Chapter 22 Religious College
With printing, books had to be printed, and people had to read them. This was the spread of knowledge.
You spread knowledge and education is the fastest way. And if you train officials, lawyers, etc., these are all professions that require the ability to read and write, so you must have educational institutions responsible for training them.
Education in the Middle Ages was monopolized by the church. In order to train clergy, the church established monastic schools in local areas and episcopal schools in dioceses. After the rise of Western European cities in the 11th century, due to the development of handicrafts and commerce as well as the city's struggle against the lords, there was an urgent need for talents who could read and write and have knowledge in all aspects. The original monastic schools were far from meeting the needs of social development. So starting from the 11th century, handicraft guilds and merchant guilds in some cities, as well as municipal authorities, broke the church's centuries-old monopoly on education and spontaneously established secular schools. Based on the needs of urban production, exchange and social life, the school offers courses in grammar and computing to cultivate talents in all aspects.
Medieval universities began basic courses at the age of 14, and it took six years of study to obtain a bachelor's degree at the age of 20. He spent the next five years studying medicine and law. You can study medicine after obtaining a Master of Arts. A doctor of medicine can be obtained after 6 academic years. Finally, we learn the most profound theology. It usually takes another 15-16 years to complete the entire course. Therefore, students who are generally able to enter university will need financial support from their families and relatives for a long time, which is an expense that ordinary people cannot afford.
Education in Dobroga has a history of more than 2,000 years. Organized educational institutions have appeared in ancient Greek settlements in Dacia and the Black Sea since BC. After this it was abandoned.
Peter came to a monastery-like place where people were already waiting for him.
"Your Highness, may God bless you."
"God bless you!"
The man Peter was talking to was named Nicholas, a monk and the dean of the college.
As a former province of the Roman Empire, the people of Wallachia and Dobroga early embraced Christianity. After the Great Schism between the Eastern and Western Churches, it became the same as Constantinople and believed in the Orthodox Church. Many Orthodox churches were built in the late 13th century. Some churches also display Romanesque architecture. Some were also painted with pious portraits depicting the founders of the church.
Immediately after the capture of Dobroga, the bishop here pledged his loyalty to Peter. And Peter didn't make it difficult for them. You must know that even the Orthodox Church who obeys the lord's orders cannot be underestimated.
During this period, the church mastered most knowledge. Although Orthodox bishops cannot call the shots like Catholics, churches and monasteries also partially contribute to economic development.
When Peter first arrived in Dobroga, the population was still very sparse. There was only one chapel and a few monasteries. Although the Dobrudya Despot tried hard to develop, its focus was still on the capital Varna.
After Peter became the lord here, its population increased greatly. This has also led to an increase in the number of believers in the church, because the immigrants who came here were all from the Balkans and Moldova, and they were all Orthodox Christians.
The once small church in Constanta has been enlarged and is under construction in other towns. But all of this is tied to Peter. These bishops did not have the courage to confront the lords, because the entire church obeyed the orders of the lords or emperors.
And Peter made a deal with the church. Peter could finance the renovation of the church for the church, and the church needed some people to join a college he built to teach. A room is also provided for use as a library.
The bishop was puzzled by Peter's actions. He didn't know why the lord did what he did. The only self-convincing answer is to cultivate more officials and artists.
"Your Highness, the expansion of the college has been completed. More people will come to study in this college in the future."
The current college has three disciplines: theology, literature, and medicine, and the number of students enrolled is about 100. Don't think it's too little, this is already the most resources this place can provide.
Peter also had a headache looking for books. He asked the Chamber of Commerce to pay attention to opportunities to sell books when doing business, and purchased some books from Shinra and Trebizond.
Of course, Peter also obtained some books from the Golden Horde, such as the "Medical Code" and "Cure" by the famous Persian medical scientist Avicenna, the "Book of Optics" by the Arab scientist Haishmu, as well as Jabir and Kendi , Biruni, Ibn Heller and other famous scientists' works. Since the Middle East is currently in troubled times, these books have been sold by others in exchange for money. This also made Peter pick up the slack.
Now those who study in the college are translating these books and manuscripts purchased from abroad. This workload is huge, so the college has expanded its enrollment.
Among the scholars recruited, the largest number came from Constantinople. Because their castle mayor could not resist the Ottomans and had to provide them with supplies, and their own income was limited, so their salary was not that much or they had to find a way on their own. After all, it's all about money.
Some Greek scholars came to Dobroga and found that the lords here were too kind to intellectuals. Not only can you get enough money, but it can also support various academic research.
Isn’t this enough? Research can be carried out only when survival is guaranteed. What's more, when they came out of the castle, they also took many manuscripts from the Greek and Roman periods. It can be used for publicity and research.
After receiving the news that the expansion of the college was completed, Peter asked Bishop Dobroga next to him.
"Bishop, how are the new immigrants doing?"
"Your Highness, they are all poor people who did not want to live under the hands of the infidels, and now they are here. Like lost lambs returning home."
The bishop kept talking about the situation, and Peter listened quietly. Dobroga Orthodox Christians now make up an absolute majority, and if the Ottomans invade, they can muster the greatest strength.
In addition to religion, most of the immigrants here are also very profitable. They don't have to worry every day, they can just do their job honestly. Regarding the invasion, I believe they can share the same hatred.