In the mid 14th century, a devastating plague swept across the known world. This pandemic plague is most commonly known as the Black Death but has other alias such as The Great Pestilence and The Great Plague. The background essay states, “In five shorts years, it would kill between 25 and 45% of the populations it encountered.” The background essay also mentions “it would be the worst natural disaster and the single most destructive natural phenomenon in the history of the world.” This cataclysmic event drastically dwindled population sizes of Europe and the Middle East, breaking down civilizations, and leaving behind terror in survivors mindset. However, the Christian and Islamic followers in these regions would differ in their reactions …show more content…
The Black Death first appeared in China in 1333, Europe in 1348 and then spread to Muslim land in 1349. As it appears in Document A, the paths of the Black Death spread around the Black Sea and then expanding to other territories after reaching the Mediterranean Sea. Once the trade networks reached large area this is where majority of populations began being wiped out. Similarly another map, Document B, shows the spread by year of the Black Death over the European and Middle East continent. The map suggests the plague stops around dessert and forest regions, possibly because of sparse populations or trade routes did not pass through these areas. No matter where the plague was contracted it brought devastating mortality rates to any region. For example, Christian Europe …show more content…
The most common variation being bubonic, killing 50 to 80% of victims within three to six days. The name bubonic derived from the inflamed swelling of boils filled with pus referred to as “buboes”. The second variation of the Black Death, pneumonic, was less likely to be contracted but more deadly than bubonic, killed most of its victims within hours by infecting the respiratory system. The third, septicemia, was the deadliest variation killing all its victims by infecting the bloodstream. No matter which form was contracted all three-left vast amount of dead people. An Italian man in Document D recounts, “ And so many died that all believed it was the end of the world”. Also in the second half of Document D an Egyptian historian al-Maqrizi states, “The population was terrified by the multitude of dead” (Document D). These ‘multitudes’ scared both Muslim and Christian believers as entire families and cities vanished. Seeing the mass amount of dead Document D accounts that, “It seemed that almost everyone became stupdified by seeing the pain”. Although Europeans and Middle Eastern shared a similar sense of fear they differed in their behavior to the
Religion has always been a major theme in history, and even now does not fail to play an important role. The desire to gain more believers and convert people makes up the base of the reason for the differences in Muslim and Christian responses the Black Plague. As Gabriele de Mussis, a Christian chronicler during the Black Death, states, “I am overwhelmed, I can’t go on!...The hand of the Almighty strikes repeatedly to greater and greater effect.” On the contrary, Muhammad al Manbiji, an Islamic scholar, said that “…the plague is a blessing from God; at the least, a Muslim should devoutly accept the divine act.” (doc. 4) These two viewpoints of the plague are complete opposites; Christians are overwhelmed that their population is dying out while Muslims are accepting it as a blessing that their rival religion is suffering. These documents were combined to emphasize the contrast between
As was we all know that The Black Death is one of the tragic events in world history and it has effected many civilizations in early 1300s. This has made many devastating trends within Europe’s borders and raged with many diseases, and other infections. Not only this pandemic event has effected many people, but it has transform Europe’ political, religious, and cultural practices. The Black Death became an outbreak and painful change to western civilization in which it marked history
"Plague”. “Best known as bubonic plague for the "buboes" (lumps) that formed on the victims'
Diseases have always been a threat to humans, all throughout history. One of the most destructive disease outbreaks in history was the plague outbreak which peaked in 1346 to 1353, in Europe, commonly known as the Black Death. This plague outbreak was extremely deadly and killed 30-60% of the European population at the time of the outbreak. The outbreak is commonly believed to have been caused by the bubonic plague, but modern evidence suggests that the Black Death was caused by pneumonic plague, a much more contagious and deadly infection.
The Black Death was a standout amongst the most pulverizing pandemics in mankind's history, bringing about the passings of an expected 75 to 200 million individuals. The Black Death itself brought on more than 30 percent of the populace in Europe and the Middle East. (Doc. 2). This infectious pestilence brought about its casualties to die in three days (Doc. 3). The indications of the malady included swelling under the armpits and the spitting of blood. Yet, the reactions of Christians and Muslims were distinctive, despite the fact that the same disease hit them. This essay will demonstrate how Muslims and Christians reacted differently on their thoughts and actions due to the epidemic that ended many lives.
In Europe 500 AD - 1500 AD there were horrific Crusades and wars, the terrifying silent killer, and awful laws that all led to Europe's the dark age.War broke out in Jerusalem, and no one was safe. As Jerusalem was struggling to keep power from the Muslimś, Pope Urban ii had ask the Christianś to come from Western Europe and fight for them.The Christians agreed to the Popeś asking and started to flee to Jerusalem and with good intentions.If they died they had been promised to go to heaven, so no one held back.¨The unbelievers blood should fill the streets people and families.”Source: Raymond d'Aguilers, “The Siege and Capture of Jerusalem,” exact date unknown”.This quote explains how the Christians were unstoppable and did not hold back.While trading and communication evolved the Bubonic Plague, the silent killer, was also evolving.
