Things School Didn't Teach You About The Dark Ages

Uncover the untold truths of the Dark Ages! Contrary to popular belief, elections were more common than you think, and there were not one but two renaissances. Discover the Islamic Golden Age's incredible contributions to science, math, and more!
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[@HikuroMishiro]

I thought it was the dark ages because there were so many knights...

[@charlie11ng42]

This is correct

[@JCavinee]

No, that is not correct even in the slightest. What the hell even gave you that idea to begin with?

[@ReverendMeat51]

@@JCavinee Do you know what puns are?

[@garretth8224]

@@JCavinee Lol. I see wordplay goes over your head.

[@ryanb3731]

Golf clap

[@bennoble3177]

The term 'Dark Ages' was originally coined by historians as there was a lack of contemporary written sources for the period, thus making them 'Dark' to us.

[@tommyrotton9468]

It was a time of slavers, bandits and waring rulers so unsafe to travel too far. But we did invent better armour, fortifications and weapon technologies than the Romans during these ages. As for Turkey, who knows, they were sacked by Islam and the Persian before them, records of the last Roman refuge in the world lost to war no doubt.

[@amirferdhany3177]

@@tommyrotton9468 technically it was serfs, which one can argue are just slaves. And apparently this time was also the Islamic golden age, before everything collapsed due to conflicting beliefs within Islam. Sunni vs Shia is a legendary rivalry.

[@tommyrotton9468]

@@amirferdhany3177 or was it? kzbin.info/www/bejne/qGeveomAiK2indE&ab_channel=ThomasAlexander these German/Franch discoveries tell a different history to the standard Islam narative

[@garretth8224]

​@@amirferdhany3177The Mongols sacking Baghdad didn't help either.

[@amirferdhany3177]

@@garretth8224 ah yes, Chingis Khan

[@mikitz]

It is a surprisingly ancient notion that people who want to be in power are usually the last people who should elevated to such a position.

[@phrontifugist]

And yet modern capitalist societies are saturated by businesses run by people praised and promoted for pursuing those objectives.

[@oakfat5178]

@@phrontifugistEvery capitalist enterprise is a sh*t sandwich factory. Some are more humane or less destructive than others, some more successful than others. They all have shareholders, whose interests have legal priority over any other interested party, including society, and even civilisation. I can't speak for other countries, but in Australia, the board of directors is there to act in what they determine to be the shareholders; interests. Sadly, imo, very few people manage to become directors who see shareholder interests as being anything beyond the amount of the dividends.

[@phrontifugist]

@@oakfat5178 Agreed

[@oakfat5178]

With governments, we can't exclude people on how badly they might behave in office, but disincentives could be used, such as two terms out of office and politics between each term served. Another would be much tougher barriers to using political inside knowledge in work done while not in office, and mandatory government-appointed lobbyists only, acting as government employees, at no cost to the client, beyond being deprived of undue influence.

[@topogigio7031]

​@@oakfat5178bro, we all agree with you here. It's the GOP we need to convince

[@yskitv5118]

Could you do more videos on the Middle East’s Golden Age during the Dark Ages? That was pretty cool!

[@timleber2257]

The Islamic Golden Age serves as both an example and a warning. It is an example of how society can blossom and grow when the education and ideas are freely exchanged and valued. The fall of the Islamic world when the religious zealots took over and denigrated anything that didn't follow their own narrow beliefs is a dire warning to modern societies that letting opinions trump facts is a very dangerous path to go down.

[@eekee6034]

It would be so much better if some people would realise that things presented to them as facts aren't necessarily so. I've grown to hate commenting on science channels because of the number of people who just regurgitate dogma they've been fed in the name of science.

[@gentlemanvontweed7147]

​@@eekee6034I know right! Like people who use "science" to claim that the earth is round.

[@eekee6034]

@@gentlemanvontweed7147 Nice punchline! 🤣But what I mean is people who genuinely want to be good scientists, but outside their own field they really believe in long-disproven theories and philosophies.

[@gentlemanvontweed7147]

@@eekee6034 Hahhah yes I get you. And sorry I couldn't resist. 😂

[@oakfat5178]

A big founder of faith over reason was an 11th Century Persian scholar called Al Ghazeli. Now there are "Biblical Truth beats reality truth" so-called Christians are trying to do the same thing to Western civilisation.

[@julianaylor4351]

In the UK the guilds still exist, but as ceremonial and charitable bodies connected to cities and various professions, which elect their own leaders, which is why some UK cities still have guildhalls. They also sometimes intervene in job rights, much like the later unions. In my local area stonemasons were brought in from India, to build a Hindu temple. When the Stonemasons Guild, found out they were not being paid the UK rate for the job and had no proper accommodation, they intervened and forced the employers to pay a proper wage per hour and provide proper living conditions.

[@tgranger3504]

I think in London they are still essential in the mayor election system. Don’t remember how it works tho.

[@julianaylor4351]

@@tgranger3504 The election of the Lord Mayor of The City Of London, which is a ceremonial position concerns them, but the elected London Major is nothing to do with them.

[@GrantJames72]

Thanks for sharing that story. Any writeups in papers ?

[@julianaylor4351]

@@GrantJames72 Yes it was in the local press in my area and was mentioned on the local television news.

