>>8611777There were scientific advancements, but economically it was a very dire time. The resources early medieval rulers had at their disposal, even accounting for population, pale in comparison to the ones the Romans, or early modern countries, or even concurrent realms in other parts of the World could muster. In the Middle Ages, Europe was a geopolitical backwater.
Kings having to rely on vassals, retainers and peasants to keep their power shows how weak their resource extraction capabilities are compared to rulers that were commanding professional armies 100,000+ strong.
