Where did lords live during the Middle Ages?
Answer : In castles
Medieval lords lived in castles, symbols of their power.
Questions and answers: Middle Ages
Revise Middle Ages: here is a selection of questions of every level, with the answer and an explanation. To test yourself without seeing the answers, play the quizzes.
Play the Middle Ages quizzesVery easy
What do we call a knight who served a lord?
Answer : A vassal
A vassal was a knight or noble bound by an oath of loyalty to his lord.
Which religious building was often the largest structure in a medieval town?
Answer : The cathedral
The cathedral was generally the largest and most important building in a medieval town.
What do we call mounted combat competitions between knights at festivals?
Answer : Tournaments
Tournaments were events where knights competed on horseback, often with lances.
Which weapon did medieval knights typically carry into battle?
Answer : The sword
The sword was the emblematic weapon of knights in the Middle Ages.
What do we call a hand-written, illustrated text from the Middle Ages?
Answer : A manuscript
A manuscript is a document written and often decorated by hand, before the invention of the printing press.
What type of fortified building protected people during the Middle Ages?
Answer : The castle
The castle was a fortified structure built for defense.
Who led the Catholic Church from Rome during the Middle Ages?
Answer : The Pope
The Pope was the head of the Catholic Church, based in Rome.
Easy
Which 1215 document limited the power of the King of England?
Answer : The Magna Carta
The Magna Carta, signed by King John, was the first document to limit royal power in England.
Which war pitted France against England for over a century?
Answer : The Hundred Years' War
The Hundred Years' War was fought between France and England from 1337 to 1453.
Which young French woman led troops against the English during the Hundred Years' War?
Answer : Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc led the French army and helped lift the siege of Orléans in 1429.
Which 1066 battle allowed William the Conqueror to conquer England?
Answer : The Battle of Hastings
The Battle of Hastings, in 1066, saw William the Conqueror defeat King Harold II.
What do we call the monastic order founded by Saint Benedict of Nursia?
Answer : The Benedictine order
The Benedictine order, founded in the 6th century, was one of the most influential medieval monastic orders.
Which Byzantine emperor had the Hagia Sophia built in Constantinople?
Answer : Justinian I
Justinian I had the Hagia Sophia built in the 6th century, a masterpiece of Byzantine architecture.
What do we call merchants and craftsmen organized into medieval professional associations?
Answer : Guilds
Guilds grouped together craftsmen and merchants of the same trade to defend their interests.
Which Muslim realm occupied a large part of the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages?
Answer : Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus referred to the territories of the Iberian Peninsula under Muslim rule.
Medium
Which dynasty ruled France from 987 to 1328?
Answer : The Capetians
The Capetian dynasty ruled France from 987, starting with Hugh Capet, until 1328.
Which 1214 battle strengthened the power of King Philip Augustus of France?
Answer : The Battle of Bouvines
The victory at Bouvines in 1214 durably consolidated Capetian royal power.
What do we call the 1054 split between the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches?
Answer : The Great Schism
The Great Schism of 1054 officially separated the Catholic and Orthodox Churches.
Which religious and military order was created to protect pilgrims in the Holy Land?
Answer : The Knights Templar
The Knights Templar, founded in the 12th century, protected pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem.
Which Holy Roman Emperor was nicknamed 'Barbarossa'?
Answer : Frederick I
Frederick I, nicknamed Barbarossa because of his red beard, ruled in the 12th century.
What do we call the vast Mongol empire founded by Genghis Khan in the 13th century?
Answer : The Mongol Empire
The Mongol Empire, founded by Genghis Khan, became the largest contiguous land empire in history.
Which university, founded in the 12th century, is one of the oldest in Europe?
Answer : The University of Bologna
The University of Bologna, founded in 1088, is considered the oldest continuously operating university in Europe.
Which English king was forced to sign the Magna Carta in 1215?
Answer : King John
King John was forced by his barons to sign the Magna Carta in 1215.
Hard
Which 843 treaty divided the Carolingian empire among Charlemagne's grandsons?
Answer : The Treaty of Verdun
The Treaty of Verdun, in 843, divided the Carolingian empire between Lothair, Louis the German, and Charles the Bald.
Which 732 battle halted the Muslim advance into Gaul?
Answer : The Battle of Tours (732)
The Battle of Tours (Poitiers), won by Charles Martel in 732, stopped the Muslim expansion into northern Europe.
Which pope called for the First Crusade in 1095?
Answer : Urban II
Pope Urban II called for the crusade at the Council of Clermont in 1095.
Which Chinese dynasty ruled when Marco Polo visited China in the 13th century?
Answer : The Yuan dynasty
Marco Polo visited China under the Yuan dynasty, founded by Kublai Khan.
Which internal English conflict pitted the houses of Lancaster and York against each other in the 15th century?
Answer : The Wars of the Roses
The Wars of the Roses pitted the houses of Lancaster and York against each other for the English throne.
Which Byzantine emperor lost Constantinople to the Ottomans in 1453?
Answer : Constantine XI
Constantine XI Palaiologos was the last Byzantine emperor, killed during the fall of Constantinople in 1453.
Which King of France took part in the Seventh Crusade and was captured in Egypt?
Answer : Louis IX
Louis IX (Saint Louis) led the Seventh Crusade and was captured in Egypt in 1250.
Which major peasant revolt broke out in England in 1381?
Answer : The Peasants' Revolt of 1381
The Peasants' Revolt of 1381, led notably by Wat Tyler, protested against taxes and living conditions.
Expert
Which 1176 battle marked the defeat of Frederick Barbarossa against the Lombard League?
Answer : The Battle of Legnano
The Battle of Legnano, in 1176, saw the Lombard League inflict a decisive defeat on Frederick Barbarossa.
Which 1215 council clarified the doctrine of transubstantiation and imposed annual confession?
Answer : The Fourth Lateran Council
The Fourth Council of the Lateran, in 1215, was one of the most important councils of the Middle Ages.
Which Ayyubid sultan recaptured Jerusalem from the Crusaders in 1187?
Answer : Saladin
Saladin, founder of the Ayyubid dynasty, recaptured Jerusalem after the Battle of Hattin in 1187.
Which 1214 battle pitted Philip Augustus against a coalition led by Emperor Otto IV?
Answer : The Battle of Bouvines
The Battle of Bouvines pitted Philip Augustus against an Anglo-German coalition led by Otto IV.
Which 1259 treaty durably settled relations between the kings of France and England?
Answer : The Treaty of Paris (1259)
The Treaty of Paris of 1259 fixed English possessions in France in exchange for homage to the French king.
Which Mongol dynasty founded by Kublai Khan ruled China?
Answer : The Yuan dynasty
The Yuan dynasty, founded by Kublai Khan in 1271, ruled China until 1368.
Which 1420 treaty recognized the King of England as heir to the French throne?
Answer : The Treaty of Troyes
The Treaty of Troyes, in 1420, recognized Henry V of England as heir to the Kingdom of France.
Which 14th-century Franciscan philosopher is famous for the principle of 'Ockham's razor'?
Answer : William of Ockham
William of Ockham, a Franciscan philosopher and theologian, is associated with the principle of simplicity known as Ockham's razor.