[@reign5563]

And I het they only done that in the hopes of them just hiring locals since they was forced to pay a higher wage. If others agree to do the same job cheaper fuck off.

[@Matty002]

so instead of the 'dark' age it should be something like the 'age of citations needed'

[@NordicRonin]

Made me laughout loud! That was a great one

[@user-ly4yp8ml2i]

Thank you, that's brilliant!

[@alicewilloughby4318]

😂

[@a.nonimus6705]

Kinda means the same thing, doesn't it? A lack of citation leaves you in the dark

[@chaoticdusk7076]

Man I gotta start using this XD

[@igorlopes7589]

4:38 It is important to remember why the Carolingian Renaissance was so clerical. After the Fall of Rome the new elites were germanic warriors, the middle class generally vanished since society was now rural and the low classes were illiterate even at Roman times. *So the only social class really interested in maintaining knowledge after the Fall of Rome was the Clergy.* Charlemagne himself was illiterate until later in his adult life when he started his whole renaissance project. 6:19 Europe was a mess after the death of Louis the Pious. No Emperor after him had enough power to maintain Charlemagne's project, for the Empire was divided and decentralization increased a lot. This without taking into account the effect of viking raids.

[@pikestance8851]

the middle class didn't generally exist to vanish.

[@igorlopes7589]

@@pikestance8851 It kind of partially existed in urban ancient Rome, but I was just anticipating an argument, to be fair. If there was any middle class pre-Fall it ceased to exist when society became rural and agrarian. If there was none to begin with then my point still stands

[@matthewryan2060]

Yes, the Roman Empire just transformed into the Catholic Empire essentially.

[@pikestance8851]

@@igorlopes7589 No actually. In Roman society, there were the super-rich, the slaves, and the poor (bread and circus). In the early Middle Ages society gradually collapsed and you had the landed class 9rch) and the peasants. There was a small cadre of people just above the peasant class, but it would be a stretch to call them the middle class. The middle class gradually came into existence until the establishment of trade and cities BTW it is semantics to argue "generally didn't exist" wth Partially existed."

[@pikestance8851]

@@matthewryan2060 Essentially, no. The Roman empire was a temporal empire while the Roman Catholic Church was a spiritual empire. Kings and Emperors acted on their own accord chasing every ambition imaginable. Moreover, the Roman empire didn't disappear, it still existed in what "we" call the Byzantine Empire. They called themselves Romans despite being "Greek."

[@barlotardy]

1:44 heh heh heh....masterbaker.

[@KaptajnKaffe]

I masterbake with my friends! 😮

[@hyndscs]

​@@KaptajnKaffeI'd laugh if this is one of the code snippets recovered in hundreds of years.

[@richardclark.]

...and then anthropologists were led to believe that Beavis and Butt-head was a documentary.@@hyndscs

[@kennylynch9317]

It's funnier the more you think about it lol. "Just give me like 5 more minutes Sire."

[@donnadees1971]

Prior comments are WAY out of line. Sarcasm,? I am so thankful for this video… get out of my way.

[@simonmeadows7961]

If anyone wants to follow this up there are two books on the subject i recommend. God's Philosophers by James Hannam Pathfinders: The Golden Age of Arabic Science by Jim Al-Khalili

[@Sopmylo]

There is confusion when you conflate the Dark Ages and the Medieval period as one and the same. For example, Britain went through a very real dark ages between 5th and 7th centuries, when contemporary records almost completely disappear. This is long before they entered what we think of as feudal, medieval England.

[@user-ly4yp8ml2i]

Interesting!

[@bunyipdragon9499]

He quickly skips over it at 8:19

[@natbrownizzle1387]

Well he also speaks of an "Islamic Golden Age" which is nonsense, it was rather the Golden Age of the Ottomans and not Islam, he at the end complains basically that we dont learn in schools about the supposed Golden Age pf a Religion, keep in mind he did not speak of a Golde Age of Christianitym because it doey kot exist and the "Islamic Golden Age" is a fantasy created by Leftist scholars. No religion whatsoever ever had a "Golden Age". The Ottoman Empire had a Golden Age, when Islam took over it crumbled the same way the Roman Empire did the moment the Christians took over and started banning everything that was not in line woth monotheistic claims

[@Voron_Aggrav]

​@@natbrownizzle1387 and the fact you say Ottoman clarifies to me You don't know what you're talking about, As the house of Wisdom and Baghdad Wasn't part of the Ottoman empire till after that golden age, it's the Arabic Empire that had Baghdad as their capital during that time, And the Islamic world did have great value from the work that was done in the House of Wisdom, The main difference is in how the religions have their main focus, which these days is a far cry from what their prophet brought into the world, Moses, Jesus and Mohammed would have a hard time recognising the modern interpretations of their teachings because of the corruption of time and power hungry people,

[@davidcashin1894]

It is fascinating how scaling down curriculums to fit everything into schooling has such an impact on attitudes and perceptions. But it also shows just how tough it can be to determine what is in and what is out.

