From the turn of the first millennium to the Industrial Revolution, the world has changed drastically. In Europe, nations rose and fell, castles were built then destroyed, and the Renaissance sparked, then sputtered out. One of the most powerful catalysts for these changes was the Islamic religion. Islam, indirectly and directly caused many of the changes to Europe’s culture, economy, and politics,

In the 11th century, Europe was still in the midst of a dark, medieval age. Everyday life for the average man, a peasant, was harsh, cruel and hard. Taxes on the poor fed the rich, and the rich, aside from a few great leaders, like Charlemagne, did not make all the right choices. Trade, too, was medieval. Little international trade went on, aside from the trade on the Silk Routes. The repeated engagement with the Islamic culture, through war or trade, changed all that.

The crusades of 1095 and onward immersed Europe in Islamic culture, leading to drastic changes. The political system began to change, because kings were able to hold more power because of the common enemy. This contact also introduced the Christian west to previously unknown technology. These technologies, like paper, gunpowder, medical knowledge and the compass, paired with a new open door to the east kick started the Age of Exploration, the largest step towards European global domination, one of the most important events in European history, the Renaissance, was also inspired by the learning of Islamic and Byzantine artists and scholars introduced by the crusades.

Throughout this changing time, Europe did keep some of its defining characteristics. The aristocracy prevailed, with exploited peasants and extravagant nobles. Although towns started to develop and flourish, for the most part, poor peasants were still under the control of nobles, and the economy remained based on the labor of said peasants. Even with the humanist ideals of the renaissance, the new way of thinking, the church was still a huge power in the lives of Europeans. In fact, up until the Great Schism, it gained reputation.

With all this turmoil, Europe emerged a changed continent. Globalization, made possible by new technological advancements and encouraged by the necessity for new trade routes to bypass the Muslim Middle East, united the world through the caravels of the Iberian Peninsula. Kings emerged with either complete power, or with no power at all. Life was focused more on the everyday man, and even though Heaven and Hell still played a huge role in one’s choices, people felt a new meaning in life, especially after the Renaissance taught ideals of human brilliance.