Final answer:
True. In the period 1200-1450 CE, the majority of Europeans lived in rural areas, and European city populations were significantly smaller than those in China and the Islamic Caliphates where urban populations were more concentrated.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that population in the largest European cities was significantly smaller than those in China Dynasties and the Caliphates of 1200-1450 CE because 90 percent of Europeans lived on farms/manors is true. During the Middle Ages, much of Europe was characterized by a predominantly rural population, with the majority living in small villages, manors, and farms linked to the system of manorialism. This contrasted with the large urban populations seen in the advanced civilizations of China and in Islamic Caliphates, where cities such as Constantinople boasted populations of around 1 million.
In this period, the urban populations of Europe did not exceed 100,000, with a few exceptions like Rome and Constantinople. Additionally, the overall population of Europe around 1500 was similar to that of Africa, each with about 80 million people, while China had a staggering 125 million, indicating the greater urbanization and population density in the East compared to the West.
Comparing this historical context to the later population shifts from rural to urban areas stimulated by the Industrial Revolution, we see a dramatic shift in demographics and urbanization patterns within Europe. Advances in technology and mass production reduced the need for agricultural labor, leading to more people moving to cities. By the 1900s, the urban population in Britain had increased from 9 percent to 62 percent, part of a wider rural-to-urban shift.