Did Feudalism Outweigh The Disadvantages?

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.

The serfs would work on large manors or on smaller villages guarded by knights and would provide food for the rest of the hierarchy. This was a mutual respect system in which land and protection was given down the hierarchy and goods and services such as food and tax money was given up. During the middle ages there were many threats from barbarian tribes most notably the vikings and some of the Germanic tribes that prompted the creation of feudal systems and the manor. While this protected the serfs and other people who other wise would not be able to defend themselves, this also gave power the nobility and allowed them to heavily tax the lower class. In addition to corruption, this gave the upper class and the nobility far more control over the people of the kingdoms and could have also caused many of the problems during the middle ages. Feudalism only really worked if the respect and service went both ways which only worked if the nobility respected the serfs and vise versa. As a result of this, feudal and manor systems shaped Western European society because the gave protection to the lower class while giving more power and control to the upper

The feudal system began to decline after the Black Death struck Europe in the late 1340’s. The feudal system joined politics and grouped together the social classes of that period. It began with the “relationship between two freemen (men who are not serfs), a lord and his vassal. Vassal derived from a Celtic word for servant, but in feudal terms vassal meant a free person who put himself under the protection of a lord and for whom he rendered loyal military aid.” This relationship was mutually beneficial at first, but throughout the development of the system, great restrictions were endured.

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 a unique and efficient system. Farmers were in the lowest class socially but still contributed and were important to making feudalism function. The lords manors were extremely important to the structure of feudalism. Feudalism also allowed peoples needs to be met. This system allowed kingdoms to be controlled which made it so

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.

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.

The feudal society worked to give everyone a job and rules to follow so that there wasn’t any confusion on right and wrong, “If anyone shall wish to leave his lord (seniorem), and is able to prove against him one of these crimes, that is, in the first place, if the lord has wished to reduce him unjustly into servitude; in the second place, if he has taken counsel against his life; in the third place, if the lord has committed adultery with the wife of his vassal; in. the fourth place, if he has wilfully attacked him with a drawn sword; in the fifth place, if the lord has been able to bring defence to his vassal after he has commended his hands to him, and has not done so; it is allowed to the vassal to leave him” ("Feudal" Capitularies - 9th Cent). Monarchs lords and church officials all worked together to come up with or write down laws. Each social class had a set of laws looking out for their well-being. If a vassal could prove they were being mistreated they would be freed. If someone was suffering in feudal society efforts would be made to help them. Feudalism helped provide everyone with security by providing solutions to the problems they might find in their jobs and daily

Feudalism would not have survived throughout the middle ages without the support from the manors. The main source of support came from the those who lived and worked on the manors. In feudalism, the owner was the Lord of the Manor who pronounced his authority who provided protection through military service to those who lived on the manor (Ebeling). Without the lord’s service, there wouldn’t be any citizens being able to support the manorial system, therefore not being able to support feudalism. Another significant occupant of the land were serfs that supplied the village with specialists. Serfs were able to help other serfs essentially survive on the manor (Bishop 228). Serfs also served the lord when they cared for his land (Bishop 229).

The feudal society is structured like a pyramid. At the top of the pyramid is the king, and then the most powerful vassals such as nobles and bishops. Beneath these vassals are knights, who serve their king in exchange for fiefs. At the bottom of the pyramid are the landless peasants. In the feudal system, status determines a person’s prestige and power. Social class is inherited from previous generations. During the Middle Ages, most people were peasants. These peasants were

The Middle Ages, or the Medieval period, lasted from about 500 AD to 1500 AD. The Medieval period was filled with plague and social inequality. After the fall of Rome in 476, feudalism was established, leaving peasants and serfs at the bottom of the social hierarchy. For this reason, many people call them the Dark Ages. As bleak as these conditions seem, art and invention also flourished during the Middle Ages.

The people of the Medieval Ages were split into social classes, under the Feudal System, which at the top was the king, followed by his lords and barons, and then the peasants. The king lived in his castle with other members of royalty and wealth, and he assigned lords or barons to control parts of the kingdom. The castle was then surrounded by the villages and farms, where the peasants lived and did their work. As many could tell, this Feudal System was separated by the wealth of the individual, and

Feudalism was a diplomatic system. This system helped the “nobles” buy land. According to the text, “Feudalism was a political, economic, and social system in which nobles were granted the use of land that legally belonged to the king. In return, the nobles agreed to give their loyalty and military services to the king.” (Document 1) Feudalism was a system that traded different items or artifacts that helped different parts of the system. In Document 1 a chart is shown that explains how the trades works. “The King would grant land to the Nobles and in return the Nobles would provide money and knights to the King.” (Document 1 Chart) Feudalism resulted in placing a high value on the importance of trade. Everyday the Nobles would acquire land and give the King back money and knights. According to Document 1, “The peasants or serfs worked the land for the knights and nobles and in return serfs received protection and

Life as a serf or peasant was not easy. Serfs were bound to their lord's land and required to do services for him. Although they could not be sold like slaves, they had no freedom (Ellis and Esler 219-244). Peasants farmed for the goods that the lord and his manor needed. They went through difficult hardship because of this. Peasants were heavily taxed and had to provide for themselves the goods that they needed (“The Middle Ages”). According to the medieval law, the peasants were not considered to 'belong to' themselves (“The Middle Ages”). Although serfs were peasants and had relatively the same duties and similar rights, what differentiated a peasant from a serf was that a peasant was not bound to the land (“The Middle Ages”). Peasants had no schooling and no knowledge of the outside world (Ellis and Esler 219-244). They rarely traveled more than a couple miles outside of their villages. All members of a peasant family, including children, tended crops, farmed, and did some sort of work to help out (Ellis and Esler 224). Very few peasants lived past the age of 35 because of hunger in the winter and the easy development and transmission of disease (Ellis and Esler 224).

England was one of the countries that practiced feudalism for many years. The other two countries that were centrally involved in feudalism was France and Germany. Feudalism was a very profitable and easy way of life for the mighty and the rich. The poor, however, were under constant pressure and forced to work long, hard hours. The feudal system also involved mass amounts of honor at its core. Knights and lords fought bravely for land and rule. The knights were thought of as trustworthy and honorable in all they do. This lead to many people trusting them immediately. The lordship was only obtained through birth however. The lords of the manors would keep their power through their family lines. Therefore, the rich stayed wealthy, and the poor