[@jeffdingle9677]

During the dark ages in England, the King or Sovereign was elected by a group of nobles known as the "Witan", who still often elected a late King's off-spring, sometimes his eldest son but often another was selected if they were viewed as the best candidate for the country. They didn't want an idiot after all - they needed a leader, someone who could defend the realm, balance the economy, ensure that food production was plentiful, and that the church was protected from the heathens. It was William I who introduced "primogeniture" the policy and practice of passing the crown to the eldest son (and if he was an idiot, he likely got murdered by the next in line).

[@theoriginalkyttyn7724]

Exactly what the US Electorate does. The popular vote or the common vote, i.e. the vote of individual US citizens, is a multitool used to divide, distract and entertain. The popular vote essentially does nothing with respect to who gets elected President.

[@kevinmcqueenie7420]

Yep, that's exactly how Alfred the Great (still the only English monarch to be given that title, with the exception of Cnut, but he was also King of Denmark) came to the throne of Wessex, as he was chosen over his elder brother's first born son Aethelwold who was considered too young at the time to fight against the growing Danish/Norse threat.

[@jonathandemy-geroe4991]

Not sure about England, but elected monarchies in Eastern Europe tended to be more about electing the weakest and easiest to control leader so that the more powerful noble families could maintain and expand their own powers at the expense of the crown. Hungary for instance had very few strong monarchs after the extinction of the Árpád family.

[@kevinmcqueenie7420]

@@jonathandemy-geroe4991 probably true in England too, I just used that specific example as it’s one I know about fairly well!

[@t.c.2776]

so is this were the opposite of "witan" is "wittless"?🤔

[@Living_Despite]

This is the kind of content I subscribed for. Bravo. You didn't even have to walk off camera.

[@thelonewolf8050]

Hi Mr. Simon, I don't know if you will see this but, I just wanted to say that I really enjoy and appreciate your historical content, for example this video Sir, I am a bit of a history buff myself, and I enjoy general world history, military and modern history, so thank you for the care that you and your writers put into these history videos on your channels Sir. Keep up the hard work you and your team of writers.

[@Nathan-vt1jz]

It’s great to see the Middle Ages get some of the recognition it deserves, so often it’s portrayed overly negative.

[@gomahklawm4446]

Well, it was for 99.9% of the people alive....

[@igorlopes7589]

​@@gomahklawm4446 By this logic so was the Ancient Age

[@rustyyb8450]

The age of Islam's colonization efforts. How do you think Bagdad came to collect the materials in that library. Slavery really got popularized when Muhammed banned Muslims slaving Muslims. The coasts of all the Mediterranean to Iceland were subject to raids for slaves. Cordova boasted the most lucrative (export) slave market surpassed only by Bagdad.

[@igorlopes7589]

@@rustyyb8450 Shhh... muslims got their Golden age from nothing. It started miraculously out of thin air!

[@Nathan-vt1jz]

@@igorlopes7589 Same with the Islamic Empire, Roman Empire, Aztecs, Assyrians, etc… The worst part for Europe during the Dark/Middle Ages was they were generally targeted in the slave trade (mostly by the Islamic Empire). Europe was clearly the weaker and less unified world power during this time. Then the mongols arrived and messed everyone up… China, Europe, Russia, Persia, almost everyone in the Eurasian supercontinent got beaten up by the mongols.

[@Anti_Woke]

The dark ages are 'dark' because there are fewer records to illuminate it than during the earlier Roman age and the later medieval. The term has no negative connotations for the period, just indicates we don't know much about it.

[@michaelkaminski84]

Thank you, as a former archaeology student, this often does not get cited. When the term was coined, archaeology didn't exist, scholars were looking at textual remains and realized it all slowed to a trickle because the bureaucracy collapsed. The record trail "went dark." Modern science and archaeology has since shown us quite a bit about the era. There are similar textual "dark ages" in Mesopotamia history because that area was prone to cycles of empire collapse as well.

[@Ashley-wi4ng]

The fact this is not common knowledge is wild to me.

[@bromson4459]

Well, in popular understanding "dark" has a negative connotation. If you add that most people seemingly slept through history class it does not suprise me that for many 500ce- 1000 ce =bad

[@backcountry164]

Had no negative connotation. That has obviously changed.

[@spokenme08]

@@bromson4459 I don't remember doing the Dark Ages much in school. During that time period we were mostly in the Americas, the European stuff started in the 14th century. I was in school from 1996-2008.

[@curiousworld7912]

I thought the general time span covering the so-called 'Dark Ages', was roughly 400ce to 1000ce. The Romans didn't all leave Western Europe en masse, or on the same schedule. And, what is referred to as the 'Late Middle Ages' (roughly 1200ce to 1500ce), saw many advances that made the Renaissance possible. Many of the things you touched upon, happened during that 'late' part of the Middle Ages - not, so much, the 'Dark' ages.

[@bridgetmccormick6130]

What an interesting and informative video. Seriously thank you! You blew my mind! In school I only learned (very very briefly) that the Middle East had advances in math and astronomy but I didn’t know any details. The details are important! Again thank you!

[@julianaylor4351]

The knowledge that the Islamic world got from ancient Greek and Roman texts, was often translated by Jewish scholars, who had had contact with all three civilisations, having been forced out of parts of the Holy Land, after the Masada Rebellion in Roman Palestine.

