World History up to 1500: The Post-Roman West and the Crusading Movement Q&A

Question: What were the chief weaknesses of the Carolingian Empire?
Answer: The weaknesses of the Carolingian Empire were that Germanic rulers practiced partible inheritance, which divided the kingdoms; Louis the Pious was not viewed as a warrior like his father Charlemagne, so soldiers went elsewhere; and rulers were unable to prevent raiders from destroying communities.

Question: In what ways was the Caliphate of Cordoba different from Germanic kingdoms?
Answer: The Caliphate was Islamic, it developed urban centers, it was more tolerant of other religions, and it was in closer contact with the Mediterranean world.

Question: Why did the Seljuks assume the title of sultan rather than caliph?
Answer: The Seljuks took the title of sultan because it confirmed their authority within the Abbasid Caliphate without requiring them to replace the caliphs, who then became figureheads. Because the Seljuks were new converts to Islam, were not Arabs, and had no connection to the family of Muhammad, the title of caliph seemed out of their reach.

Question: What differences between the eastern and western Christian churches in the eleventh century led to the Great Schism?
Answer: The churches had different views on the authority of the pope and different cultural heritages, represented by Latin culture in the west and Greek culture in the east. The Greek churches permitted priests to marry, and the Catholic Church did not.

Question: Why was Jerusalem so important to Jewish people, Christians, and Muslims in the medieval period?
Answer: The city held holy sites for all three religions, including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Christians, the Temple Mount for Jews, and the Al-Aqsa Mosque for Muslims. The possessor of the city could boast of control of these holy sites.