What do we teach when we teach "Medieval Europe"?
Do we teach Europe to set up Historical #Comparison?
OR to teach a Global (or, Alex West @siwaratrikalpa's much more coherent Hemispheric) #MiddleAges?
Here's how I see the two options...
(obvs others, I'm a Byzantinist after all)
Do we teach Europe to set up Historical #Comparison?
OR to teach a Global (or, Alex West @siwaratrikalpa's much more coherent Hemispheric) #MiddleAges?
Here's how I see the two options...
(obvs others, I'm a Byzantinist after all)
My students discuss CWickham's intro in
Medieval Europe (2016; Review: I like the book)
CW argues for "Medieval Europe" as artificial category with value in setting up historical #comparison.
There's a cleverness to that.
But here's my problem, as explained to my students...
Medieval Europe (2016; Review: I like the book)
CW argues for "Medieval Europe" as artificial category with value in setting up historical #comparison.
There's a cleverness to that.
But here's my problem, as explained to my students...
There is no comparison.
Practically speaking.
To do a comparison, you don't need to just find a region with some big similar stats (geog, pop, resources), you need to find something similarly studied, with comparable bibliographies.
MAYBE, in not too long, "Medieval China"?
Practically speaking.
To do a comparison, you don't need to just find a region with some big similar stats (geog, pop, resources), you need to find something similarly studied, with comparable bibliographies.
MAYBE, in not too long, "Medieval China"?
Did I mention I'm a Byzantinist?
How does Byzantium fit into comparative discussions of "Medieval Europe"?
Hint: rhetorical question; always going to end up in a non sequitur.
Comparable region ("Eastern Mediterranean") hasn't been studied as such.
Or else--opps--it's sub-Europe:
How does Byzantium fit into comparative discussions of "Medieval Europe"?
Hint: rhetorical question; always going to end up in a non sequitur.
Comparable region ("Eastern Mediterranean") hasn't been studied as such.
Or else--opps--it's sub-Europe:
Alternative: Global Middle Ages is the right instinct.
BUT it hasn't been given the right framework.
Alex West (@siwaratrikalpa)'s framework of the "HEMISPHERIC" Middle Ages works.
Two big payoffs of his proposed approach ...
indomedieval.medium.com/the-hemispheri…
BUT it hasn't been given the right framework.
Alex West (@siwaratrikalpa)'s framework of the "HEMISPHERIC" Middle Ages works.
Two big payoffs of his proposed approach ...
indomedieval.medium.com/the-hemispheri…
1. "Middle Ages" does actually work for a (broad, general) historical descriptor--a period when peoples across Afro-Eurasia were connected in certain ways.
It doesn't need to just be "artificial" and "for the sake of comparison".
Because ...
It doesn't need to just be "artificial" and "for the sake of comparison".
Because ...
2. Medieval Peoples ALLLL across Afro-Eurasia
were CONNECTED & INTERACTING.
THAT's the story!
All the recent paradigm-shifting Black Death research
(vid.: Monica H. Green @monicaMedHist)
one-stop proof-texts this point:
Black Death IS Hemisphere-wide!
smithsonianmag.com/history/did-bl…
were CONNECTED & INTERACTING.
THAT's the story!
All the recent paradigm-shifting Black Death research
(vid.: Monica H. Green @monicaMedHist)
one-stop proof-texts this point:
Black Death IS Hemisphere-wide!
smithsonianmag.com/history/did-bl…
Conclusions: "Medieval"/"Middle Ages" useful
NOT (old reason) bc "helps explain Europe today"
NOT (newish reason) bc useful analytic in
Global Comparative History
BUT bc is hella ACTUAL connectivity & interaction across Afro-Eurasia during the era
& we gotta learn about that.
NOT (old reason) bc "helps explain Europe today"
NOT (newish reason) bc useful analytic in
Global Comparative History
BUT bc is hella ACTUAL connectivity & interaction across Afro-Eurasia during the era
& we gotta learn about that.
Conclusions2:
Scholars of fields like #Byzantine Studies (me!), the Indian subcontinent & elsewhere
can stop working under oppressive need to make our area "comparable" to Europe.
Instead: learn how peoples connected & interacted.
Because that stuff is AMAZING and NEW.
/fin
Scholars of fields like #Byzantine Studies (me!), the Indian subcontinent & elsewhere
can stop working under oppressive need to make our area "comparable" to Europe.
Instead: learn how peoples connected & interacted.
Because that stuff is AMAZING and NEW.
/fin
Creds:
1444
visualcapitalist.com/map-of-medieva…
CwME
yalebooksnetwork.org/yupblog/wp-con…
1215Chi
timemaps.com/history/china-…
1340Eu
gifex.com/detail9-en/200…
EHem
indomedieval.medium.com/the-middle-age…
Trade
historiamag.com/international-…
BLdeath
smithsonianmag.com/history/did-bl…
Portolan
…collegelibrarycambridge.wordpress.com/2015/08/14/por…
Ship
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Madr…
1444
visualcapitalist.com/map-of-medieva…
CwME
yalebooksnetwork.org/yupblog/wp-con…
1215Chi
timemaps.com/history/china-…
1340Eu
gifex.com/detail9-en/200…
EHem
indomedieval.medium.com/the-middle-age…
Trade
historiamag.com/international-…
BLdeath
smithsonianmag.com/history/did-bl…
Portolan
…collegelibrarycambridge.wordpress.com/2015/08/14/por…
Ship
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Madr…
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