[@lucietigger1641]

I was just pondering something and your comment just added to it. The Dark Ages as it was termed, an apparent time of a halt to any significant advancement....was at a time where it seemed a lot of this advancement was happening in Islamic countries and this was being fed to European areas via Jewish scholars. Culturally there has been a religious bias against the peoples of Islamic and Jewish faiths, so in western history lessons is a lot of this left out to avoid recognising the contributions made by non-christian faith peoples?

[@alysdexia]

Exemplum of cognitive dissonanty as all three Abrahamisms believed Earth was flat and small and heavens were a lake where the stars swam above a bowl that held up the rain and it had been 800 years that latitude and longitude had been known yet Earth was supposed to be spread out like a rug to Muslims.

[@frenchfrog4622]

@@lucietigger1641 while it's true that the notion of dark ages is inherently eurocentric I don't think it comes out of a wish to erase non christians contributions to the development of science around that time but rather a simple lack of knowledge. Furthermore the trend you're describing here of interfaith communications and the spread of knowledge was very limited, if not non-existant. Really the moment that islamic medicine and goods started being imported to europe in significant quantity was after the crusades and the creation of the latin crusader states, through their commerce with europe all this knowledge started to spread but before that really it could be said that exchanges were very limited and often quite hostile.

[@manoz6194]

Yes, the Muslim world is happy to have Jews in their land as long as the Jews do not have any power, you give Jews power it's spells the end of humanity, hence the age we live in, the true dark age

[@AKG77]

​@@alysdexia that's talking without proof. The quran mentioned the earth is spherical shaped. And the scholars of the time followed greek method and found it to be similar and closer to modern measurement of earth circumference. And although it was wrongly assumed at that time just like the people before them, their understanding was earth at the centre of the universe and other celestial bodies circling

[@DuckAllMighty]

There's one thing I got to realize after I got out of school and started to explore history in a much wider scale, and that is, that the World where way more interconnected, than you are led to believe. You are always told, that farmers where bound to the land, and that they would live and die in the same spot, and that is true for the most part, but that's not to say that they didn't travel, most peasants travelled to the local market and occasionally to the city. It was almost expected for a peasant to at least once in their life to go on a trip to the Holy Land, and it was quite easily accepted by the Lord. Traders also travelled the known World with their wares. As Simon said, the Islamic Golden Age was a foot note, if mentioned at all, and China is not even a foot note, but they had some serious stuff going on too. The Medieval Ages are truly fascinating and saw some of the most defining advancements and inventions in World history. One area, that improved substantially, was metallurgy, leading to better tools, weapons and armour. One tool that was invented in particular, is the heavy plough, but other things where also invented. But the most defining invention of them all, that completely changed the World, is of course black powder.

[@oakfat5178]

I'm not sure it was an invention, but transcription was an innovation. In Europe, where Classical texts could easily have been mistranslated, misunderstood, stolen or lost. Only the Church, or very wealthy individuals, might have owned Classical texts in the West. Islamic universities translated a lot of Classical texts, and copies made their way around Mediterranean shores, to be translated into Latin, Greek, English and other European languages.

[@pedigreeann]

@@oakfat5178 The Eastern Roman Empire (later called the Byzantime empire) had never fallen to the extent the Western one had and continued to maintain a Christian, literate and innovative civilization; we still don't know the exact formula for Greek Fire, for instance.

[@oakfat5178]

@@pedigreeann The Eastern Roman/Byzantine millennium started with an empire and ended with a principality. At some point, here wouldn't have been enough scholars left to operate as widely as the more learning-oriented Islamic dynasties and domains.

[@YoungGandalf2325]

We are currently in the Simonian Renaissance, the true Golden Age.

[@wolfy8006]

This Golden Age is as bright as our messiah’s forehead.

[@aceundead4750]

​@@wolfy8006the glow from Fact Boi's head will guide us into the future with knowledge, hilarity, and cocaine for all.

[@nunyabusiness3786]

@@aceundead4750 Yay cocaine!

[@tommyrotton9468]

the Golden age of his favourite cereal shining from the bowl

[@GooseGumlizzard]

Simon doesn’t know shit, he’s just good at reading a script. People act like he actually possesses all this knowledge smh

[@anthonyklanke1397]

Another great vid 👌 thanks for the brain food!

[@bamdadkhan]

tbh plato's principle about power should be more widely applied today..

[@JohnTreacy-ix3wr]

It may have been the Dark Ages in Britain and western Europe. But Ireland was busy saving civilization during its golden age of enlightenment.

[@Corsuwey]

"Master Baker"? Okay... So, what about a professional who baits for fishing? Ah... childish jokes are so much fun!!!

[@randalmayeux8880]

Hooker?

[@Luis_SellsHomes]

Simón I love your videos! Your content is right up my alley as if you created this channel knowing that I love this shit you talk about!

[@morsumbra9692]

Mr shaw of JM Robinson and Mr. Ugaste of Providence high school. Thank yall for making history fun, pointing out some events the school curriculum didnt, and teaching in an open-minded "who knows whats actually right, thats why you gotta study" mentality. Yall were the best. Unlike Ms. O'Neil and her meticulous notebook.

