FEUDAL ORDER

1
FEUDAL ORDER

• KingThe King nominally owned all the land in the
  kingdom BUT only controlled his own estates.
• Powerful lords/Vassals to the KingFew in number,
  these lords stood immediately below the king as
  his subordinate vassals. They received grants of
  land called Fiefs from the king.
• Lesser Lords/VassalsMore numerous, these lesser
  lords or vassals received fiefs in exchange for
  pledges of allegiance and military service.
• KnightsThe lowest and most numerous group of
  nobles, constituted the bulk of the feudal
  armies. Only men could be knights.
• SerfsFar outnumbered the entire nobility. They
  were servants and/or peasants. They had no
  freedom.

2
TERMS

• Fiefs land grants from a king or a lord
• Suzerain title of the King or the lord who
  granted land.
• Homage a ceremony in which the vassal pledges
  loyalty to the Suzerain.
• Investiture a ceremony in which the vassal is
  granted his fief from his suzerain.
• Subinfeudationthe process of granting fiefs to
  others.