Popular revolts in late medieval Europe were uprisings and rebellions by (typically) peasants in the countryside, or the bourgeois in towns, against nobles, abbots and kings during the upheavals of the 14th through early 16th centuries, part of a larger "Crisis of the Late Middle Ages". Sometimes also known as Peasant Revolts, however the phenomenon of popular uprisings was of broad scope and not just restricted to peasants. In a detail of Brueghels Land of Cockaigne (1567) a soft-boiled egg has little feet to rush to the luxuriating peasant who catches drops of honey on his tongue, while roast pigs roam wild: the 16th century was a good time for European peasants A peasant, from 15th... Bourgeois at the end of the thirteenth century. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Background

Before the 14th century, popular uprisings were not unknown, for example uprisings at a manor house against an unpleasant overlord, however they were local in scope. This changed in the 14th and 15th centuries when new downward pressures on the poor resulted in mass movements of popular uprisings across Europe. To provide an example of how common and widespread these movements became, in Germany between 1336 and 1525 there were no less than sixty phases of militant peasant unrest.¹

Most of the revolts were an expression of those below who desired to share in the wealth, status and well being of those more fortunate. In the end they were almost always defeated and the nobles ruled the day. A new attitude emerged in Europe, that "peasant" was a pejorative concept, it was something separate, and seen in a negative light, from those who had wealth and status. This was an entirely new social stratification from earlier times when society had been based on the three orders, those who work, pray and fight, when being a peasant meant being next to God, just as the other orders, now peasants were seen as almost sub-human.

Causes

There were five main reasons for these mass uprisings including 1) an increasing gap between the wealthy and poor, 2) declining incomes of the wealthy, 3) rising inflation and taxation, 4) the external crises of famine, plague and war, and 5) religious backlashes.

Rich and poor

The first reason was because the social gap between rich and poor had become more extreme, the origins of which can be traced to the 12th century with the rise of the concept of "nobility". How one dressed, behaved, manners, courtesy, how one spoke, what one ate, education, all became a part of the noble class making them distinct from others. By the 14th century the nobles had indeed become very different in their behavior, appearance and values from those "beneath". Look up Noble in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Noble can refer to: Nobility, a hereditary caste Nobel Prize, awarded to people who have made outstanding contributions to society Noble gas, chemical elements in group 18 (old-style Group 0) of the periodic table Noble metal, metals that are resistant to... Court of Love in Provence in the 14th Century (after a manuscript in the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris). ... Woman under the Safeguard of Knighthood, allegorical Scene. ... Book of the Civilized Man by Daniel of Beccles (Latin: Urbanus Magnus Danielis Becclesiensis). ...

In urban centers, the early capitalist enterprises connected with long-distance trade and the textile industry had given rise to an urban underclass who were prone to riot in times when the price of bread was high. The perpetual apprentices who could not purchase a mastership in the tightly-controlled guilds were quick to express their resentment, and in university cities, students might be enlisted. If youre looking for the TV show, see The Apprentice. ... A guild is an association of people of the same trade or pursuits (with a similar skill or craft), formed to protect mutual interests and maintain standards of morality or conduct. ...

Inflation

The second reason was a crisis for the nobles with declining income. By 1285 inflation had become rampant (in part due to population pressures) and nobles charged rent based on customary fixed rates, based on the Feudal system, so as the price of goods and services rose (from inflation), the income of nobles remained stagnant (effectively dropping). To make matters worse, the nobles had become accustomed to a more luxurious lifestyle that required more money. To address this nobles illegally raised rents, cheated, stole, and sometimes resorted to outright violence to take what they wanted. Medieval demography is demography in the Middle Ages. ... Feudalism comes from the Late Latin word feudum, itself borrowed from a Germanic root *fehu, a commonly used term in the Middle Ages which means fief, or land held under certain obligations by feodati. ...

Taxation

Thirdly, kings needed money to finance wars and resorted to devaluing currency, by cutting silver and gold coins with less precious metal, which resulted in increased inflation and in the end, increased taxations.

External crisis

Fourth, the 14th century crisis of famine, plague and war put additional pressures on those on the bottom. The Great Famine of 1315-1317 (or to 1322) was the first of a series of large-scale crises that struck Europe early in the 14th century, causing millions of deaths over an extended number of years and marking a clear end to an earlier period of growth and prosperity... Illustration of the Black Death from the Toggenburg Bible (1411). ... Combatants England France Commanders All the English commanders All the French commanders The Hundred Years War is the name modern historians have given to what was a series of related conflicts, fought over a 116-year period, between the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of France, and later Burgundy...

Religion

Finally, layered on top of this was a popular ideological view of the time that property, wealth and inequality was against the teachings of God, as expressed through the teachings of the Franciscans. The sentiment of the time was probably best expressed by preacher John Ball during the English Peasant Revolt when he said "When Adam delved and Eve span, who was then the gentleman?". In other words, "gentleman" are nobles, all men are equal before God. It was a cry for a leveling of society where no man is above any other. The Order of Friars Minor and other Franciscan movements are disciples of Saint Francis of Assisi. ... John Ball (d. ...

