Selina Textbook Solutions: Medieval Europe – Rise and Spread of Christianity | History Class 7 ICSE PDF Download

 Page 1


Medieval Europe – Rise and Spread of Christianity 
Important Words 
? Medieval comes from a Latin word which means ‘time in the middle’. The 
Medieval Period is the period between the Ancient and the Modem periods. 
? The Messiah is a liberator of an oppressed people or country/ the promised 
deliverer of the Jews. 
? The Christ is the Messiah/the title given to Jesus. 
? The Old Testament constitutes the first major part of the Bible. It is traditionially 
divided into the categories of law, history, poetry (or wisdom books) and prophecy. 
? Baptism is the Christian rite of sprinkling water on a person’s forehead or 
immersing him/her in water, symbolizing purification and admission to the 
Christian church. 
? Resurrected means to be returned to life after death. 
? The Gospels are the first four books of the New Testament (the second part of 
the Bible) that tell the story of Christ’s life and teachings. 
? The Goths, the Vandals and the Franks were European tribes which invaded 
the Roman and Greek empires in the Early Medieval Period. 
? Crusades were the holy wars waged by the Christians against the Turks, who had 
captured the lands of the Christian emperor of Constantinople and Jerusalem (the 
holy land of the Christians). 
Time To Learn 
I. Fill in the blanks: 
1. Christianity was founded by Jesus Christ. He began preaching at the age 
of thirty. 
2. Jesus criticised all harmful activities and evils. 
3. Galerius Constantine recognised Christianity. 
4. Constantine established a new capital at Byzantine in AD 330. 
5. The last Roman emperor, Romulus Augustus was deposed in AD 476. 
II. Match Column A with Column B: 
 
Page 2


Medieval Europe – Rise and Spread of Christianity 
Important Words 
? Medieval comes from a Latin word which means ‘time in the middle’. The 
Medieval Period is the period between the Ancient and the Modem periods. 
? The Messiah is a liberator of an oppressed people or country/ the promised 
deliverer of the Jews. 
? The Christ is the Messiah/the title given to Jesus. 
? The Old Testament constitutes the first major part of the Bible. It is traditionially 
divided into the categories of law, history, poetry (or wisdom books) and prophecy. 
? Baptism is the Christian rite of sprinkling water on a person’s forehead or 
immersing him/her in water, symbolizing purification and admission to the 
Christian church. 
? Resurrected means to be returned to life after death. 
? The Gospels are the first four books of the New Testament (the second part of 
the Bible) that tell the story of Christ’s life and teachings. 
? The Goths, the Vandals and the Franks were European tribes which invaded 
the Roman and Greek empires in the Early Medieval Period. 
? Crusades were the holy wars waged by the Christians against the Turks, who had 
captured the lands of the Christian emperor of Constantinople and Jerusalem (the 
holy land of the Christians). 
Time To Learn 
I. Fill in the blanks: 
1. Christianity was founded by Jesus Christ. He began preaching at the age 
of thirty. 
2. Jesus criticised all harmful activities and evils. 
3. Galerius Constantine recognised Christianity. 
4. Constantine established a new capital at Byzantine in AD 330. 
5. The last Roman emperor, Romulus Augustus was deposed in AD 476. 
II. Match Column A with Column B: 
 
Answer: 
 
III. State whether the following statements are True or False: 
1. Paul spread the teachings of Christ in Greece and Rome. 
 True. 
2. Emperor Charlemagne recognised Christianity in AD 313. 
False.Emperor Constantine embraced Christianity in AD 313. 
3. The head of the Roman Church, the Pope, was considered the representative of 
Christ on Earth. 
True. 
4. Constantinople fell in AD 1453. 
True. 
5. Crusades were fought between Hindus and Christians. 
False Crusades were fought between Islam and Christians. 
IV. Answer the following questions briefly: 
Question 1. 
Where was Christ born? Why was he crucified? 
Answer: 
Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem, a small village of Jerusalem. His father Joseph 
and mother Mary were Jews. Jesus was bom in about 4 BC. Jesus emphasised on one 
God and gave immense importance to love, brotherhood and compassion. He fearlessly 
criticised all harmful activities and evils. This made the rich and powerful among the 
Romans his enemy. They complained to Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor of 
Palestine, accusing Jesus of calling himself the king of Jews and thus encouraging 
people to rebel against Roman rulers. Jesus was arrested and crucified. The cross 
became a sacred symbol of the Christians. 
Question 2. 
Describe the teachings of Christ. 
Answer: 
Jesus preached his message in simple words, in the form of stories that the common 
man could understand. 
Some of his main teachings were: 
Page 3