[@skeery2605]

I always had a feeling when I was in school being taught what the world wanted to me to learn and that everything seemed to not align correctly. It seemed like I was being taught from a book with missing pages and chapters..

[@goosenotmaverick1156]

Depending on where you went to school, that could have literally been the case 😂

[@sinnwalker]

Yup. That's humanity in a nutshell, we're a very biased species, for various reasons. That's about to change tho with AI coming into play, in most fields within the next several years humans will have no vital role.

[@georgehh2574]

​@@sinnwalker All that you have written is nonsensical.

[@declannash4336]

It literally is the case wherever you went to school

[@jasons5916]

It is impossible to teach all of history in grade school. There is too much material. So textbooks have what people think is important and skip all the other stuff. Sometimes that other stuff is later considered important. The main thing they are supposed to teach you is how to fill in those gaps by yourself if you ever want to.

[@pjreynoldsrapify]

I love your voice, Simon, and that you're always reinventing yourself. Everything you publish is always so interesting.

[@ElizabethHernandez-qv5qn]

Awesome. I love learning new things and this was definitely NOT taught in school!

[@slimyturtle4665]

Simon i love your content but imma have to sit the rest of this one out its bringing up too much trauma from my AP world history class 😭

[@ForsakenGrevas]

On ectopic pregnancies and "treatment." The treatment is abortion. Which was condoned by both the ancient Islamic and ancient Christian worlds. Both holy books contain directions for abortifacients. Always important to remember that the modern religious insistence that abortion is somehow wrong is in direct opposition to the scriptural position that a fetus does not have a soul until its first breath.

[@jannetteberends8730]

That’s not true. In different Islamic schools abortion is not prohibited until the fourth month. In Christian countries abortion was possible until you could hear the heart of the child. This changed not so long ago. But I don’t remember when exactly.

[@omega1231]

It is kinda ironic that people think medieval monarchs were absolutist rulers, in fact most were not and absolutism is for the most part a thing of the renaissance and later, that is for some countries several centuries after the medieval period ended. My country Denmark didn't become absolutist until the early 1700s, up until then the king was partially subject to the nobility and other large landowners, although still with near absolute power, I mean, one of our Kings in the 1200s literally pawned off the entire kingdom to dukes from Holstein.

[@anarchodin]

The king already had absolute rule over Denmark when he imposed it on Iceland in 1662, so clearly it was before 1700.

[@CyrilleParis]

Very good! Thanks!

[@saramurphy345]

I am new to your channel & I "liked" & subscribed. I really learned interesting history and look forward to learning more from future works. May I ask you to slow down a little!? With my lousy phone volume & my lousy hearing, Im missing what your saying b/ c you are really speaking quite quickly. Thank you and best wishes.

[@timeameyer2661]

Yes I agree it feels like a race of knowledge. I love the history, but its too fast hard to enjoy.

[@tomholroyd7519]

"Things I was not taught in school" is my favorite topic.

[@katsmeow6946]

Great vid! I wouldn’t mind one just on the Muslim Renaissance. That’s one I’ve not heard of.

[@calebash82]

Agreed 👍🏻

[@jenileekocal]

Fascinating. Thanks

[@danjohnston9037]

The irony being that Simon probably got more views labling this as " Dark Ages " video rather than a " Golden Age " video

[@parvuspeach]

Being from the Iberian Peninsula we are very well aware of the islamic golden age, we almost entirely skipped the dark ages because of their occupation at the time.

[@ThatOneGuyJet]

We are going through somewhat of a dark age right now, an era of moral decay, decadence, gluttony and science denial.

[@saxon6]

Dr. Thomas F X Noble of University of Notre Dame makes reference to "high school text books and other sources of fiction"when speaking of western civilization

[@perrydowd9285]

I have read a lot about the dissolution of the monasteries in England and the printers practice of using old vellum manuscripts to make the leather binding for their paper books. the purge of Witchcliffe and Duns at the universities while the same thing was occurring in large scale in Paris for industrial and political purposes, I wonder if The Dark Ages may have become dark because post renaissance vandalism.

[@eriglaser]

My big take away from my Medieval Jewish Thought and Institutions class was that it was way way better to be a Jew in Muslim countries than in Christian ones for the vast majority of the history of the Abrahamic religions, especially during the Islamic Golden Age. In fact the Rabbinic golden age also corresponds to this time when the Mishnah and the Talmud and Kabbalistic exegesis were being written , largely in Baghdad. Meanwhile Jews were being expelled from most Christian European countries or worse tortured into forcible conversion or just outright massacred. One of our most haunting prayers, Unetanneh Tokef, comes from one of these martyrs (probably) who was tortured by an archbishop for not converting and was delivered on a shield to his synagogue on the holiest day of the year (Yom Kippur) where he sang the prayer and died. This prayer is actually quoted in the Leonard Cohen song Who By Fire. Anyways all that to say I'd rather pay some extra taxes to the Caliphate thanks. History always sucks, it just sucks differently at different times depending on who you happen to be.

[@Naptosis]

But Christians would let us keep our fořeskıns. 🕊️

[@sayuas4293]

Yeah, muslims today are so progressive, and would never attack jewish communities in their countries right? Oh wait, all the jewish communities in islamic countries are almost entirely gone because of persecution.

