Crisis of the fourteenth century
Topic: Medieval Europe: Feudalism and the Three Orders · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 4 "The Three Orders"
Meaning
The crisis of the fourteenth century was the breakdown of Europe's long economic growth. Three blows caused it. First, by the late 13th century summers turned bitterly cold, and over-ploughed soils were worn out. This led to the great famine of 1315–17 and huge numbers of cattle dying in the 1320s. Second, a shortage of silver made governments debase the currency, which means mixing cheaper metals into coins. This hurt trade. Third came the Black Death of 1347–50. Because so many people died, workers became scarce and wages rose. Lords tried to bring back forced labour, and peasants revolted.
Example
After the plague, wages in England rose by as much as 250 per cent. Lords tried to force labour services back on peasants, and the English Peasants' Revolt of 1381 followed. The revolt was crushed, but the old feudal rights could not be brought back.