Medieval Europe – Rise and Spread of Christianity 
Important Words 
? Medieval comes from a Latin word which means ‘time in the middle’. The 
Medieval Period is the period between the Ancient and the Modem periods. 
? The Messiah is a liberator of an oppressed people or country/ the promised 
deliverer of the Jews. 
? The Christ is the Messiah/the title given to Jesus. 
? The Old Testament constitutes the first major part of the Bible. It is traditionially 
divided into the categories of law, history, poetry (or wisdom books) and prophecy. 
? Baptism is the Christian rite of sprinkling water on a person’s forehead or 
immersing him/her in water, symbolizing purification and admission to the 
Christian church. 
? Resurrected means to be returned to life after death. 
? The Gospels are the first four books of the New Testament (the second part of 
the Bible) that tell the story of Christ’s life and teachings. 
? The Goths, the Vandals and the Franks were European tribes which invaded 
the Roman and Greek empires in the Early Medieval Period. 
? Crusades were the holy wars waged by the Christians against the Turks, who had 
captured the lands of the Christian emperor of Constantinople and Jerusalem (the 
holy land of the Christians). 
Time To Learn 
I. Fill in the blanks: 
1. Christianity was founded by Jesus Christ. He began preaching at the age 
of thirty. 
2. Jesus criticised all harmful activities and evils. 
3. Galerius Constantine recognised Christianity. 
4. Constantine established a new capital at Byzantine in AD 330. 
5. The last Roman emperor, Romulus Augustus was deposed in AD 476. 
II. Match Column A with Column B: 
 
Answer: 
 
III. State whether the following statements are True or False: 
1. Paul spread the teachings of Christ in Greece and Rome. 
 True. 
2. Emperor Charlemagne recognised Christianity in AD 313. 
False.Emperor Constantine embraced Christianity in AD 313. 
3. The head of the Roman Church, the Pope, was considered the representative of 
Christ on Earth. 
True. 
4. Constantinople fell in AD 1453. 
True. 
5. Crusades were fought between Hindus and Christians. 
False Crusades were fought between Islam and Christians. 
IV. Answer the following questions briefly: 
Question 1. 
Where was Christ born? Why was he crucified? 
Answer: 
Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem, a small village of Jerusalem. His father Joseph 
and mother Mary were Jews. Jesus was bom in about 4 BC. Jesus emphasised on one 
God and gave immense importance to love, brotherhood and compassion. He fearlessly 
criticised all harmful activities and evils. This made the rich and powerful among the 
Romans his enemy. They complained to Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor of 
Palestine, accusing Jesus of calling himself the king of Jews and thus encouraging 
people to rebel against Roman rulers. Jesus was arrested and crucified. The cross 
became a sacred symbol of the Christians. 
Question 2. 
Describe the teachings of Christ. 
Answer: 
Jesus preached his message in simple words, in the form of stories that the common 
man could understand. 
Some of his main teachings were: 
1. All men are brothers as we are the children of the same God. 
2. God is one, so worship of various gods is of no use. 
3. God is so kind that he forgives even the sinner if he repents. 
4. God will love us if we are kind to our fellowmen. 
5. Hate the sin and not the sinner. 
6. Refrain from worldly evils like greed, avarice and vanity. 
7. Jesus called himself the ‘Son of God’ who had been sent by God to guide man to 
attain salvation. 
8. Kingdom of God could be built by man, purified by the love of God. 
Question 3. 
Discuss the contribution of emperor Constantine in spread of Christanity. 
Answer: 
Constantine the Roman Emperor, defeated all his rivals who came in way of spreading 
Christianity and declared himself as the undisputed emperor. He made Christianity a 
legal religion and in this way persecution of Christians came to an end. Later on 
Christianity become the official religion of the Roman empire. 
Question 4. 
Describe the emergence and fall of Constantinople. 
Answer: 
The Roman emperor Constantine established a new capital at Byzantine in AD 330. 
This city became famous as Constantinople, named after Constantine. The Byzantine 
empire with Constantinople as its capital prospered for a thousand years until AD 1453. 
It had close relations with countries of the east, including India. The Byzantines built 
beautiful churches with lavish decorations. Constantinople became the largest city in 
Europe, the most splendid and prosperous. 
The Fall of Constantinople 
The capital of Constantinople had been under attack many times before, and all have 
failed, all but one. The Ottoman Turks, who were Muslims and under the lead of Sultan 
Mehmed 11, had an army of 100,000 to 150,000, while the army for Constantinople had 
10,000. The siege lasted for about fifty days. The army of Constantinople tried to use 
every tactic that worked before, but they were greatly outnumbered, which hurt their 
chances. As well as trying to take over the city, the Turks were fighting and trying to 
take over the seas and ports. On Tuesday, May 29, 1453, the army of Constantinople 
surrendered and left, letting the Ottomans take over the city. 
Question 5. 
Discuss the reasons for the decline of the Roman empire. 
Answer: 
The barbarian invasions penetrated deep into the Roman territory and plundered and 
ravaged it. Even the magnificent city of Rome was not spared. These tribes gradually 
settled down and assumed control of the western part of the Roman empire which lead 
to its decline. 
Page 4


