may be traced to this period, the growth of cities was far more important.  Indeed, without the rise of cities, the "nation state" as we know it would not be comprehensible.  Given the problems of the early middle ages, how can we account for the growth of cities in this period?
  2. On urbanism in general (and by way of review)
    1. Village; manor and village; town: the latter is rather larger in a relative sense, but the medieval town was "large" when it had over 10,000 inhs.  Most had far fewer.
    2. All towns/cities:
      1. Have public institutions (e.g., a council : Charter of Maldon... All freemen are to assemble in the common hall on Friday after Epiphany [6 January] to hear the bailiffs' accounts [i.e. of annual revenues and expenditures]. On that day the wardemen shall choose the new bailiffs and other officers, from the more worthy men. If it is necessary to fill gaps in the ranks of the wardemen, then new members are to be chosen from the most able and most discrete townsmen. If any of the wardemen is found to act contrary to the interests of the community, he shall be removed and a replacement chosen by assent of the community. Once a man has been elected bailiff, he shall never afterwards be elected to any other office, except representative to parliament. 17. Anyone chosen as wardeman who induces strife or argument among his fellowship during council meetings shall be fined. buildings (e.g., town hall and cathedral);
      2. Provide protection (walls and towers, militia); view from above.
      3. It was real growth
  3. Factors in the rise of the medieval Town. [Note: we will examine the physical appearance of medieval cities in Friday's lecture] Factors ...and they are closely connected.
    1. The return of peace: The role of the church in promoting peace was critical:
      1. The conversion of the Scandinavians, Slavs and Magyars (ca. AD 1000) to Christianity brought a considerable measure of peace and stability to Western Europe. Why convert?
      2. Christian and Roman ideas institutionalized the position of the king aka the 'crown'. Not just the leader of a warrior band, but as prince the king had precedent for acting above the laws (super legibus =the Roman tradition) and acting as the anointed representative of God on earth; to serve by the grace of God (coronation was the ritual demonstration of this component).
      3. Truce of God
      4. Export of violence (Crusades)
      5. Both church and state discouraged conspicuous consumption and encouraged capital investment (improving and managing landscape).
    2. Political Developments esp the new role of the Crown as the guarantor of justice. Tho feudalism[??] does not end during this period, vassals did slowly gain 'ownership' of their estates and kings found alternate sources of revenue to support their armies [aka taxes: The King to all his wardens of the ports of the sea, etc. Know you that we have given a license to Alexander de Warham to take out of our land of England one ship of salt and hides to Normandy on paying the ancient lawful and due customs]. Moreover, Both trends served to reduce violence.
      1. The Crown as a source of impartial justice. E.g. a fine of 3 pence "from John Kent for assaulting Thomas Wode and striking him with a cudgel and drawing blood from him, against the King's peace"; and from John Faulkes for "assaulting Richard Medwyk and attempting to stab him with his dagger and for knocking him down and throwing him in the river, against the King's peace."
      2. The kings and nobility perceived the advantage of encouraging urbanization and secularization.  Charters, privileges. Prosperous cities were perceived as a means to enhance the wealth of the Crown (aka: 'national') wealth.
        1. Monarchs did not tax cities directly, but did tax imports and/or exports to / from cities. The revenue eventually allowed them to support armies
        2. The cities with the greatest civic/communal freedom were those that attracted entrepreneurs, who in turn needed to attract labor. Significance?
        3. Civic liberties were not universally enjoyed by individuals; it was rather communities that enjoyed freedom. Note the charters of London and Ispwich.
        4. By subsidizing universities (DWP 7, docc. 1 and 2) kings and nobles encouraged the formation of a secular culture (study of science, law (DWP 7, docc 7 and 8), rhetoric, etc.) that was independent of the church.