The 14th Century was characterized by death and destruction in Europe. The Bubonic Plague had a devastating impact on European society because of its unprecedented nature, the immediate effect the disease had on the people of Europe, and the long-term effects on the continent. When the Bubonic Plague erupted, most Europeans had no idea what to think. Nothing like this disease had ever happened to them before, and there was very little knowledge about how to handle the ever-worsening situation. In his book The Decameron, Giovanni Boccaccio explained that “No human wisdom or foresight had any value” when it came to the quickly-spreading disease (Doc 2.)
The Black Death found its way into Western Europe through the trade routes from Asia to Europe. The rats, or more specifically the fleas on said rats, would ride the ships into the heart of Europe, spreading the plague to the unaware citizens. The reason it spread so quickly was due to the intense overpopulation of Europe in the Late Middle Ages. During this time, the population actually outnumbered the food supply and available jobs; therefore, Western Europe was left poor and hungry. Faced with economic depression, overpopulation, famine, and bad health, the immunity of Western Europe suffered greatly, leaving it wide open to contagion. Naturally, cities and places with high population densities faced the most risk of infection.
The plague spread quickly from Asia to Europe along the Silk Road. The reason why the Black Death was able to kill so many people was that it was spread through rats and fleas. Which were small enough to travel to different areas throughout the world without being seen, or noticed. Rats would often board a boat with humans without being seen. Boats were used for trade in medieval times as they could travel to more places than people could by foot. However boats were also the main carrier of the plague. The plague was easily spread by boats as once the ill and the rats departed the ship and had entered a village they would begin to infect the people who lived there. The rats that had been infected by the disease would run around and hide in the villages, meaning that if you lived in a place that was not very hygienic you had a pretty likely chance of becoming infected. This meant that one by one village’s population were dramatically decreasing, with peasants, doctors and monks being the first to go. This was because peasants lived in worse conditions than nobles and higher classed people and were more susceptible to the disease. Monks and doctors were also susceptible to the disease as they would often care for, talk to and meet with people who were ill. The Black Death was a dangerous disease that decreased medieval society’s population
The Bubonic Plague or the Black Death has been in the history books since the medieval times. This deadly disease has claimed nearly 1.5 million lives in Europe (Gottfried). The Black Death hit Europe in October of 1347 and quickly spread through most of Europe by the end of 1349 and continued on to Scandinavia and Russia in the 1350s. Not only did the plague effect the European population by killing one-third to two-thirds (Gottfried), it also hurt the social and economic structures of every European society.
Most historians believe the origin of the black plague begins in the Gobi desert, on the Mongolian Platte. The first written report of the plague is in the area. A merchant in 1332 states that Mongolian Grea Khan Jijaghatu Toq-Temer and two of his son had been laid to rest after a mystery disease struck them. The merchant goes on to report anyone who had dealings with them had passed too. In speculation a year earlier recordings of the Black Death had swept through Hopei Provence North East region of the territory, with accounts of 9/10th of the population gone.
One of the most terrifying moments of human life would emerge in the 14th century, the Black Death. The Black was transferred, according to studies, by rats on ships traveled from Asia to Europe. Within four years, (1347-1351) most of Asian, European, and Middle Eastern people were infected. Socially and religiously, nothing worked like before, and people lived as if it was their last day. Jews were executed and accused of creating the plague by poisoning the wells. The Catholic Church lost its credibility when it came to explaining the disease. This lead to the evolution of Protestantism. The Black Death exterminated one to two third of the European population, about 25 million in Asia, interrupted the progress of science and intellectual
The origin of the Black Death can be traced back to the Gobi Desert of Mongolia in the 1320s (Marks). Not only was all of Western Europe almost eradicated with this disease but China was infected with the same bubonic plague during the early 1330s (Dunn). During this time many Europeans traveled the Black Sea to trade regularly with China. Surviving document show that one group of traders from Genoa arrived in Sicily in October 1347, fresh from the voyage to China (History). The people who gathered on the docks to greet the ships
The plague was able to spread to many different countries and continents via immigration, trade routes, and war. When the plague erupted in England, they were in the midst of the Hundred Years War with France. The plague erupted during this war, which provided perfect conditions for the disease to spread. There was a large number of people centralized in a particular area, making it easy for the passing of the plague from one infected person to
The Black death affected mostly Europe. “The disastrous mortal disease known as the Black Death spread across Europe in the years 1346-53.” (Paragraph 1) “By the end, Germany, France, Italy, England, and low countries had felt the plague.” (academic.mu.edu) Throughout Europe, countries were affected by the plague.