Roles in the Feudal System

Feudalism

A medieval social system based on land ownership and loyalty.

King

The ruler who granted land to lords in exchange for loyalty.

Lord/Noble

A wealthy landowner who controlled a manor and provided military support.

Vassal

A person granted land in exchange for military service.

Knight

A warrior who swore loyalty to a lord.

Peasant

A worker who farmed the land and paid taxes to the lord.

Serf

A peasant legally bound to a lord's land.

Fief

A piece of land given to a vassal by a lord.

Manor

The estate controlled by a lord, including villages and farmland.

Who was at the top of the feudal hierarchy?

The King

What did lords provide to knights in exchange for military service?

Land/fiefs

What was the difference between serfs and peasants?

Serfs were bound to the land; peasants were free.

What was the main responsibility of knights?

What was the main responsibility of knights?

Why was feudalism based on mutual obligations?

Each class depended on another for land, protection, or labor.

How did lords and knights depend on each other in the feudal system?

Lords granted fiefs (land) to knights in exchange for military service and protection.

Knights swore loyalty (fealty) to their lords and promised to defend their land.

Lords provided food, shelter, and equipment for knights to train and fight.

In return, knights upheld the Code of Chivalry and protected the lord's manor.

This mutual dependence ensured security and stability in medieval society.

What were the main responsibilities of peasants and serfs?

Peasants and serfs worked the land to produce food for the entire manor.

They paid taxes and rent to their lords, often in the form of crops or labor.

Serfs were legally bound to the land, while peasants had more freedom to move.

They also maintained roads, buildings, and tools on the manor.

In return, lords provided protection and land to farm, but life was hard with few rights.

How did the feudal system create a structure of loyalty and obligation?

The system was based on mutual responsibilities, where each class depended on the others.

Kings gave land to nobles, who in turn granted land to knights in exchange for service.

Knights protected the land and peasants, while peasants provided food for all.

This structure ensured that each group had a role to play, maintaining order.

Feudal contracts and oaths of loyalty (fealty) reinforced these relationships.

What similar roles did different groups in the feudal system share?

Lords and kings both ruled over land and granted fiefs in exchange for service.

Knights and lords both had military duties, with lords often serving the king.

Peasants and serfs shared farming duties and supported the economy.

All groups participated in a system of loyalty and obligation, whether through military service, land management, or labor.

Each group relied on others to maintain security, food production, and social order.