Lecture on "Plows, Stirrups, Guns, and Plagues"

Introduction

• Lecture covers Chapter 10 on plows, stirrups, guns, and plagues
• Brief mention of the Great Chain of Being

The Great Chain of Being

• Concept from "Great Courses"
• Hierarchy: God > Angels > Man > Animals > Plants > Stones
  • Further divisions possible within each category
  • Immutable order, no new species or extinctions per divine order.
• Tall buildings (e.g., churches) considered more godly
• Historical context: Church and religious sentiments reinforced social structures

Collapse of the Roman Empire & Rise of the Holy Roman Empire

• Roman Empire collapses in the West, the East continues as the Byzantine Empire until the 15th century when it falls to the Ottomans
• Charlemagne (Charles the Great) forms the Holy Roman Empire in the West
  • Noted for the Carolingian Revival (focus on Greek and Roman culture)
  • Latin name: Carolus; hence Carolingian
  • Emphasis on learning and book copying

Carolingian Renaissance

• Charlemagne's era marks intellectual revival
• Books were precious and controlled in Aken (Aix-la-Chapelle)
• Example: Venerable Bede, Ecclesiastical History of the British Nation
• Introduction of Carolingian Minuscule writing
  • Innovated with lowercase letters for efficiency

Europe's Demographic and Cultural Backwater

• Population comparison: Europe (22 million) vs. China (60 million), India (79 million), Islamic World (40 million)
• Europe lagged behind in population and technological advancements
• Hungry population necessitated agricultural innovation

Technological Innovations in Agriculture

• Importance of technology for agricultural productivity
• Heavy Plow
  • 10th-century innovation, possibly from China or Eastern Europe
  • Allowed cultivation of difficult soils (e.g., clay)
  • Enabled northward migration in Europe
• Horse as Draft Animal
  • Replaced slow oxen for plowing
  • Innovations: horse collar, horseshoe
  • Enabled more efficiently shaped fields and better plowing

Conclusion

• Introduction of agricultural technologies like the heavy plow and horse collar was crucial for increasing food production
• Increased food availability led to population growth and more leisure time for learning and innovation