How did Charlemagne affect everyday lives in feudal Europe?

Answer 1

Charlemagne brought about a series of reforms that changed feudal society.

He built schools and libraries, encouraging people to get educated. His stated intent was that all freemen of his empire be educated to read and write. This would have put it on an equal footing with the educational system of the Byzantine Empire.

As part of his drive to get people educated, he standardized Latin as the language of education. The Latin language had already split into a number of dialects whose speakers could not understand one another - ancestors of Spanish, French, Italian, and so on. Having Latin as a standard language made international educational standards possible later in the Middle Ages, giving rise to the university system.

His educational system was also enhanced by the adoption of a new alphabet and writing system, from which our system of upper and lower case was developed. This, together with the practice of putting spaces between words and using punctuation, made it easier to read.

He introduced a new system of coinage that stabilized the economy of his empire and encouraged trade. This system was based on the old Roman denarius, and was used widely, even beyond the borders of his lands. It was the basis for the French denier and the English penny, along with a number of other currencies.

Charlemagne established new legal codes, and standardized laws to a degree not achieved before his time. These reforms, together with military reforms that made mounted soldiers more important than they had been in the past, were important steps toward the development of feudalism.

He was very protective of the Church, and especially of the popes. He guaranteed the authority of the popes and defended papal lands, acts that enhanced the authority of the Church in later times. He also extended Christianity in lands he conquered, converting the inhabitants, often by force.

Charlemagne was also very interested in the arts, especially music, and advanced the careers of composers, writers, and artists.