The year 1130 represented a watershed in Norwegian history. A
period of peace was disrupted by conflict and civil war lasting
until 1227. But 1130 was a special year in other ways too. It is
regarded as the start of the High Middle Ages, a period of
population growth, consolidation within the Church, and the
emergence and development of townships. As the Crown and Church
brought district after district under their rule, the degree of
public administration and authority increased. According to
modern historians, it is first during this process that Norway
could be termed a single realm. The power of the monarchy
increased in the 1100s and 1200s, ending in victory over both
the Church and the feudal lords. The traditional secular
aristocracy was replaced by a serving aristocracy. The status of
the peasant farmers changed in this period, from that of
freeholder to that of tenant. However, peasant farmers in Norway
usually rented their land on a lifetime basis, and thus enjoyed
a free status that was rare in most