Medieval Europe – Rise and Spread of Christianity 
Important Words 
? Medieval comes from a Latin word which means ‘time in the middle’. The 
Medieval Period is the period between the Ancient and the Modem periods. 
? The Messiah is a liberator of an oppressed people or country/ the promised 
deliverer of the Jews. 
? The Christ is the Messiah/the title given to Jesus. 
? The Old Testament constitutes the first major part of the Bible. It is traditionially 
divided into the categories of law, history, poetry (or wisdom books) and prophecy. 
? Baptism is the Christian rite of sprinkling water on a person’s forehead or 
immersing him/her in water, symbolizing purification and admission to the 
Christian church. 
? Resurrected means to be returned to life after death. 
? The Gospels are the first four books of the New Testament (the second part of 
the Bible) that tell the story of Christ’s life and teachings. 
? The Goths, the Vandals and the Franks were European tribes which invaded 
the Roman and Greek empires in the Early Medieval Period. 
? Crusades were the holy wars waged by the Christians against the Turks, who had 
captured the lands of the Christian emperor of Constantinople and Jerusalem (the 
holy land of the Christians). 
Time To Learn 
I. Fill in the blanks: 
1. Christianity was founded by Jesus Christ. He began preaching at the age 
of thirty. 
2. Jesus criticised all harmful activities and evils. 
3. Galerius Constantine recognised Christianity. 
4. Constantine established a new capital at Byzantine in AD 330. 
5. The last Roman emperor, Romulus Augustus was deposed in AD 476. 
II. Match Column A with Column B: 
 
Answer: 
 
III. State whether the following statements are True or False: 
1. Paul spread the teachings of Christ in Greece and Rome. 
 True. 
2. Emperor Charlemagne recognised Christianity in AD 313. 
False.Emperor Constantine embraced Christianity in AD 313. 
3. The head of the Roman Church, the Pope, was considered the representative of 
Christ on Earth. 
True. 
4. Constantinople fell in AD 1453. 
True. 
5. Crusades were fought between Hindus and Christians. 
False Crusades were fought between Islam and Christians. 
IV. Answer the following questions briefly: 
Question 1. 
Where was Christ born? Why was he crucified? 
Answer: 
Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem, a small village of Jerusalem. His father Joseph 
and mother Mary were Jews. Jesus was bom in about 4 BC. Jesus emphasised on one 
God and gave immense importance to love, brotherhood and compassion. He fearlessly 
criticised all harmful activities and evils. This made the rich and powerful among the 
Romans his enemy. They complained to Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor of 
Palestine, accusing Jesus of calling himself the king of Jews and thus encouraging 
people to rebel against Roman rulers. Jesus was arrested and crucified. The cross 
became a sacred symbol of the Christians. 
Question 2. 
Describe the teachings of Christ. 
Answer: 
Jesus preached his message in simple words, in the form of stories that the common 
man could understand. 
Some of his main teachings were: 
1. All men are brothers as we are the children of the same God. 
2. God is one, so worship of various gods is of no use. 
3. God is so kind that he forgives even the sinner if he repents. 
4. God will love us if we are kind to our fellowmen. 
5. Hate the sin and not the sinner. 
6. Refrain from worldly evils like greed, avarice and vanity. 
7. Jesus called himself the ‘Son of God’ who had been sent by God to guide man to 
attain salvation. 
8. Kingdom of God could be built by man, purified by the love of God. 
Question 3. 
Discuss the contribution of emperor Constantine in spread of Christanity. 
Answer: 
Constantine the Roman Emperor, defeated all his rivals who came in way of spreading 
Christianity and declared himself as the undisputed emperor. He made Christianity a 
legal religion and in this way persecution of Christians came to an end. Later on 
Christianity become the official religion of the Roman empire. 
Question 4. 
Describe the emergence and fall of Constantinople. 
Answer: 
The Roman emperor Constantine established a new capital at Byzantine in AD 330. 
This city became famous as Constantinople, named after Constantine. The Byzantine 
empire with Constantinople as its capital prospered for a thousand years until AD 1453. 
It had close relations with countries of the east, including India. The Byzantines built 
beautiful churches with lavish decorations. Constantinople became the largest city in 
Europe, the most splendid and prosperous. 
The Fall of Constantinople 
The capital of Constantinople had been under attack many times before, and all have 
failed, all but one. The Ottoman Turks, who were Muslims and under the lead of Sultan 
Mehmed 11, had an army of 100,000 to 150,000, while the army for Constantinople had 
10,000. The siege lasted for about fifty days. The army of Constantinople tried to use 
every tactic that worked before, but they were greatly outnumbered, which hurt their 
chances. As well as trying to take over the city, the Turks were fighting and trying to 
take over the seas and ports. On Tuesday, May 29, 1453, the army of Constantinople 
surrendered and left, letting the Ottomans take over the city. 
Question 5. 
Discuss the reasons for the decline of the Roman empire. 
Answer: 
The barbarian invasions penetrated deep into the Roman territory and plundered and 
ravaged it. Even the magnificent city of Rome was not spared. These tribes gradually 
settled down and assumed control of the western part of the Roman empire which lead 
to its decline. 
V. Picture Study : Study the picture and answer the following questions. 
 
