European Feudalism

Feudalism was a political, economic and social system that exchanged land and loyalty in return for protection. It was a commerce of protection and goods, as seen in the feudal system diagram, there are different types of social classes that have arrows describing what they are trading and to whom they are trading (Document 4). In the late ninth century, peasants gave food and service to the knights in exchange for protection. The knights gave military service in exchange for shelter and defense. The lords gave military aid while the king gives them fief and peasants etc.

Feudalism began in Europe during 850-950. It can be defined as a system of governing and landholding. The feudal system is based on rights and obligations. In exchange for military protection and other services, a landowner, or lord, granted land, or fief, to someone, who was called the vassal. An example of this system is shown with Charles the Simple and Rollo. Rollo, the head of a viking army, had been plundering and leading raids on the Seine River Valley for years. Charles the Simple, the king of France at the time, granted Rollo a piece of French territory if he would stop these raids in return. Charles the Simple would have been the lord in this situation, while Rollo was the vassal. Other rulers and warriors during this time made similar agreements in many parts of Europe.

Something every civilization needs. Something so powerful that without it civilizations fall into chaos. Social Systems. But not just any social system, the European Middle Ages one. The Feudal System. While it may seem insignificant to Europe and Europe’s history compared to other events like the Hundred Years’ War or the Black Plague which killed many people and completely changed many parts of Europe, the Feudal System (also called Feudalism) was also very important to Europe during the Medieval Times.

During the semester, there are three topics that come to mind that I believe are especially important to world history. They were located in chapter one, chapter seven, and chapter twelve. In chapter one, we discussed civilization and its characteristics. In that chapter we also listed historical examples that related to it. In chapter seven, we discussed the founding of Islam and compare and contrast with that of the other major monotheistic religions. An in chapter twelve and fifteen we went over the societal needs and social and political trends were involved in the development of feudalism? What social problems did feudalism create, as well as solve, in western European societies?

Feudalism was a contrasting system dealing with political and military relationships existing among members of the higher social class, Kings, Lords and other owners of large lands in Western Europe during the Middle Ages. The Feudal system started by the granting of fiefs, chiefly in the form of land and labor, in return the lord would receive political and

Feudalism was the system used in Europe during the late middle ages. The economic part of feudalism was centered on the lord's estate or manor. A lord's manor consisted of a peasant village, a church, farm land, a mill and the lord's castle. Feudalism was split in society levels. Kings would be on top with the most power, then upper lords followed by lesser lords, underneath the lesser lords were the knights, and then the serfs being the lowest social class.

Feudalism is term that came about in West Frankland.¹ It is typically known as an arrangement between a lord and his vassal. The type of contract that the lord and vassal would have would be for many different purposes, for example, the vassal would be forced to serve under the lord in wars, provide self-security for the lord, and to represent the lord. Though the vassal would also serve under not only the lord, but his lady as well. The feudal contracts that were with women did not differ than those with men.

The bases of feudalism is best described as a social system in Europe throughout the Middle Ages where individuals worked and battled for upper class who gave them protection and the use of the land in return for their services (Merriam-Webster). “Feudalism” is not a medieval term and not even a translation of a medieval concept (Abels 2010; Brown 2010; Bouchard 1998). In our day and time Feudalism would be difficult and baffling in several ways, but some may feel that we would benefit from it.

Justin Chen See Mr. Carp World History 26 January 2018\ The Feudal System Feudalism was a combination of legal and military customs in medieval Europe that flourished between the 9th and the 15th centuries. Broadly defines, it was a way of structuring society around relationships derived from the holding of land in exchange for service or labor. Feudalism itself refers to a sociopolitical system where a weak monarchy attempts to rule a region or land through reciprocal agreement.

The vassal accordingly became a landholder, the lord of the fief. The land was organized into a manor or manors, which were worked by serfs, laborers with limited rights, whose labor and produce sustained the landlord and indeed the whole (Goucher 2). (STEWE-2)Oath of fealty was a complex procedure, that is why they needed two homages. Liege homage was that paid to the first lord from whom a fief was received. Simple homage, which recognized and accepted the priority of liege homage, signified a contract with other overlords.

The feudal system was a type of social order which, over a period of several hundred years, spread across Europe. Feudalism was similar to a contract in which individuals pledged their loyalty and services to a lord or person of higher rank. The loyalty was rewarded with the promise of protection and the chance to occupy land. Refer

Western Europe suffered numerous hardships through the ninth and tenth centuries and this was the ultimate reason they established a new political organization which was known as feudalism. By providing honor, protection, and a sense of control, this new social system revived peace and order in Western Europe after the fall of the Carolingian Empire. Feudalism was a necessary ingredient to yield stability in during these times of calamity.

Feudalism is a relationship between a lord and his vassals to provide service and resources for each other. The feudal system emerge as dominant political and social system in medieval Europe, because it provided the vassals with security by their lords. In one instance, “The fiscal burdens of feudalism took any form deemed suitable by the lords: payments in cash, in kind, in labor services, or in military services” (Goldsmith). After the Vikings raided many homes and cities, many people didn’t have much money to protect themselves.

In Medieval times during the 10th and 13th centuries, a form of political and social organization called feudalism was a way of life that had great effect on people of the time and on the modern world. Feudalism was developed because of the weakness of Europe and it's kings. The word feudalism comes from the word fief, which was the land held on condition of feudal service, similar to an estate (English). The fiefs bound together lords and vassals. Feudalism was a structure in which a lord divided his land into smaller parts to give to lesser lords (“Feudalism”).

Feudalism, as a decentralized political system, flourished in Medieval Europe. In this essay, the main political and economic characteristics of Feudalism will be mentioned, while discussing the main historical factors to the rise and fall of feudalism.