

Black Death Overview
Black Death is marked as a devastating global epidemic of the bubonic plague that had struck the European and Asian continent. The epidemic struck in the mid of the 1300 century. This plague had struck the European continent in the month of October in the year 1347.
This struck when 12 ships returned from the Black Sea, and the people there met with a horrifying surprise - Most of the sailors who were aboard the ships were dead, and those who were still alive were gravely ill and they were covered in black boils which oozed blood and pus. In this context, we are going to know more about the black death disease.
Black Death in Europe
The Black death outbreak was eventually a plague that occurred in the European continent between 1347 and 1352 years. This Black Death had completely changed the scenario of the world which persisted in the medieval time in Europe. There was a severe depopulation that had upset the entire socio-economic feudal system of the time which had the experience of the plague itself that affected every aspect of the people's lives.
Black Death Symptoms
The Black Death disease had hit the major parts of Europe. Unfortunately, the European countries were inadequately equipped for this horrible occurrence of the Black Death.
The Black death symptoms can be understood from the writings of the Italian poet named Giovanni Boccaccio. His writings explained that both in men and in women, at the beginning there were certain swellings on the groin region or under the armpits. The size was as big as an apple or an egg and these were known as plague-boils.
Blood and pus from this region seeped out. After this, there were followed by a host of other unpleasant symptoms like fever, sudden chills, vomiting, diarrhoea, also coupled with terrible aches and pains—and then it resulted in short death.
The Bubonic Plague was used to attack the lymphatic system, which caused the swelling in the lymph nodes. If this remained untreated, then the infection could spread to the blood or in the lungs.
Causes of Black Death
The Black Death can be described as terrifyingly contagious. ‘It happened with the mere touching of clothes and communicated to all the genders. If even a perfectly healthy man goes to bed at night, he might be dead the next morning’. This is the rate of its contagiousness.
Could Black Deaths be Treated?
Physicians in those times used to rely on crude and on unsophisticated practices like bloodletting and also of boil-lancing (these practices were very much dangerous as well as unhygienic). The people in those times used to perform many superstitious practices like burning aromatic herbs and bathing in rosewater or in vinegar. Also, the healthy people in a fight of panic used to do all the maintenance that would keep them healthy.
It was such a distressing time that even the doctors refused to see the patients, priests refused to perform the last rites of the dead bodies, and the shopkeepers closed their stores in the fear of coming in contact with this fatal disease. Many people fled from the congested cities and lived in the countryside, but even there they could not get through the hold of the black disease. The black disease affected the cows, sheep, goats, pigs, and chickens as well as the people in those areas.
Did You Know?
The people at that time thought Black Plague was God’s Punishment. They did not understand the biology of the disease hence they thought that black disease was a divine punishment of God for the replenishment of the sins that the humans have committed like greed, heresy, worldliness, etc.
The plague never actually ended; the plague disease used to mark its return every now and then. It was then decided to separate the sailors in isolation who arrived recently. This would stop the spreading and the source of the disease. Also, the authorities mandated social distancing, this would eventually curb down the rate of its growth.
The sailors were initially locked in their ships, in isolation they used to stay for 30 days, later this was increased to 40 days. From here the term ‘quarantine’ originated.
The Black Death attacked in the early 1350s. Again, the plague appeared after a few generations. In modern times, acute modernization, sanitation and public health practices which were done for centuries eliminated the spread of this disease.
Even if there are antibiotics available that cure the Black Death, there are still 1,000 to 3,000 cases of plague every year – reported by WHO.
Conclusion
Even after much analysis, the historians could not exactly sum up how the Black Death was transmitted from one patient to another patient, and none in those times knew how to prevent it or cure it. We can somehow relate to this disease after having a fatal blow from the Covid-19. We are still maintaining what is required in order to prevent the flow of this virus.
FAQs on Black Death
1. What exactly was the Black Death?
The Black Death was a devastating global pandemic of bubonic plague that struck Europe and Asia in the mid-1300s. It is considered one of the most fatal pandemics in human history, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. The name is believed to have come from the black, swollen lymph nodes (buboes) that appeared on its victims.
2. What were the main symptoms of the Black Death?
The most common form, bubonic plague, had several distinct symptoms, which included:
- Sudden onset of fever and chills.
- Headaches and severe body aches.
- Weakness and fatigue.
- Painful and swollen lymph nodes, called buboes, which appeared in the groin, armpits, or neck.
3. How did the Black Death start and spread so quickly?
The Black Death is believed to have originated in Asia before spreading along major trade routes like the Silk Road. The disease was primarily transmitted by fleas that lived on black rats, which were common on merchant ships. Once it reached densely populated and unsanitary European cities, it began to spread much faster from person to person through the air.
4. What is the estimated timeline for the Black Death's main outbreak?
The most intense period of the Black Death in Europe occurred between 1347 and 1351. It arrived by ship in Sicily in 1347 and rapidly spread across the entire continent, reaching as far as Scandinavia and Russia by 1351. While this was the peak, outbreaks of the plague continued to recur for centuries.
5. How many people died during the Black Death?
It is estimated that the Black Death killed between 75 to 200 million people across Eurasia and North Africa. Historians believe that in Europe alone, it may have wiped out 30% to 60% of the entire population, fundamentally changing society.
6. What were the most important long-term consequences of the Black Death?
The Black Death had profound long-term effects that went beyond just population loss. Key consequences included:
- Economic Changes: Severe labour shortages led to higher wages for peasants and helped bring an end to the feudal system in many areas.
- Social Upheaval: The inability of the Church and nobility to stop the plague weakened their authority and led to social unrest.
- Medical Knowledge: The disaster exposed the limits of medical understanding and spurred new interest in public health and medicine.
7. Why was 14th-century Europe so vulnerable to the plague?
Europe was particularly vulnerable for several reasons. Firstly, its population had grown, leading to overcrowded and unsanitary cities that were perfect breeding grounds for rats and fleas. Secondly, recent famines had weakened people's immune systems. Lastly, there was no scientific understanding of how diseases spread, so no effective public health measures were initially taken.
8. Did the Black Death affect regions like India?
While the Black Death was catastrophic in Europe, the Middle East, and China, its impact on India is less clear and debated by historians. Some accounts suggest localised outbreaks, but it did not cause the same widespread pandemic seen in Europe. This may have been due to different trade patterns, climate, or even different rat species that were less effective at carrying the plague.
9. How did the Black Death finally end?
The initial, most severe wave of the Black Death subsided around 1351. It didn't have a single, definitive end but faded due to a combination of factors. Over time, surviving populations may have developed some immunity. More importantly, people began implementing better public health measures like quarantine, where ships from infected areas were isolated before being allowed to enter a city.

