1. Identify and name the painting. 
Ans. The last supper. 
2. Name the Painter. 
Ans. Leonardo da Vinci. 
3. Describe the theme of the painting. 
Ans. A painting of Jesus with his disciples. 
Additional Questions  
(Rise of Christianity) 
A. Fill in the blanks: 
1. In the middle of the 1st century bce the Romans conquered Palestine, the 
homeland of the Jews. 
2. Jesus was believed to the son of God. He was born to Mary. 
3. For three years, Jesus travelled throughout Galilee, 
preaching, teaching and healing the sick. 
4. Jesus taught that there was one God who 
was compassionate, loving and forgiving. 
5. Towards the end of the 4th century ce. Christianity became the official religion of 
the Roman empire. 
B. Match the following: 
 
Page 5


Medieval Europe – Rise and Spread of Christianity 
Important Words 
? Medieval comes from a Latin word which means ‘time in the middle’. The 
Medieval Period is the period between the Ancient and the Modem periods. 
? The Messiah is a liberator of an oppressed people or country/ the promised 
deliverer of the Jews. 
? The Christ is the Messiah/the title given to Jesus. 
? The Old Testament constitutes the first major part of the Bible. It is traditionially 
divided into the categories of law, history, poetry (or wisdom books) and prophecy. 
? Baptism is the Christian rite of sprinkling water on a person’s forehead or 
immersing him/her in water, symbolizing purification and admission to the 
Christian church. 
? Resurrected means to be returned to life after death. 
? The Gospels are the first four books of the New Testament (the second part of 
the Bible) that tell the story of Christ’s life and teachings. 
? The Goths, the Vandals and the Franks were European tribes which invaded 
the Roman and Greek empires in the Early Medieval Period. 
? Crusades were the holy wars waged by the Christians against the Turks, who had 
captured the lands of the Christian emperor of Constantinople and Jerusalem (the 
holy land of the Christians). 
Time To Learn 
I. Fill in the blanks: 
1. Christianity was founded by Jesus Christ. He began preaching at the age 
of thirty. 
2. Jesus criticised all harmful activities and evils. 
3. Galerius Constantine recognised Christianity. 
4. Constantine established a new capital at Byzantine in AD 330. 
5. The last Roman emperor, Romulus Augustus was deposed in AD 476. 
II. Match Column A with Column B: 
 
Answer: 
 
