The middle ages
The middle ages was a time time in Europe when ideas from the east were being integrated into european life. One of these things that they adopted from their muslim neighbors during the Crusades were their castles. These castles original purpose was to fortify those within. As the times changed the people of europe realized that they also needed to keep intruders out, which they found many ways of doing. And then the fortresses became much more, they became tools of destruction, war machines.
Now you are in a room full of holes, between two gates, with men pouring boiling water on you and shooting arrows from all angles. These among many other things deterred people from attacking castles unless well prepared. Castles were usually surrounded by a moat and then several peasants houses with thatch roofs, and a few of the nobles estates, further adding to their protection. These doors placed in the right spots ensured plenty of time to shoot arrows and even dump boiling oil on your attackers. t made the castles so effective at stopping would be looters was doors placed a good distance away between the outer and inner walls. These people lived in shacks with thatch roofs and dirt floors, needless to say not a good atmosphere. On the other hand kings lived great lives, admired by most, and never having to to ask for something more than once. The clergy were almost the community baby sitter, the king would pay them ten percent of the tax to keep the serfs under control. Serfs were the lowest rank in one of these small medieval villages. They placed high taxes on everything to keep the poor poor, and no one could do anything to stop them. This made entering the castle hard enough, but if you did breach the inner wall you didn't get it any easier. Castles were a very important part of the development of Europe, and without the influence the muslims set for the europeans many of the aspect of european culture would probably be much different all through history and even today.
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