[@markc6571]

The Muslim world had a Golden Age, until their religious leaders turned them away from knowledge, and instead chose to create their own Dark Age. Which they're currently still in.

[@YousufAhmad0]

Thank you Simon.

[@tryllyam]

Thank you for this video! As a former student of medieval history, I can easily agree that it was a much more complex time than we think. And it was only the "dark ages" in Europe. I love that you talked about the Muslim world and the Ottoman Empire in this time period. My history prof once did a couple of lectures on the time of the Crusades from the Muslim perspective and it was truly eye opening.

[@microb8169]

Hey this is great !!!

[@DeaconBlu]

Cool vid! Thanks cat! 😎👍

[@randalmayeux8880]

Actually, a little over 50 years after the fall of Rome, the world literally entered into a dark age. In 535ad, Krakatoa erupted in a massive cataclysm that quite literally plunged the entire world into darkness. Weather patterns changed, crops failed, diseases spread, famine gripped the land and people and animals died.

[@gordonwallin2368]

Cheers from the Pacific West Coast of Canada.

[@angstysoftbean]

So I'm born raised and still living in greece to this day. I was one of those bottle bottom glasses kids up until maybe 13, when they finally gave me a good pair. From ages 11 to 18, I was reading so much extracurricular historical fiction from all over the world, books my parents had in the house or that I found interesting, I learned so many things from them, I actually had my parents called to the principal's office in high school, cause I got in trouble for "correcting a professor" one too many times... This just to show you, it's not only the english-speaking world that centers itself throughout history. This just shows how important it is to never, never stop reading. And always read outside your comfort!!!

[@samizdat113]

@0:08 Ah the good ol' days. I love that painting.

[@faizalangah6236]

I thought it was called ‘The Dark Ages’ because lightbulbs were not invented yet during that time period.

[@jeffdege4786]

Roman agricultural productivity was in continuous decline from the 2nd Punic War on. This decline wasn't obvious because Rome was looting from larger and larger areas. Meanwhile there was a significant technological revolution going on in the Middle Ages. Starting with horse collars and plows that could handle the deep northern soils. And according to the Domesday Book, there were more water mills in England in 1086 than in the entire Roman Empire at its peak.

[@LaurieValdez-zk3dy]

Good morning and thank you

[@canagoblinpaint6364]

Amazing video and full easy digestible information, would love to see a video on the muslim golden age please i need to know more 😅😊 thank you

[@seanaguilar2057]

Also: The world's first public library was created in the Dark Ages in Italy. As were the first pair of corrective lenses/glasses. The mechanical clock, etc.

[@maggiemae7539]

That is not so. Ever hear of the library of Alexandria?

[@seanaguilar2057]

@@maggiemae7539 Yes and while impressive, aggressive but impressive, it was not open to the public. All visitors were searched for scrolls and all novel scrolls were copied. But it was a guarded place for Priests/clergy, royals and famous scholars. Joe Schmo couldn't get in.

[@elderlord5164]

I learned almost everything I know on my own. School didn't teach much and certainly didn't teach anything about the dark ages. School didn't Even teach spelling, grammar, or punctuation. I had to figure that out on my own. After I aced senior music theory in 10th grade school had nothing left to offer me.

[@igorlopes7589]

On the votes thing it is important to remember that places like Spain and Portugal had Cortes Generales (parliament houses) which represented the three "states" of medieval society, nobles and clergymen but also the people. The french had something similar with the Estates General, which also existed in the Low Countries. While there was voter restriction to people who had a certain ammount of money, still the Third Estate wasn't composed by nobility, but of people who had enough money, through businesses for example.

[@Rugad]

In my studies I learned to distinguish the Carolingian, Scholastic and Humanistic Renaissance, focussing more on the history of philosophy. While the Carolingian Renaissance would focus on PRESERVING and REPLICATING thoughts from the antiquity, the scholastic Renaissance of High Middle Age would go beyond that and SYSTEMATIZE these antic sources. Scholars in this time really went deep into the antic texts and thoughts to understand them, and use them to answer questions which arose at the time. Best and greatest example is St. Thomas Aquinas. Finally, the Humanistic Renaissance went beyond that and ultimately formulated new thoughts which were unheard of before.

[@sd-ch2cq]

Thanks for pointing out that we have stuff from Ceasar and the likes because it was painstakingly copied (which also makes it obvious that we lost stuff simply because it wasn't copied).

[@donnadees1971]

I am so grateful for these informational videos, as I confess to being overwhelmed by hi school classes… S

[@BleachDemon707]

As shown by your spelling for "high" school 🙄

[@offixialprophecy5576]

thank you for teaching the shit our schools and governments don't want us to learn 💜🖤

[@ignitionfrn2223]

0:45 - Chapter 1 - (Some) people had the right to vote 4:10 - Chapter 2 - The dark age renaissances 8:30 - Chapter 3 - The islamic golden age

[@jameskingsbery3644]

Phil Daileader has some material on this. One point he brings up is that population collapse in the Roman Empire started in the 3rd century, during the Crisis of the Third Century. On the other hand, when Romulus Agustulus abdicated, not much would have changed practically. So, even the "correction" this video offers still misses some big things.