III. State whether the following statements are True or False: 
1. Paul spread the teachings of Christ in Greece and Rome. 
 True. 
2. Emperor Charlemagne recognised Christianity in AD 313. 
False.Emperor Constantine embraced Christianity in AD 313. 
3. The head of the Roman Church, the Pope, was considered the representative of 
Christ on Earth. 
True. 
4. Constantinople fell in AD 1453. 
True. 
5. Crusades were fought between Hindus and Christians. 
False Crusades were fought between Islam and Christians. 
IV. Answer the following questions briefly: 
Question 1. 
Where was Christ born? Why was he crucified? 
Answer: 
Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem, a small village of Jerusalem. His father Joseph 
and mother Mary were Jews. Jesus was bom in about 4 BC. Jesus emphasised on one 
God and gave immense importance to love, brotherhood and compassion. He fearlessly 
criticised all harmful activities and evils. This made the rich and powerful among the 
Romans his enemy. They complained to Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor of 
Palestine, accusing Jesus of calling himself the king of Jews and thus encouraging 
people to rebel against Roman rulers. Jesus was arrested and crucified. The cross 
became a sacred symbol of the Christians. 
Question 2. 
Describe the teachings of Christ. 
Answer: 
Jesus preached his message in simple words, in the form of stories that the common 
man could understand. 
Some of his main teachings were: 
1. All men are brothers as we are the children of the same God. 
2. God is one, so worship of various gods is of no use. 
3. God is so kind that he forgives even the sinner if he repents. 
4. God will love us if we are kind to our fellowmen. 
5. Hate the sin and not the sinner. 
6. Refrain from worldly evils like greed, avarice and vanity. 
7. Jesus called himself the ‘Son of God’ who had been sent by God to guide man to 
attain salvation. 
8. Kingdom of God could be built by man, purified by the love of God. 
Question 3. 
Discuss the contribution of emperor Constantine in spread of Christanity. 
Answer: 
Constantine the Roman Emperor, defeated all his rivals who came in way of spreading 
Christianity and declared himself as the undisputed emperor. He made Christianity a 
legal religion and in this way persecution of Christians came to an end. Later on 
Christianity become the official religion of the Roman empire. 
Question 4. 
Describe the emergence and fall of Constantinople. 
Answer: 
The Roman emperor Constantine established a new capital at Byzantine in AD 330. 
This city became famous as Constantinople, named after Constantine. The Byzantine 
empire with Constantinople as its capital prospered for a thousand years until AD 1453. 
It had close relations with countries of the east, including India. The Byzantines built 
beautiful churches with lavish decorations. Constantinople became the largest city in 
Europe, the most splendid and prosperous. 
The Fall of Constantinople 
The capital of Constantinople had been under attack many times before, and all have 
failed, all but one. The Ottoman Turks, who were Muslims and under the lead of Sultan 
Mehmed 11, had an army of 100,000 to 150,000, while the army for Constantinople had 
10,000. The siege lasted for about fifty days. The army of Constantinople tried to use 
every tactic that worked before, but they were greatly outnumbered, which hurt their 
chances. As well as trying to take over the city, the Turks were fighting and trying to 
take over the seas and ports. On Tuesday, May 29, 1453, the army of Constantinople 
surrendered and left, letting the Ottomans take over the city. 
Question 5. 
Discuss the reasons for the decline of the Roman empire. 
Answer: 
The barbarian invasions penetrated deep into the Roman territory and plundered and 
ravaged it. Even the magnificent city of Rome was not spared. These tribes gradually 
settled down and assumed control of the western part of the Roman empire which lead 
to its decline. 
V. Picture Study : Study the picture and answer the following questions. 
 
1. Identify and name the painting. 
Ans. The last supper. 
2. Name the Painter. 
Ans. Leonardo da Vinci. 
3. Describe the theme of the painting. 
Ans. A painting of Jesus with his disciples. 
Additional Questions  
(Rise of Christianity) 
A. Fill in the blanks: 
1. In the middle of the 1st century bce the Romans conquered Palestine, the 
homeland of the Jews. 
2. Jesus was believed to the son of God. He was born to Mary. 
3. For three years, Jesus travelled throughout Galilee, 
preaching, teaching and healing the sick. 
4. Jesus taught that there was one God who 
was compassionate, loving and forgiving. 
5. Towards the end of the 4th century ce. Christianity became the official religion of 
the Roman empire. 
B. Match the following: 
 
 
Answer: 
 
C. Choose the correct answer: 
1. Jesus grew up in Bethale/iem/Jerusalem/Nazareth, where he studied Jewish 
scriptures. 
Ans. Jesus grew up in Nazareth, where he studied Jewish scriptures. 
2. Jesus taught that God loved and forgave/hated/ignored 
Ans. Jesus taught that God loved and forgave sinners. 
3. Jesus was sentenced to death by Maxentius/Pontius Pilate/Constantine. 
Ans. Jesus was sentenced to death by Pontius Pilate. 
4. The teachings of Jesus were spread most actively in Palestine by 
John/Mark/Peter. 
Ans. The teachings of Jesus were spread most actively in Palestine by Peter. 
5. For almost 300 years after the death of Jesus, Christians were treated will/given 
special rights/oppressed and persecuted in the Roman empire. 
Ans. For almost 300 years after the death of Jesus, Christians were oppressed 
and persecuted in the Roman empire. 
D. State whether the following are true or false: 
1. Jesus had the power to heal the sick. 
True. 
2. Jesus taught that we should harm only those who harm us. 
False. 
Correct: We should help the needy and do good even to those who harm us. 
3. Jesus’s interpretation of Jewish law was the same as that of other Jewish religious 
leaders. 
False.