Notable rural revolts

The rebellion of György Dózsa in 1514 spread like lightning in the Kingdom of Hungary where hundreds of manor-houses and castles were burnt and thousands of the gentry killed by impalement, crucifixion and other unspeakable methods. Dózsa is here depicted punished with heated iron chair and crown

• The Peasant revolt in Flanders 1323-1328. Beginning as a series of scattered rural riots in late 1323, peasant insurrection escalated into a full-scale rebellion that dominated public affairs in Flanders for nearly five years.

• The Jacquerie was a peasant revolt that took place in northern France in 1356-1358, during the Hundred Years' War.

• The Peasants' Revolt or Great Rising of 1381 is a major event in the history of England. It is the best documented and best known of all the revolts of this period.

• The Bobâlna (Bábolna) revolt broke out in Transylvania in 1437. The military tactics of the rebels were inspired by the Hussites wars (for example, the use of battle wagons).

• The Kent rebellion of 1450 led by Jack Cade.

• The Rebellion of the Remences in Catalonia in 1462 and 1485.

• The Cornish Rebellion of 1497 in England.

• The 1514 peasant's war led by György Dózsa in the Kingdom of Hungary.

• The Slovenian peasant revolt of 1515 was a peasant revolt which engulfed most of what is now Slovenia.

• The Peasants' War of 1524-1526 in the Holy Roman Empire.

• The Dacke Feud of 1542 in Sweden.

• The Croatian and Slovenian peasant revolt of 1573 was a large peasant revolt in Croatia.

• The Club War uprising 1596 in Finland.

• The peasant wars of Ivan Bolotnikov and Stenka Razin in the 17th-century Russia.

Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Dózsas execution György Dózsa (-Hungarian, Romanian: Gheorghe Doja) (died 1514) was a Szekler squire (by some accounts a nobleman) from Transylvania who led a so-called peasants revolt against the Hungarian landed nobility. ... The Peasant revolt in Flanders 1323-1328 was a popular revolt in late medieval Europe. ... Flanders (Dutch: Vlaanderen) has several main meanings: the social, political and cultural community of the Flemings, through its social and political organizations, its media, universities, ... ; some prefer to call this the Flemish community, other refers to this as the Flemish nation; a constituent governing institution of the federal Belgian... The Jacquerie in Froissarts chronicles The Jacquerie was a popular revolt in late medieval Europe that took place in northern France in 1358, during the Hundred Years War. ... Events January 20 - Edward Balliol surrenders title as King of Scotland to Edward III of England April 16 — the King of the Serbian Kingdom of RaÅ¡ka Stefan DuÅ¡an is proclaimed Tsar (Emperor) of all Serbs, Arbanasses and Greeks in Skopje by the Serbian Orthodox Christian Patriarch of a... Events Jacquerie. ... The end of the revolt: Wat Tyler killed by Walworth while Richard II watches, and a second image of Richard addressing the crowd The Peasants Revolt, Tyler’s Rebellion or Great Rising of 1381 was one of a number of popular revolts in late medieval Europe and is a major... Events June 12 - Peasants Revolt: In England rebels arrive at Blackheath. ... The Bob lna revolt, a popular revolt in late medieval Europe, began in the village of Bob lna, Transylvania, in 1437 when a group of Romanian peasants unhappy with serfdom revolted against the feudal nobility and built a camp on the Bob lna hill. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... // Events foundation of All Souls College, University of Oxford. ... Hussite War Wagons and Hand Cannoneers Hussite Crossbowman and Shield Carrier Hussite War Wagons The Hussite Wars, also called the Bohemian Wars involved the military actions against and amongst the followers of Jan Hus in Bohemia in the period 1420 to circa 1434. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Kent is a county in England, south-east of London. ... Events March - French troops under Guy de Richemont besiege the English commander in France, Edmund Beaufort, Duke of Somerset, in Caen April 15 - Battle of Formigny. ... Jack Cade (possibly named John Mortimer) was the leader of a popular revolt in late medieval Europe in the 1450 Kent rebellion which took place in the time of King Henry VI in England. ... Remença was a Catalan mode of serfdom; the equivalent Spanish word is remensa. ... Capital Barcelona Official languages Catalan, Spanish, Aranese Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % of Spain Ranked 6th in Spain  32 114 km²  6,3% Population  â€“ Total (2005)  â€“ % of Spain  â€“ Density Ranked 2nd in Spain  6 995 206  15,9%  217,82/km² GDP Total (2004) GDP: €157,124 billion GDP per /capita: $26,550... Events Settlers from Portugal begin to settle the Cape Verde islands. ... // Events August 5-7 - First outbreak of sweating sickness in England begins August 22 - Battle of Bosworth Field is fought between the armies of King Richard III of England and rival claimant to the throne of England Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond. ... The Cornish Rebellion of 1497 was a popular uprising in 1497 by the tin miners of Cornwall in the south west of Britain. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location (dark green) within the United Kingdom (light green), with the Republic of Ireland (blue) to its west Languages English Capital London Largest city London Area – Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population –mid-2004... 1514 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Dózsas execution György Dózsa (-Hungarian, Romanian: Gheorghe Doja) (died 1514) was a Szekler squire (by some accounts a nobleman) from Transylvania who led a so-called peasants revolt against the Hungarian landed nobility. ... The Kingdom of Hungary (Hungarian: Magyar Királyság) is the name of a multiethnic kingdom that existed in Central Europe from 1000 to 1918. ... The Slovenian peasant revolt of 1515 was a peasant revolt which engulfed most of what is now Slovenia. ... 1515 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Expanding insurgencies during the Peasants war The Peasants War (in German, der Deutsche Bauernkrieg) was a popular revolt in Europe, specifically in the Holy Roman Empire between 1524-1525. ... Events March 1, 1524/5 - Giovanni da Verrazano lands near Cape Fear (approx. ... Events January 14 - Treaty of Madrid. ... The Holy Roman Empire and from the 16th century on also The Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation was a political conglomeration of lands in Central Europe in the Middle Ages and the early modern period. ... Dackefejden (The Dacke feud) is named after Nils Dacke. ... Events War resumes between Francis I of France and Emperor Charles V. This time Henry VIII of England is allied to the Emperor, while James V of Scotland and Sultan Suleiman I are allied to the French. ... The Croatian and Slovenian peasant revolt of 1573 was a large peasant revolt in Croatia and what is now Slovenia. ... Events January - articles of Warsaw Confederation signed, sanctioning religious freedom in Poland. ... The Club War (also Cudgel War, Finnish Nuijasota, Swedish Klubbekriget) was a 1596 peasant uprising in occupied Finland against the exploitation by the nobility and military of the kingdom of Sweden. ... Bolotnikovs Battle with the Tzarist army at Nizhny Kotly Ivan Isayevich Bolotnikov (Иван Исаевич Болотников) (?—1608) was the leader of the uprising of 1606-1607 (Bolonikov rebellion, Восстание Ивана Болотникова), which was part of the Time of Troubles in Russia. ... Stepan (Stenka) Timofeyevich Razin (Степан (Стенька) Тимофеевич Разин in Russian) (1630 - 6. ...

