The answer was true. With new items coming in from the Middle East, demand for these new products grew and with it so did trade between East and West. This also led to the development of banking and commerce due to the flow of different currencies. Because the nobility sold many of their lands, towns were no longer under the control of the lords which led to their growth and independence. Apart from that since they were no longer under anyone’s authority, merchants began to amass wealth from their transactions and this led to emergence of the middle class.