Michele Degli Uberti on Nostr: It's a very simplicistic view of the European Middle Age economy as backward and ...
It's a very simplicistic view of the European Middle Age economy as backward and stagnant.
Trade and christian merchants were thriving in many societies at those times especially during late middle age (see italian maritime republics and municipalities, flemish and german cities). Feudalism wasn't a monolithic economic system at all.
At first Jews were hated and discriminated mainly because of their religion (deicide) and refusal of assimilation/conversion. Without land to own and farm they focused on banking and usury, which were both forbidden activities by prevailing christian morality.
Their self segregation from the rest of the society reinforced discrimination and discrimination reinforced self segregation in a vicious loop. Aristocracies and Monarchies exploited this situation to their own advantage, on one hand they borrowed them money and used court jews as middle man, bankers and tax collector, on the other they used them as scapegoat for any issue with the commoners.
Trade and christian merchants were thriving in many societies at those times especially during late middle age (see italian maritime republics and municipalities, flemish and german cities). Feudalism wasn't a monolithic economic system at all.
At first Jews were hated and discriminated mainly because of their religion (deicide) and refusal of assimilation/conversion. Without land to own and farm they focused on banking and usury, which were both forbidden activities by prevailing christian morality.
Their self segregation from the rest of the society reinforced discrimination and discrimination reinforced self segregation in a vicious loop. Aristocracies and Monarchies exploited this situation to their own advantage, on one hand they borrowed them money and used court jews as middle man, bankers and tax collector, on the other they used them as scapegoat for any issue with the commoners.