Final answer:
In the Middle Ages, people's fundamental needs were met through systems like manorialism and feudalism, ensuring security, sustenance, and order. Medieval Christianity was central to daily life, with the Church providing the path to spiritual salvation. Advancements in agriculture and technology also supported a gradual increase in stability and trade.
Step-by-step explanation:
The fundamental needs in the Middle Ages revolved around the systems of manorialism and feudalism which addressed security, sustenance, and social organization. The manorial system ensured peasants, known as serfs, had access to land to cultivate for their subsistence in exchange for rent and labor services to the nobles. Feudalism structured the political system where knights and lower nobles owed military service to their overlords for the right to earn from lands and manors. The Crusades were another significant feature of the era, motivated by a desire to reclaim the Holy Land and influenced by the complex interplay of religion and power.
Medieval Christianity played a pervasive role in the daily lives of people, where the Church was seen as the sole path to spiritual salvation. Participation in rituals like baptism, communion, and confession was considered essential for salvation, directly impacting how individuals lived and honored their spiritual needs. Intellectual life was marked by scholasticism and the founding of universities, though the majority of the population remained illiterate and focused on spiritual practices rather than theological understanding.
Life was also influenced by agricultural and technological advancements that increased trade and crop yields, progressively leading to a more stable society with the eventual rise of centralized nation-states. However, the average person's life was limited and hard, with few traveling beyond their local surroundings and with limited upward mobility.