Muslim and Christian Medieval Theocracies - Essay Example

Theocracies of medieval times Muslim and Christian Medieval Theocracies A Comparison Teacher With the ongoing conflict in Iraq many wonder if the idea of a democracy has been abandoned in exchange for a theocracy. "In Iraq the U.S. is helping to bring up a government that is moving toward becoming an Islamic theocracy."1 This is not the first time that a governmental leader also functioned as a religious leader. Theocracies are found throughout history and in recent times. This essay will focus on Islamic and Christian theocracies during medieval times and will compare the two. This essay is very relevant to what is happening in today's world within some Islamic and Christian states. Muslim and Christian Medieval Theocracies A Comparison Generally speaking, a theocracy exists when the ruler of a government is also the religious leader of that same government. In many theocracies of the past the ruler has been one who was designated by the religious leader of that time and place. The major religions during medieval times were Christianity and Islam. In many cases the boundaries of the Holy Roman Empire bordered the boundaries of the Muslim world. Oftentimes these borders changed as both the Holy Roman Empire and the Muslim world conquered or lost territory. This can be seen in the maps of both worlds (Appendix A). The timeline of this comparison begins at 1500 AD and moves forward in time. The state of the Holy Roman Empire at 1500 AD was one that had the leadership struggling to maintain control of the Empire through select leaders and communication methods. As with any government, communication is vitally important to the success or failure of the ruling party. Most of the Empire was located in what is now Eastern Europe. Western Europe was constantly under assault from barbarians thus making it hard to maintain control and rule over land and peoples. In the late 1400's publishing of books became a profession. The power of the written word was used by the Holy Roman Empire to maintain control over land and peoples. The Holy Roman Empire mostly used parchment over papyrus as their primary way of sending written communication throughout its empire. Parchment held up better than papyrus during long trips throughout the empire. Between 1500 AD and 1700 AD the Holy Roman Empire began its decline. By this time the Hapsburgs held the imperial crown. "Frederick was the last Emperor to be crowned by the Pope in Rome and did much to consolidate the Habsburg possessions."2 As the last appointed emperor Frederick was the last theocratic leader of the Holy Roman Empire. The Hapsburg line had died out by 1740. While there are individuals that hold titles resulting from The Holy Roman Empire to this day, the powerful hold on Europe that the Empire had no longer exists. For the most part many Catholics throughout the region still hold the papacy as their religious leader while maintaining citizenship of their countries and following the laws of their government. In essence, the Christian theocracy no longer exists (except in Vatican City, Italy where the Pope presides). During the last years of the Holy Roman Empire the Ottoman Empire was at its peak. The Ottoman Empire bordered the Holy Roman Empire on many fronts. In 1500 Pope Alexander declared a Year of Jubilee and ordered a tithe to the Empire to fund the crusade against the Ottoman Turks. The struggle against the Turks took a hit when Henry VII declined the Pope's request to fight against the Turks. In 1792 Napoleon Bonaparte led France in its bid for independence from the Empire. Later the Prussians reunified the German state by defeating the forces of the Holy Roman Empire. The Holy Roman Empire crumbled. It is important to note that the Holy Roman Empire is no more but Christianity is still a strong group of observant peoples. Christianity has spread around the world despite the fact that few Christian theocracies exist. In contrasts the Muslim world did not crumble and end. If anything it remains somewhat strong in many countries to this day. While Christianity no longer functions as a form of governmental control, Islam does. In countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the war torn country of Iraq, theocracies exist. Medieval Islam's encounters with the Christian world began with trade. This trade consisted of the Romans trading gold with the Arabs for spices, and other things, from India. The timeline for this essay finds Islam at its peak in 1507 with the Ottomans gaining control of Egypt, and most of the North African coast. They also occupied medieval Spain (1543), and the Barbary States (1555). Corsairs from these occupied states wrecked havoc on shipping. Many Englishmen were taken from captured ships and put into slavery. The best way past these barbarous states was to pay for protection. This ended when the French landed in Algiers and ended the practice of piracy within their area of control. The Ottomans continued their conquest by taking over Syria, Mecca, and Medina. They made their way into Hungary, Algeria, and Tunisia by 1566. The expansion of the Empire continued into northern India. The Holy Roman Empire and the Ottoman Empire (and Islam) have much in common. They both vied for control over lands and peoples. Both were theocracies that maintained government and religious control over peoples and lands. Both attempted to expand their area of control. Both attempted to change people's beliefs and behaviours. The Holy Roman Empire fell as did the Ottoman Empire in (1918). But; Both Christianity and Islam continued to spread. For the most part Christianity and local governments remained separate entities. Islam, on the other hand, continued to be a movement that controlled both church (mosque) and state. In the areas where Christianity remained the most prevalent religion the churches maintained some government functions such as registering births, deaths, and marriages. But, for the most part, the state handled matters such as prosecution of criminals and development (and enforcement) of local laws. Islam, again, governs functions of both mosque and state. Many countries follow strict Islamic law. "In order to protect the five important indispensables in Islam (religion, life, intellect, offspring and property), Islamic Law has provided a worldly punishment in