Social and Economic Effects of the Plague on Medieval...

The Bubonic Plague, known more commonly as the Black Death, was a fatal disease that ravaged Asia and Europe during the mid-14th century. Although the destruction the Plague brought upon Europe in terms of deaths was enormous, the Islamic world arguably suffered more due to the fact that plague epidemics continually returned to the Islamic world up until the 19th century. The recurrence of the disease caused Muslim populations to never recover from the losses suffered and a resulting demographic shift that arguably helped Europe to surpass the Islamic worlds previous superiority in scholarship. The Islamic world had suffered at least five major plague epidemics before the Black Death in the 14th century, yet the Black Death was far more†¦show more content†¦Contrary to the popular view, Muslim scientists and physicians had a tough time believing in these tenets, the third one in particular, due to the increasing amount of evidence that a contagion actually existed. In addition, physicians usually felt it was their duty to treat those infected in any way they could; this conflicted with the theological view held by many Muslims that the Plague was a direct product of God and thus must simply be endured. Even some theologians began to have issues with these tenets when the plague hit the holy city of Mecca in 1349. The Islamic Prophet had promised that no disease would never come to either Mecca or Medina, so when the holy city was devastated by the disease, people began to doubt the disease’s proposed holy origin. Some Muslims reasoned that the Plagues presen ce in Mecca was a direct result of some of its inhabitants being unbelievers, while others rejoiced that it never spread to Medina. The disagreement between those who believed the Plague was the doing of God and those who did not created tension in medieval Islamic society. In addition to creating a social divide, the Plague also forced many people to reconsider where they were living causing a social â€Å"reorganization.† Despite the religious taboo against fleeing from a disease ridden area, many Muslims departed the infected cities for regions believed to be untainted. At the same time, a far larger number of rural MuslimsShow MoreRelatedMedieval Period in European History1575 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction The medieval period in European history begins after the fall of the Roman Empire around 500 C.E., and continued until the early modern period beginning around 1500. The medieval period is split into the sub-categories of early medieval (500-1000), central middle ages (1000-1300), late medieval (1300-1500), and followed by the early modern period (1500-1800). 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