Feudalism

Problems leading to feudalism

Constant invasions by Vikings, Magyars, and Muslims plus weak central governments after Rome's fall created insecurity and need for local protection

Reason for feudalism's emergence

Without a strong empire, people turned to local lords for safety and stability in exchange for loyalty

Feudalism as a military system

Lords granted fiefs to vassals and knights in return for military service and defense of the manor

Feudalism as an economic system

The manor system tied peasants and serfs to the land, producing food and goods for protection

Role of lords

Controlled land, maintained order, provided protection, and granted fiefs to vassals in exchange for loyalty

Role of vassals

Pledged loyalty to lords, received land (fiefs), and provided military or other service in return

Role of knights

Warriors who upheld chivalry, protected land, and fought in battles in exchange for land or income

Role of peasants and serfs

Farmed the land, provided labor and crops; serfs were bound to the manor and could not leave

Feudal social hierarchy

King → Nobles/Lords → Vassals/Knights → Peasants/Serfs

Rigidity of feudal society

Limited social mobility, people were born into their class and usually stayed there

Lord

A noble who owned land and granted fiefs to vassals in return for loyalty and service

Vassal

A person who received land (fief) from a lord in exchange for service and loyalty

Knight

A mounted warrior bound by chivalry, serving lords in military campaigns

Peasant/Serf

Laboring class; peasants were free but poor, while serfs were bound to the land they worked

Fief

A grant of land given by a lord to a vassal in exchange for service

Pre-modern nature of feudalism

Decentralized, based on personal loyalty, weak monarchies, little trade, and subsistence farming

Effectiveness of feudalism

Provided local protection, order, and stability during a time of war and weak central rule

Economic changes weakening feudalism

Growth of trade, towns, and money economy reduced dependence on manorial farming

Political changes weakening feudalism

Stronger monarchies centralized power, weakening nobles' independence

Impact of Crusades on feudalism

Increased trade, weakened nobles, and broadened horizons beyond local manors

Impact of Black Death on feudalism

Killed one-third of Europe's population, creating labor shortages that gave peasants more power

Impact of Hundred Years' War on feudalism

Professional armies replaced knights, reducing reliance on vassal military service

Impact of towns and cities

Created opportunities outside manors, weakened serfdom, and encouraged trade

Systems replacing feudalism

Centralized monarchies, stronger nation-states, and early capitalism

Long-term effects of decline

Greater social mobility, rise of trade, money economy, and a modern political order in Europe