Middle Ages Regents Practice

After the collapse of which empire did the Middle Ages in western Europe begin?

1. Mughal

2. Roman

3. Ottoman

4. Byzantine

The correct answer is: Roman

The beginning of the Middle Ages in western Europe is closely tied to the collapse of the Roman Empire. The traditional date often cited for this transition is 476 AD, when the last Roman emperor in the West, Romulus Augustulus, was deposed. This event marked a significant shift in political, social, and economic structures in Europe. The Roman Empire had provided a sense of unity and stability across large territories, and its fall led to the fragmentation of authority and the rise of localized powers, which characterized the feudal system that emerged during the Middle Ages. In contrast, the Mughal Empire, which thrived in the Indian subcontinent, and the Ottoman Empire, centered in modern-day Turkey, rose to prominence much later and were not directly connected to the medieval developments in Western Europe. The Byzantine Empire, while a continuation of the Eastern Roman Empire, retained its influence but did not signal the start of the Middle Ages in the West. Thus, the correct choice reflects the direct impact of the Roman Empire's collapse on the onset of medieval European history.