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 Reasons for a midieval kingdom to have a castle
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| Author | Topic: Reasons for a midieval kingdom to have a castle |
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LordRedjack Member |
posted 08-25-2003 02:13 PM
  
Hi, I am doing an essay on midieval life in and about castles. I'm almost done with it but I'd like to include specific advantages/reasons why a kingdom had a castle, other than defense. e.g. how did it benefit the kingdom socially, economically, etc. I've tried researching this question but couldn't come up with anything. I would really appreciate any input, and even just opinions if you have any. Thanks [This message has been edited by LordRedjack (edited 08-25-2003).] |
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Whitemanfrtown Member |
posted 08-25-2003 03:16 PM
One answer is that having a castle provides a stable platform from which to operate. Apparently, rulers who wanted their kingdom to endure, wanted a "home base" that wouldn't blow away in the wind, get burned down easily etc. This is intimately tied in with defence. Ask yourself this: what kind of kingdom would it be if they all lived in tents out in the open? Any one could take over, maintaining a safe envirionment in times of war gets difficult etc. The stability of location had an influence on where the trade routes were and where towns were built. Smaller towns or villages may (or may not) have been thought of as temporary or at least as not having a gaurantee that they will stick around but a castle for the most part wasn't going anywhere anytime soon without a big fight. That provides expectancy. Think of it like this: If you're going to travel the globe today, then your going to look for major international airports in friendly nations. It's somewhat similar - though that may not be the best example. Stability, predictability and safety together open the door to expanding any business or trade activity. Personaly, I think many of the guys that were in-charge kinda liked the idea of living in or around one anyway. |
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Levan Moderator |
posted 08-25-2003 08:10 PM
One of the main reasons for building castles was that of symbolism. Neighbouring kingdoms were essentially either in conflict or in alliance - which of these depended mostly on who was perceived to have the most power or influence. A good example of this are some of the castles built by Edward in Wales - many were not necessarily built in the best defensive positions, but where they could be seen to usurp the pre-existing rulers and their heritage (Caernarfon was built on an ancient burial ground). It must also be considered that it was hugely expensive to build castles - the cost of Edward's castles (following the example through) must have surely far outweighed their economic benefit, indicating that their existence was primarily a show of power and political strength. Levan [This message has been edited by Levan (edited 08-25-2003).] |
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Levan Moderator |
posted 08-25-2003 08:19 PM
There's a huge difference between the king and the kingdom - whether there is any benefit depends upon whose kingdom the castle represents (home or invaders). It could also be argued that in many instances castles offered NO benefit to the surrounding community - who wants the tax collector from an invading nation on their doorstep! More beneficial castles ould be those that formed the nucleus of city walls, which at least offered stability and protection to the townsfolk. It's interesting however, that in many instances in later years, the walls that protected the town became a yolk that prevented their economic expansion. A modern day example of this sort of thing is found in the city of Birmingham UK, where rather than being yolked by city walls, it was girdled by a multi-lane ring-road - it provided great benefit at the time it was built enabling Birmingham to present itself as a modern city - the road providing superb infrastructure for commerce. However, to enable economic expansion of the city centre they have now demolished the road and built many more shops and offices that are no longer divided by the road. [This message has been edited by Levan (edited 08-25-2003).] |
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LordRedjack Member |
posted 08-26-2003 02:35 AM
Thank you both very much. This has helped me alot. I've been able to take the combined information from you guys and write the final section in my essay. If I get an A I'll know who to thank!  |
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