Tang Dynasty. Need Help for Project!?

Question

I need a question answered. What was happening during this time in Europe during the Tang dynasty. Don't go past the 1700's. Please cite your source(s).

Answer 1

18 June 618 – 4 June 907 AD

Europe is in the midst of the Dark Ages, but Byzantium is at its height in the far eastern corner of Europe.

This is the period when the Angles-Saxons-Jutes were invading Britain and it's also, at the very beginning, the period when King Arthur lived. It's a time of the collapsing Roman Empire and the immediate after-effects, and it is also a time of the growth and strengthening of Christianity and monasteries.

Literacy rates were at an all-time low, perhaps 5%, land was farmed but with very poor methods, and the Church was just about the only viable force to hold society together, and some have argued they weren't doing a very good job.

Answer 2

Good answer John B, and thanks for citing the dates. The '1700s' in the question was a bit 'left field'.

I'd only add that the rise of Islam occured in the West during this time, and Arab traders set up shop in Guangzhou. In fact if you think about it, during this period there was a fairly high standard of civilization in China and South East Asia, in South America, and throughout the Middle East and North Africa and India.

Western Europe in fact (along with Northern Europe and Russia) were perhaps the 'exceptions' in this period in terms of their backwardness. Interesting thought....