Feudal Social Hierarchy

1
Feudal Social Hierarchy

• Powell County Middle School
• Ancient Civilization
• Jeremy Hall

2
What is Feudalism?

• Under feudalism, landowning nobles governed and
  protected the people in exchange for services
• Power was based on the ownership of land which
  was tied to military service

3
How Was Society Organized?
4
King

• Weak
• Depended on the lords to run the estates
• Lords supplied the king with military service and
  crops

5
Lords

• Owned the land
• Protected the land and the people in return for
  military service and fieldwork
• Eventually grew more powerful than the king and
  became independent rulers

6
Vassals

• Served the lord of higher rank
• Tie between lord and vassal was made official in
  a ceremony known as, act of homage
• In return for loyalty and service, the lord gave
  the vassal a fief

7
Peasants

• In return for protection, the land of peasants
  were given to the nobles
• They worked the land and gave the majority of the
  crops to their vassal
• Not only gave up their land, but their freedom as
  well