The Impact of the Black Death

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the impact of the Black Death (bubonic plague) in the Middle East and North Africa. It begins by giving a brief overview of the plague, its symptoms and how it spread. In particular, the paper focuses on the social and economic effects of the plague and emphasizes the plague's effects on North Africa and the Middle East in the 13th Century.

From the Paper:

"The Black Death, also known as the plague, was, in effect, what we now call an epidemic. The plague was considered a pandemic because it covered such a wide area. The plague is an infectious fever caused by a bacillus with the scientific name Bacillus Pasteurella. High fevers, chills and then dilirium characterize the bubonic plague. The lymph nodes swell and become painful. The swellings are called buboes, hence the name bubonic plague. Death from this form usually came in about a week. Wild rodents carried the disease, the black rat in particular, and later the larger and stronger relative, known as the brown, or Norway rat. A connection is mentioned between the rats and the plague in the Hindu Holy Book, Bhagavata Purana."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Benedictow, Ole. The Black Death 1346-1353. New York: Boydell & Brewer, Inc. 2006.
• Cohen, Daniel. The Black Death. New York: Franklin Watts, Inc. 1974.
• Dols, Michael. The Black Death in the Middle East. New Jersey: Princeton University Press 1975.

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