Albigensianism is a form of Manicheanism which was widely practiced in southern France during the 13th century. The Cathars, a group of people in the French region of Languedoc, practiced this faith based upon the belief that there were two gods, one evil and one good. Moreover, Albigensianism taught that the spirit of a human is good but bodies are evil and keep people’s souls imprisoned.
In 1207, Raymond of Toulouse, who was going to be one of the leaders of the Crusade, refused to participate in the mission, so the Pope excommunicated him and ordered the King of France, Phillip Augustus, to move against him. In 1208, a papal legate was killed by Raymond’s men after trying to negotiate. Pope Innocent then condemned Raymond as a heretic and a murderer. The following year, Raymond fought with the Cathars against the French Crusaders. Between 1209 and 1229, the Christians massacred between 200,000 and 1 million Cathars in one of the worst genocides in Medieval history.
Around the time of Kings Henry I (r. 1100-1135) and Henry II (r. 1154-1189), numerous legal sources were practiced and combined. The old Anglo-Saxon laws, canon laws, Norman laws, and Church laws were combined to create a standard common law across the kingdom. Trials, juries, and judges started being used, and the practice of being assumed innocent before being proven guilty also began.
When Henry I died in 1135, his daughter Matilda became Queen and had a son, Henry. Stephen of Blois, Henry’s nephew, was king between 1135-1154. Henry II then became king in 1154 and tried to extend government control over the Church. He made his friend, Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury. To his surprise, Becket actually fought for the Church’s independence instead of helping Henry II. After fleeing the country, Becket returned to England in 1170 and was murdered by Henry II’s men.
After this incident, people wanted to extend the administration of justice into the royal court and make the king be held accountable for wrong doings. This push for justice was stalled under the rule of King Richard the Lionheart (r. 1189-1199), because he spent little time in England since he was leading the Third Crusade. Later, King John I (r. 1199-1216) had a conflict with the Pope over who could appoint the Bishop of Canterbury. In 1213, John I went on to accept the Pope’s candidate. It wasn’t until 1215, when John I imposed heavy taxes and initiated wars, that English noblemen forced him to sign the Magna Carta, which stated that taxation beyond a certain level was illegal and England’s kings would now be bound by law. The English Parliament was also established during this time in order to help the king rule and avoid tyranny. Under the rule of Henry III (r. 1216-1272), Parliament grew and was comprised of barons, churchmen, and representatives from towns across England.
During this same period, the French government became more consolidated under the reign of Kings Phillip III (r. 1270-1285) and Phillip the Fair (1285-1314), the latter of whom resurrected old Roman laws, making France a highly centralized nation and demanding that all French noblemen must first pay homage directly to him instead of their local dukes, which used to be the custom. Under his reign, Phillip the Fair imposed heavy taxes, debased the currency, taxed imports and exports, and started many wars.
In 1302, the French created the Estates General, a representative assembly that was supposed to be similar to the English Parliament, but really had no real power. The French wanted France to be the main force in Europe, while also wishing to be independent from the Pope’s rule.
