![]() The term feudalism, however, is generally applied by modern historians only to the relationship between lords and vassals, and not the peasantry. They were often treated as little more than slaves and could not leave the estate on which they lived and worked. The peasantry worked, without pay, on the land owned or rented by others to produce food for themselves and, just as importantly, food and profit for their masters. Unfree labourers were serfs, also known as villeins, who were at the bottom of the social pyramid and who made up the vast majority of the population. Thus there was a perpetual divide between the landed aristocracy (monarchs, lords, and some tenants) and those who worked the land for them who could be free or unfree labourers. The feudal system perpetuated itself as a status quo because the control of land required the ability to perform military service and, because of the costs involved (of weapons, armour and horses), land was required to fund military service. The feudal system perpetuated itself as a status quo because the control of land required the ability to perform military service & land was required to fund military service. Holders of an allod still owed some form of allegiance to a superior local lord but the relationship was not based on land ownership and so that allegiance was harder to enforce. A tenant usually handed down their tenancy to their heir although it was sometimes possible to sell the right of tenancy to a third party, provided the lord who owned the land agreed.Īnother type of relationship in feudal societies, especially in medieval Germany and France, involved the allod, an inalienable property, i.e. Protection also came in the form of legal support and representation if a vassal found himself in a civil or church court. The promise of protection was no small matter in times of war, when there were frequent raids from hostile neighbouring states, and when there was a perpetual danger of general banditry. All of these factors working together gradually weakened the mediaeval system of feudalism built on land ownership and reciprocated loyalty.The arrangement which created a vassal was known as 'homage' as they often knelt before their particular feudal lord and swore an oath of loyalty, for which, in return, they not only received the land but also their lord's protection if and when required. Money was distributed by the monarch instead of land, and both a rich merchant class grew and serfs were able to buy their freedom. This social hierarchy is often displayed as a pyramid, with the king at the top, then the lords, knights and peasants and serfs at the bottom.Įventually, by the 13th century with the rising popularity of coinage, money was paid by the lords to their sovereign instead of offering military service (which worked out fine since the monarch could use the money to pay for mercenaries instead). ![]() The serfs and peasants were tied to the land they leased, and in return for the land and protection given to them by the lord, they would give regular payment of produce. The units of distributed land are known as fiefs, the king would give fiefs to the nobles, and those who received them were known as the vassals. Feudalism can be understood as a hierarchical society where the king owned most of the land, he would distribute it out to lords, who would then lease the units of land to the peasants and serfs. Feudalism was a system of social society present during the high middle ages in Europe between the tenth and thirteenth centuries.
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