addition to that in the hereafter.3" In the 1850's, toward the end of the Ottoman Empire, non-Muslim citizens were finally afforded equal rights with Muslim citizens. Although this was a big step forward for Islam, those non-Muslim citizens were still held accountable for violations of Islamic laws. This, I believe, is where the big difference lies between Christianity and Islam. During medieval times the church (Christianity) and the state had defined differences in what each was responsible for. In Islamic society Islamic law ruled throughout the Islamic world. This accounts for the decline in Christian theocracies and the growth of Islamic theocracies from medieval time to the present. Christianity is a religion of tolerance where Islam is not. A majority Christian medieval society maintained a level of tolerance for others so as to preserve Christian values4. Islam is, to many, aggressive and repressive. Where Christianity is tolerant, Islam is not and has never been. In many ways medieval Islam has continued to this day. "A medieval religious regime will only mean medieval material and technological conditions.5" In order for Islamic states to enter the modern world they need a level of permissiveness that allows for exploration of modern technology. The medieval theocracy led by the Pope (Christianity) was challenged during the Reformation. Erasmus of Rotterdam began by "criticizing ecclesiastical abuses, while pointing to a better age in the distant past, he encouraged the growing urge for reform, which found expression both in the Protestant Reformation and in the Catholic Counter-Reformation.6" He rejected the theories of predestination and the powers claimed by the Pope. During the Reformation Erasmus' idea of liberty vs. control by the church was introduced. This helped move medieval Christian society farther away from being considered a theocracy. Some believe that the Reformation and liberalism of Christianity led to the downfall of the Christian theocracy while, at the same time, led to the growth of Christianity throughout the world. Liberalism allowed for religious observance while also maintaining an allegiance to the country where they lived. The Islamic timeline during medieval times shows a continued movement towards strict theocratic control by religious Islamic leaders. In medieval times, as it is today, Islamic society was governed according to Shar'iah Law. This law "controls, rules and regulates all public and private behaviours. It has regulations for personal hygiene, diet, sexual conduct, and elements of child rearing.7" This law governs both the public and private life of Muslims. Although this law was intended for Muslims, others in Muslim controlled countries were subject to the law as well. Conclusion: Both the Holy Roman Empire and the Ottoman Empire share a historical background that includes religious and governmental control described as being a theocracy. The Holy Roman Empire was ruled by the papacy. This was accomplished by the Pope appointing leaders throughout the Empire to govern as the Pope would govern if there in person. Good communication between the papacy and its extended empire led to a medieval society well under control of the Pope. The historical timeline shows the Holy Roman Empire in control of mostly Eastern Europe because of raids by barbarians in Western Europe. The Holy Roman Empire's decline began when the Pope's theocratic government was challenged by the Reformation. The Reformation proposed a more liberal form of governing the expanses of the Holy Roman Empire. Control of the Empire was gradually taken from the Pope. Christians could maintain a religious life according to the Papacy while also living according to the laws of their homeland. The Ottoman Empire ruled through medieval times up to its fall in 1918. Despite the decline and fall of the Empire as a whole, Islam itself continued to be a major player in both religious observance and laws. Many countries in medieval times were governed according to Shar'iah law. Some would argue that many of the states that were part of the Ottoman Empire during medieval times continue today as theocracies. It has also been argued that because these states function under Shar'iah law they cannot move forward technologically. Many believe that Islamic theocracies are stuck in medieval times. While Christian theocracies all but died out in medieval times Islamic theocracies exist in Southeast and Southwest Asia. Since medieval times Islamic leaders have maintained strict control over their lands and peoples by enforcing Shar'iah law. Recent examples of theocracies include Sudan, the Taliban, the Vatican, and Athos (The Holy Mountain) in Greece. Iran is also an Islamic theocracy and many believe Iraq will also become one. REFERENCES Almanche De La Cour. Orders of Chivalry, Royalty and Nobility. Retrieved 9-19-07 from http://www.chivalricorders.org/nobility/holyroman/ American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author. Brice, W.C. The Muslim World Circa 1500 AD from W.C. Brice. An Historical Atlas of Islam (Leiden, 1981) [University of Pennsylvania] Erasmus, Desiderius. (2007). In Encyclopdia Britannica. Retrieved September 19, 2007, from Encyclopdia Britannica Online Library Edition: http://library.eb.com/eb/article-9106053 http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/rs143/map6.jpg Holy Roman Empire Circa 1500 AD Retrieved September 19th 2007 From http://corndancer.com/vox/aer/aer_art/map01_1648.jpg Kelly, G. A. (1963). A theory of personality: The psychology of personal constructs. New York: Norton. Marshall, Rachelle Source: Washington Report on Middle East Affairs; Jul2006, Vol. 25 Issue 5, p7-9, 3p, 2c New Perspectives Quarterly. Volume 19 #1 Winter 2002. Retrieved 2007-09-19 From http://www.digitalnpq.org/archive/2002_winter/kolakowski.html Stratman, Dave. Inventing The Enemy. The Role of Political Islam. Retrieved September 19, 2007 from http://globalresearch.ca/articles/STR407B.html www.nmlites.org/standards/socialstudies/glossary.html-Definition in context: Theocracy Wiechman, Dennis. Jerry D. Kendall, and Mohammad K. Azarian. Islamic Law: Myths and Realities. Retrieved 2007-09-19 From http://muslim-canada.org/Islam_myths.htm Appendix A - MAPS Figure 1 Holy Roman Empire Circa 1500 AD Figure 2 Muslim World Circa 1500 Figure 3 The Holy Roman Empire in 1796 Read More