Early Middle Ages Feudalism and Manorialism (Notes 1)

EQ: What is the importance of Feudalism and the Manorial System? What societal norms were established under Feudalism? Why is Charlemagne important? How did Monarchies form?

King Clovis

Became the first to unite all Franklin tribes and was also the first Roman Catholic ruler of the Franks. Their Capital was in Modern Day city of Paris.

Charles Martel

• A Frankish military ruler, is credited with stopping the Muslim expansion at the Battle of Tours in 732.

• Officially founded the Carolingian Dynasty in 737.

Charlemagne

• Grandson of Charles Martel

• Ruled the Frankish Kingdoms from 768 to 814

• The pope named him the Holy Roman Emperor in 800: foreshadowing of the Holy Roman Empire.

• Conquered the Saxons in the East and forced them to convert to Christianity.

• After his death, Western Europe fell into a system of smaller kingdoms. Groups like Vikings would attack the weaker kingdoms but grew bolder as time went on.

Feudalism

• Was a mutually beneficial relationship between free persons and nobility that was evident from around 800 to 1200.

  Everyone in the social and political system had a role:

• Kings: Oversaw their kingdoms

• Lords: were the landowners; given land by the kings called fiefs

Vassals: People who owed service to another person; usually peasants (or serfs)

Entered into a contract with a Lord - supplies for protection was the general agreement.

• Knights: Vassals of the Lords; protected people within their territory.

Code of Chivalry:

A way to solve disputes while showing manners.

• Women and children were protected

Kings

• Controlled large areas but allowed Lords to administer power over their areas.

• The Lords were typically the only law of the land, so their power was absolute.

Manorialism: Economic System

• The Manorial System provided both economic self-sufficiency and defense against invasions.

• Gets its name from large fiefs, or estates, being referenced as Manors.

• Manors: Were small villages that included a church, blacksmith, shop, mill, and presses for making cider, wine, or oil, in addition to the homes of peasants known as Serfs.

The manor produced everything the people needed so trade and contact with outsiders declined.

Serfs

• While not slaves, were tied to the land, could not marry, and could not travel without the permission from their Lord.

• Paid tribute in forms of crops, labor, and rarely, coins. In exchange, Lords provided protection.

• Children born to Serfs also became Serfs.

Many Serfs spent their entire lives on their respective Manor. Many only saw 100 different people in their lifetime.

The Three Field System

Around the 9^th Century weather and technology began to improve. The amount of farmable land gradually increased and became more efficient.

The three field system emerged, which was characerized by crops being rotated in and out of three fields.

• One field would have wheat or rye

• One field would have peas, lentils, or beans (to help replace nitrogen in the soil.)

• One field would be unused, fallow, each year.

Farming Improvements

Technological developments:

• Windmills

• Heavy Plow for northern Europe (Where the soil was more rocky); Light Plow for Southern Europe (Where the soil was soft)

• Horse Collar - attached to the plows

• Stirrups - humans control and animal comfort.

What factors led to the end of Fedualism?

• Stronger monarchies started forming in the later Middle Ages that included the French, Holy Roman Empire and Norman England.

• The Crusades strengthened control of these monarchies as many Lords died without leaving an heir to their land.

• The Renaissance and Age of Exploration lead to an end of the Middle Ages.