Notable urban revolts

• The revolt of Cola di Rienzi in 1354.

• The Revolt of the Ciompi in 1378.

Cola di Rienzi (c. ... Events End of reign of John VI Cantacuzenus, as Byzantine emperor. ... ... Events March - John Wyclif tried to gain public favour by laying his theses before parliament, and then made them public in a tract. ...

Terminology

Different historians will use different terms to describe these events.

Peasant

The word peasant, since the 14th century (or even before), has a pejorative meaning and is not a neutral term. However, it was not always that way; peasants were once viewed as pious and seen with respect and pride. Life was hard for peasants, but life was hard for everyone. As nobles increasingly lived better quality lives, there arose a new consciousness of those on top and those on bottom, and the sense that being a peasant was not a position of equality. This new consciousness coincided with the popular uprisings of the 14th century.

Recent research by R.H. Hilton in the 1990s showed that the English Peasant Revolt of 1381 (or Great Rising) was led not by peasants, but by those who would be the most affected by increased taxation: the merchants who were neither wealthy, but not poor either. Indeed, these revolts were often accompanied by landless knights, excommunicated clerics and other members of society who might find gain or have reason to rebel. Although these were popular revolts, they were often organized and led by people who would not have considered themselves peasants.

Peasants is typically a term used for rural agrarian poor while many uprisings occurred within towns and cities by tradesmen, thus the term is not fully encompassing of events as a whole for the period.

For historical writing purposes, many modern historians will use the word peasant with care and respect, choosing other phrases such as "Popular" or "from below" or "grassroots", although in some countries in central and eastern Europe where serfdom continued up to the 19th century in places, the word peasant is still used by some historians as the main description of these events.

Trivia

The objects of mob violence were often the archives, where the written instruments of oppression, such as charters, were stored. In 1327, when the abbey of St Edmunds in Suffolk was burned, the charters and debtors' accounts were seized and torn to shreds. Alternate use, see charter airline, yacht charter, bare-boat charter or Charter Communications. ... Bury St. ...

References

• Mollat and Wolff, The Popular Revolutions of the Late Middle Ages, 1973 ISBN 004940041X
• Froissart, Chronicles
• Fourquin, The Anatomy of Popular Rebellion, 1978 ISBN 0444850066

Jean Froissart (~1337 - ~1405) was one of the most important of the chroniclers of medieval France. ... Froissarts Chronicle was written in French by Jean Froissart. ...

Notes

Note 1: Peter Blickle, Unruhen in der ständischen Gesellschaft 1300-1800, 1988