[@jimp8400]

Thank you

[@jimbo33]

Are you in a contest to see how fast you can cover the material? Slow down a little please, you are covering very interesting history that deserves more consideration than allowed by your speeding through the topic!

[@nola281]

One of the things forgotten about the Islamic empire during the dark ages was that their medical practices were light years ahead of Europe at the time. You had a far better chance at survival from basic ailments in iraq than Europe.

[@Debbie-henri]

That is true, and some of their herbal medicines are still in use to this day. Nigella sativa is a good example. When my husband was diagnosed with cancer, I researched into all different cultures, searching for 'sensible' treatments, coming across Nigella as an ancient Arabic treatment (it should not be used as an alternative to modern medicine, however). Nigella sativa seeds were difficult to find at the time, sold only in small amounts then. Now, they are available in the herb and spice section of major supermarkets. We both take some daily mixed in our porridge oats.

[@Nathan-vt1jz]

I believe they also invented significant improvement in math (algebra), re-created the slave trade (after Rome’s fall), re-started international trade, and defeated much of the Byzantine Empire in jihad.

[@AriManPad8gi]

thank you for this, it's great you got into the islamic golden age, it's important for today. like u said, it had a profound impact on just about everything science we have now. everyone owes a great debt to them. ifit weren't for the Maya and the Muslims, science would still be 200+ years behind easy.

[@GhostbustersNW]

Boy, the dark ages really liked their “Renae Sauce.” I guess it was the equivalent of today’s ketchup.

[@Nanakinsz]

"Remember, clumsiness has it's charm." ~Kelly #QuoteofTheDay. This video was altogether charming, Miss Kelly, and I thank you very much for the perspective, the inspiration, and, as usual, the kick in the pants. ❤

[@lDemonAngel]

Teaching accurate history that holds all parties responsible for their actions in a unbiased manner seems to be a thing of the past, but hopefully it returns in the future

[@user-ly4yp8ml2i]

Most interesting; thank you very much. You might also find Jay Smith's video about the Islamic Slave Trade interesting. He refers to the role of the Nabateans in desert navigation.

[@thomasjones4570]

FYI Charlemagne wanted to open education to all his people but it was the constant invasions of Vikings that drained his kingdom of wealth and caused the stopping of his advancements. That is the reason why that advancements ended...the age of the Vikings started in full swing.

[@kyleahmed6345]

1:45 I think I would've been a great leader! Oh wait you said Baker?

[@SlideRulePirate]

2:46 Cool hoodie!

[@user-eg6pl2nr4d]

I like the switch of the teams 😂 cold! 😂

[@AnnaAnna-uc2ff]

Thanks.

[@the-chillian]

"Font" is the wrong word unless we're talking about a printing press with movable type. "Script" is more like it.

[@icreatedanaccountforthis1852]

It's important to dispell myths.

[@jannetteberends8730]

Everyone of a certain age in France and the Netherlands knows that Charlemagne was the villain that started sending children to school. Thanks to the song Sacré Charlemagne by France Gall, and Kareltje de Grote, by Marijke Merkens

[@JustinMShaw]

When I was much younger I had been fascinated by the nasty rise to power of Western Europe, and similar to the theme at the end of this video, I didn't feel like I had the answer until I had learned a lot more about the Ottoman Empire than I was taught in k-12.

[@Naptosis]

I think you'll find we rose to power because we're scientifically awesome, and really, really, ridiculously good-looking. 🇬🇧

[@JustinMShaw]

@@NaptosisFunny joke, but no. This isn't a new question, it's something I answered for myself several decades ago.

[@stephenwilhelm]

The basics of Algebra was known in ancient Egypt and Greece, but the first mostly complete description of it came in 7th Century India, mostly attributed to Brahmagupta. India also came up with zero and negative numbers first, and Arabic numerals were pretty much just a copy of Indian numerals. When it comes to math, the Arabs (though al-Khwarizmi was Persian) real genius was in taking things from many cultures and combining them into a coherent whole.

[@maxmarchildon1113]

It's such a big coincidence that all Roman schools in north africa(library of Alexandria), all Roman schools in Jerusalem and Syria, suddenly all disapear, and all Persian Empire school's, Budhist Schools and Greek schools all disapear suddenly. And then coicidentally 1 Library appears in Bagdhad because the muslims were so much smarter than the greeks, romans and persions before them. What great intellectuals! Wow amazing!

[@paulcooper9135]

I would love to watch an hours long video on the advancements credited to the Islamic Golden Age.

[@4benprice]

Master baker…..had to rewind and listen again to clear things up.

[@amandajones661]

I'm part of a film guild and we have elected board members who represent us during political meetings and we all figure out who is good to vote for the arts ( but obviously we all get public voting)

[@karldavis7392]

I love the grumpy camel at 8:47.

[@tantam7314]

Also during the “dark ages” Europe and the civilized world that we knew of was going into a massive heat wave that also allowed a lot of pestilence to pop up.

[@lanestewart7904]

I’ve heard the word “renaissance” more than I ever have in my life during this 14 minute video

[@donnaholland1625]

I’m fascinated by the Middle Ages and would love to read something about how people survived in their every day world. But since history is only written about royals and churches I haven’t found anything.

