Preconditions of the Genesis of the Přemyslid Realm
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2019 |
| Type | Article in Proceedings |
| Conference | Bewaffnung und Reiterausrüstung des 8. bis 10. Jahrhunderts in Mitteleuropa : Waffenform und Waffenbeigaben bei den mährischen Slawen und in den Nachbarländern |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Keywords | early states; Central Europe; Early Middle Ages; history of power; history of violence |
| Description | In the following study we analyse the validity of the now generally-accepted view of the beginnings of the Přemyslid realm. Those who established this viewpoint emphasise the income from selling slaves (and distance trade in general) as the main source the dynasties in Central Europe used to strengthen their economic power, which, in the next stage, enabled them to build powerful cavalry armies as their “iron fist”. With these armies they were supposed to have built their “states”. In this article, not only is the automatism of this mechanism brought into question (the prevalence of the cavalry), but also the idea that a state can be built with an army. The author, on the one hand, points out the predatory character of such a system, and on the other hand draws attention to the building of hillforts as a mechanism that not only enhanced the protection of a given area, but also, due to the need for construction and repairs, brought large groups of people together, and thus formed a common identity for them. |
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