explain fourth order Related: Revision Notes - The Three Orders , Cla...
The Fourth Order: New Towns and Townspeople
- Agricultural expansion was followed by growth in population, trade and towns.
Population growth in Europe:
1000 AD 42 million
1200 AD 62 million
1300 AD 73 million
Better food increased also increased the life span by 10 years.
Deserted Roman towns started to grow again when agriculture increased and was able to sustain higher levels of population.
Peasants who had surplus grain to sell needed a place to sell them which led to the growth of selling centres where people could buy tools and cloth.
Periodic fairs and small marketing centres came up which developed features of modern towns.
A town square
Church
Roads where merchants bought and sold
Office of town governors
Towns grew around large castles, bishop’s estates or churches.
In towns, taxes were common. People paid taxes to the lord who owned the land on which the town was built.
Towns were a good place for serfs who wanted freedom to hide from their masters.
Shopkeepers, merchants, bankers and lawyers—skilled labour—emerged and formed what came to be known was the fourth order.
Each craft or industry was organised into a guild. A guild was an association which controlled the quality, price and sale of every product.
‘Guild-hall’ was a feature of every town. It was meant for ceremonial functions and served as a meeting place.
By the 11th century, new trade routes were developing with West Asia. Merchants were travelling southward to exchange furs and hunting hawks for cloth
Merchants continued to grow in number and wealth and soon became an influential power in the towns.