      3. Role of Roman law--the benefits of rational administration and civic liberty were widely recognized.
        1. On the role of Roman law: "enforceable nowhere it ruled not for the reason of the Empire, but for the Empire of reason."  That is, it provided a model for harmonizing the wide variety of Germanic law and articulating principles that protected private property and commercial transactions. It provided thereby the legal basis for urban growth and prosperity. Most importantly were the definitions [An obligation may be contracted by the thing, as, for example, by giving a mutuum [loan]. This always consists of things which may be weighed, numbered, or measured, as wine, oil, corn, coined brass, silver, or gold. In giving these things by number, measure or weight, we do so that they may become the property of those who receive them. The identical things lent are not returned, but only others of the same nature and quality; and hence the term mutuum, because what I give from being mine becomes yours; and: It is theft, not only when anyone takes away a thing belonging to another, in order to appropriate it, but generally when anyone deals with the property of another contrary to the wishes of its owner].
        2. Among the most frequently quoted ideas from Roman law in this period and ones that had a profound effect in the development of civic / urban freedom in the longer term are these ... Bear in mind these concepts were admired and widely discussed but not implemented in this period
          1. What concerns all shall be decided by all.
          2. Liberty is the natural faculty of man to do what he wants unless prohibited by force or law.
          3. Cicero Nothing is certainly more enobling, than for us to understand plainly that we are born to justice, and that law is instituted not by convention but by nature. If the fortunes of all cannot be equal, if the mental capacities of all cannot be the same, at least the legal rights of all those who are citizens of the same state ought to be equal.
    3. Outside stimulation through maritime traffic to the north and throughout the Mediterranean. Norsemen and Italians turn to trade and quickly dominate the carrying routes.   Europe paid for these items first by plundering and then by dominating the trade routes with bigger, more technologically advanced ships (earlier models), sails, rudders; and by delivering cereals (made possible by invention of harrow vs the plow and harnass), slaves and woolens.
  4. Charting the development after 11th C.
    1. Villages merge into cities reversing the process we saw at the end of the Roman Empire. Breugel, reconstruction-village and -house
    2. The rising standards of prosperity and the extend of trade may be calculated by three indications.
      1. In about 1280 a businessman sold (we have the bill) a Swedish nobleman the following: 1.5 lbs of saffron, 105 of rice and 4 of sugar all from Muslim Spain; also, 12 lbs of caraway and 90 of almonds from Italy; 3 lbs of anise and 3 barrels of wine from different parts of Germany and France. More significantly, this order also included 5 lbs of 5 lbs of ginger from India, 1 lb of cinnamon from Ceylon, 6 lbs of pepper from Malabar coast, and various spices from SE Asia.
      2. The English king in 1298 could muster an army of 3000 knights and 25,000 infantry; the city of Florence 2000 knights and 15,000 infantry. 
      3. Progress measured also by the ordinances controlling standards of urban life: Note the following from the Court Roll of Ramsey:
        1. a fine of 2 shillings "from John Nichols (!!) for having supported a dung heap in Prince Lucien Campbell...to the nuisance of all passers-by."
        2. "Next case heard by the wardmen of the city of London: the lane called Ebbegate was a right of way for all men until it was blocked by Thomas at Wytte and William de Hockele, who got together and built latrines which stuck out from the walls of the houses. From these latrines human filth falls on the heads of the passers-by." Book of Customs (1321)
    3. Prosperity first found in frontier areas of Flanders, Rhineland, Champagne, Lombardy and Liguria -that is, at interface between France and Germany. Cloth/woolen manufacturing critical to developments in these areas.  The role of guilds and the Hanseatic League in regulating products and practices.
  5. Summary and Conclusions:
    1. Beginning in the 11th century, Christian Europe was not only capable of defending itself, but under the leadership of the Normans and Italian city-states was able to take the initiative. The establishment of a more peaceful way of life allowed cities to develop and prosper.
    2. A number of factors contributed to urbanization:
      1. including the desire of feudal lords to improve their income by selling civic privileges =>civic charters, and turning to cash/taxation system
      2. the generally beneficient role of the church and of Roman law as intellectuals anchors,
      3. Prosperity, originally from plunder but now increasingly from manufacturing (woolen textiles) and trade, was associated with the adoption of civic charters and of Roman law. The development of commercial networks
      4. technological progress.
    3. As cities prospered so too did the crown (monarchs) and states. Hence kings and lords founded cities in their territory and provided them with the opportunity to prosper --aka charters.