[@vetinaris1297]

Time Team, miniminuteman. Search for diaries online.

[@roguewolf7053]

Yep. The advances of the Muslim civilization are *VERY* rarely mentioned…if mentioned *AT ALL* …in American “world history” textbooks at any grade k-12th or even in college! And *even IF* there is a chapter on the topic included in such a textbook…it is generally *SKIPPED* in the class. Since in American k-12th grades it is *VERY common* for teachers to *SKIP multiple* sections & *entire chapters* in history & science textbooks. Typically this is done so as to cover & focus on the specific parts of both subjects generally included on the national standardized tests given each year. The averaged results of those tests dictated how each state ranked national in comparison to each other…thus helping determine various types of federal funding. And *inside* each state the counties/parishes are all ranked comparatively to each other…determining state funding. Inside each county the the averages of all the schools inside each district were ranked determining funding. And then finally the individual schools within each district were compared for the last stage of determining the distribution of funding…both for advanced classes for those who scored highest & the majority of funding for those who scored amping the lowest to try & improve those schools. Which in providing additional funding to schools scoring below a certain average is *intended* to “improve the “quality” of education” at said schools. However *in reality/practice* all it did was cause *ALMOST ALL* American schools to *strictly NARROW* their focus to SOLELY the key points of subjects generally included on state/national standardized tests. With that focus getting more & more narrow with every year after such testing began. Until…the *majority* of history & science textbooks are SKIPPED & the parts that ARE covered are stripped down into brief “facts” *COMPLETELY LACKING ANY* context! Which: 1. Means such facts while easily memorized for testing are rapidly forgotten since they lack context or connection with each other or anything else. 2. Context is THE most important part of history! As the context of events are where the cause & effect are seen. And the primary POINT of history is *supposed* to be to learn HOW we got to where we are AND how/why various mistakes were made as well as why wars/tragedies occurred. So that hopefully each generation learn not only that the mistake/wars/tragedies of the past occurred but ALSO *why* they occurred & thus HOPEFULLY *also how to avoid* repeating those mistakes. But since now even the majority of the 2 required semesters of history required by all 4yr & many 2yr college degrees are taught much the same way…the vast majority of Americans know very little history. In fact I recall multiple college history teachers who handed out a thick stack of notes at the start of the semester & told students they could return their textbook if they already purchased one!! I IMMEDIATELY dropped any class that did that as I refused to pay hundreds of dollars to remember a jumble of disconnect facts for a test! While my major was psychology I graduated with a minor in history just 2 classes short of being a duel major. And I still kick myself for not spending 1 more semester to get those 2 additional classes! Especially since I was basically a professional student.😂 I got my Associates in Emergency Medical Science…aka became a paramedic. Got my BA in Psychology with a minor in history…which I later turned into a full BA in history. Then got my Associates in Nursing Science…aka my RN license. Took the 1.5 semesters worth of classes at the university to turn my A.S. in Nursing into a Bachelors of Sciences in Nursing. Then was roughly 1.5-2 semesters from completing my duel Masters in Clinical Psychology & Masters in History with duel focus of world history & public history…when my chronic pain as a result of a genetic chronic illness worsened when my pain meds were forcibly reduced…in response to the addiction/OD epidemic. So bc the most severe area of my pain are/is in my hips & lower back I was unable to continue the required walking & especially sitting in classes in hard seating with the reduced amount of pain meds. I also suffer severe chronic migraines(aka 15+ days per month w/symptoms)which were severely worsened by the reduction in meds. So RATHER than having multiple Masters degrees that would allow me to work from home online &/or a few days a week with whatever type of chair needed for comfort…Im disabled & unable to work at all.

[@Alitheone6618]

'I grieve in stereo The stereo sounds strange...'🎶

[@ellastar78]

"The Dark Ages" is used to write off years that probably didn't exist, such as when they changed the calendar....

[@DonCristoBaal]

One important aspect missing is that during the Golden Age of Islam, everyone was accepted to learn and teach in Bagdad, that meant muslims, christians, hebrews, hindus were learning and sharing ideas between them. When Europe was under religion boot, the Islam world lead the scientific movement ... fast forward to 11 century and Europe was pushing aside the religious dogma and the Renaissance era begin while Islam world embraced isolationism, religious dogma and the dark age of Islam begun (and remained like that up to this day). Really hope the next event will not happen again exactly but both West and East will push religious dogma aside and fluorish!

[@mondobobdog]

Members from one party got to elect the primary candidate for the opposing party? OMG! We need that NOW!

[@upsidely2189]

They'd all elect the worst candidate. We really don't need that.

[@rathersane]

Many of my Democratic friends in CO-3 did that in 2020 on the grounds that Lauren Boebert would be laughably unelectable…

[@Heywoodthepeckerwood]

Who do you think is voting for Nikki Hayley?

[@debbylou5729]

You think they wouldn’t put the village idiot on the ballot?

[@rightousIke]

I don't think the Republicans could get worse than Drumph

[@Earwaxfire909]

There have been discussions about the volcanic eruption in 536 AD as the start of the "Dark Ages."

[@monkeytron5061]

Haha, that picture of a trade guild appears to feature the actor Simon Peg. 01:36 Look, what’s he doing all the way back in those days hehe?