Search results

Traditional marriage was not the only option for couples in medieval Europe. Alternative forms of union could make lives precarious but also provided a degree of flexibility. The study draws on a wide geographical and chronological range of examples in order to illustrate local difference while bringing out broad patterns.

Examines Mediaeval literature to see how the lower classes adopt the elite's cultural characteristics, and the literature's diversified attitudes towards peasants. (JLN)

When considering status within early medieval societies, it is necessary to set aside juridical classifications in favor of concepts derived from political sociology—the notion of an "elite" can thus encompass any individual occupying an elevated social position within his or her community, be it through wealth, power, or culture. Using textual and archaeological sources, historians can seek out the processes of distinction and social recognition that were characteristic of elites throughout the early Middle Ages (from the sixth to the eleventh century). The Carolingian period shows signs of increasing hierarchization, which led both individuals and groups to devise strategies for bolstering their position and forestalling the loss of social status. Within the framework of these processes of social mobility, it becomes possible to examine elites at various levels and from different chronological and regional perspectives while avoiding an overly structural analysis.

This article discusses the issue to what extent Ferghana valley, like other historical and cultural possessions as Sogd, Chach, Ustrushana, as a separate political entity played role in ethno-political processes that happened in Central Asia in the early middle ages, in particular, VI-VIII centuries. Basing on written sources in Chinese, Sogdian, Arabic and Persian, there has been disclosed that Ferghana in that period actively participated in the political procedures of the region, held close political and diplomatic relations not only with neighboring or close oasis political units like Chach and Sogd, but also with the largest empires of their time, such as the Turkic khaganate, China and Tibet.