Feudalism Notes
Feudalism in Europe
Main Idea
- Feudalism emerged in Europe as a political and economic system based on land-holding and protective alliances.
Terms & Names
- Lord: Landowner granting land (fief) to a vassal.
- Fief: Land granted by a lord to a vassal for military protection and services.
- Vassal: Person receiving a fief from a lord.
- Knight: Mounted horseman defending lord's lands for fiefs.
- Serf: Peasant bound to the land but not a slave.
- Manor: Lord's estate, the basic economic unit.
- Tithe: Church tax, one-tenth of income.
Setting the Stage
- Division of Charlemagne's kingdom led to political turmoil.
- This contributed to the rise of European feudalism.
Invaders Attack Western Europe
- From 800 to 1000, invasions destroyed the Carolingian Empire.
- Muslims seized Sicily and raided Italy.
- Magyars invaded from the east, terrorizing Germany and Italy.
- Vikings invaded from the north.
The Vikings Invade from the North
- Vikings (Northmen, Norsemen) came from Scandinavia.
- They worshiped warlike gods and raided quickly.
- Viking warships held up to 300 warriors and could sail in shallow water.
- They looted inland villages and monasteries.
- Vikings were also traders, farmers, and explorers, reaching Russia, Constantinople, and North America (Leif Ericson).
- Viking terror faded with Christianity and a warming climate.
Magyars and Muslims Attack from the East and South
- Magyars attacked from the east, raiding villages and monasteries, selling captives as slaves.
- Muslims invaded from the south through Italy and Spain, aiming to conquer and plunder.
- Invasions caused widespread disorder and suffering.
A New Social Order: Feudalism
- In 911, Rollo and Charles the Simple made an agreement, granting Rollo Normandy for loyalty.
Feudalism Structures Society
- From 850 to 950, similar agreements led to feudalism.
- Feudalism was a system of governing and landholding based on rights and obligations.
- Similar systems existed in China and Japan.
- Lords granted land (fief) to vassals for military protection and services.
- Feudalism depended on land control.
The Feudal Pyramid
- Feudal society was hierarchical.
- King at the peak, followed by nobles and bishops, then knights, and finally landless peasants.
Social Classes Are Well Defined
- Status determined prestige and power.
- People were classified into those who fought, prayed, and worked.
- Social class was usually inherited.
- Most people were peasants, mainly serfs, bound to the land but not slaves.
Manors: The Economic Side of Feudalism
- The manor was the lord's estate and basic economic unit.
- The manor system rested on rights and obligations between lord and serfs.
- The lord provided housing, farmland, and protection.
- Serfs tended land, cared for animals, and maintained the estate.
- Peasants owed the lord labor and a portion of their grain.
A Self-Contained World
- Peasants rarely traveled far.
- A manor included the lord's house, a church, and workshops.
- 15 to 30 families lived in the village.
- The manor was largely self-sufficient, producing nearly everything needed.
- Outside purchases were limited to salt, iron, and millstones.
The Harshness of Manor Life
- Peasants paid taxes on grain and marriage.
- They owed the priest a tithe.
- Serfs lived in crowded cottages with dirt floors.
- Diet consisted of vegetables, bread, grain, cheese, and soup.
- Life revolved around work, with children put to work early.
- Many children did not survive to adulthood.
- Average life expectancy was about 35 years.
- Serfs accepted their lot in life as part of Church teachings.