feudalism

A detailed Summary of feudalism


The system of feudalism was developed gradually between the eighth and eleventh centuries. It grew up in an age of disorder, when the central government was helpless to protect their people. It's beginnings can be traced all the way back to the Ancient Roman Empire. In the early feudal stage, when a freeman gave up his title to his land he became the lord's "man" and promised him his loyalty. For the most part, feudalism involved only the noble classes. The system rested, however, on the work of the serfs, or villeins, who supported the lords and their knights. Officially the serfs were "unfree." They, however, were not the property of other people, like slaves. They were bound to the land and not to any particular lord who held it in fief. They could not leave the place where they were born; but neither could the lord send them away.

Feudalism had five major sections to it. First there was the king, who was above all. Then in descending order came the lord, vassal, knight, and then finally the peasants. Each part or section had their own set of responsibilities for another, which was the basis of feudalism. The most important of which was the relationship between the king and his lord and then between the lord and his vassa


The lord - vassal relationship at all levels always constituted an honorable relationship between free men and did not imply any sense of servitude. Since kings could no longer provide security in the midst of the breakdown created by the invasions of the ninth century, the system of subinfeudalism became ever more widespread. While a fief was a landed estate held from the lord by a vassal in return for military service, vassals holding such grants of land came to exercise rights of jurisdiction or political and legal authority within these fiefs. Fief - holding also became increasingly complicated as subinfeudalism developed. The vassals of a king, who themselves were great lords, might also have vassals who would owe them military service in return for a grant of land from their estates. Those vassals, in turn, might also have vassals, who at such a level would be simple knights with barely enough land to provide their equipment.

In return, a lord had certain responsibilities toward his vassal. His major task was to protect his vassal, either by defending him militarily or by taking his side in a court of law if necessary. The lord was also responsible for the maintenance of the vassal, usually granting him a fief. As this system of mutual obligations between lord and vassal evolved, certain practices bec

Some common words found in the essay are:
Roman Empire, , Years' War, Middle Ages, lord vassal, military service, lord responsible, return lord, fief holding,

Approximate Word count = 891
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: History

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