Feudalism

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Feudalism

• Ch 8 sec2

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What is Feudalism?

• It is BOTH a system of Government AND Economy
  rolled into one heres how
• -Nobles own ALL the land.
• -Peasants (serfs) need the land to grow food and
  build homes.
• -Nobles provide land and protection in exchange
  for the labor, products, services, and loyalty of
  the peasants (thats the Economy part)
• -Nobles make all the rules, enforce the rules,
  but are also responsible for protection of his
  peasants (thats the Government part)

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Why was Feudalism Developed?

• ATTACK!!! INVASION!!! The Vikings, Muslims, and
  Magyars were making it tough to live in Europe
  without protection from these forces.
• Living on a feudal estate was safer than anything
  else even though peasants had to live under
  sometimes harsh rule, it was still better than
  being attacked and terrorized.

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Power in the Feudal State

• Power was based on two things Wealth and
  Birth/Blood in order to have real wealth, you
  had to have land in order to own land you had to
  be of noble blood.
• There were two classifications of people Nobles
  and Commoners. You were born into one of these
  and stayed there.
• These two classifications were subdivided into
  levels of power and importance

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The Hierarchy of the Nobles

• The King ruled over everybody. His laws
  affected everyone under him, however he often
  needed the support of the nobility to be an
  effective ruler.
• Lord a land-holding nobleman. There were
  powerful lords (dukes and counts) and lesser
  lords who owned less land and carried less
  important titles. The lords estate was called a
  manor sometimes feudalism is called the
  manorial system
• Vassal the manager of a fief (or estate). Fiefs
  ranged in size and importance depending how many
  peasants and towns were on the estate.
• Knight Noble who has been trained as a
  professional warrior and protector of the
  kingdom. Lots of fame and glory was available
  for any who succeeded in this profession.
  Chivalry (code of conduct) was expected.
• Noblewomen supervised vassals, managed the
  household, sometimes waged war in her noblemans
  absense. Eleanor of Aquitaine

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Peasants and Serfs

• The largest group (by far) were the commoners
  the peasants and serfs. Because they were not
  of noble blood they were not entitled to much
  of anything. They traded their labor and loyalty
  for the right to farm a few acres of the lords
  land.
• Serfs were indentured servants could not leave
  the land without the lords permission. Not
  exactly slavery, most commoners were serfs.
• Peasants were less bound to the land were farmers
  and servants.

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Castles

• During the early middle ages, powerful lords
  fortified their homes to withstand attack
  remember, the whole reason for feudalism is to
  protect from attack.
• Early on, castles were simple wooden fences and
  towers. As weapons and methods of attack
  improved, so did castle defenses until they
  became superfortresses with high, thick stone
  walls, motes, drawbridges, defensive towers, and
  much more!

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