Feudal System

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Feudal System
Feudalism did not cause warfare warfare caused
feudalism.
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Essential Questions

1. What was the reason that the feudal system
   developed?
2. What were the different classes of people present
   in the feudal system?
3. What was expected of each class of people in the
   feudal system?

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Background Death of Charlemagne

• The central authority broke down in Europe
• 1. His death divided the empire back into
  several smaller kingdoms.
• 2. Local land owners and nobles came into
  power.
• 3. Vikings, magyars (MAG-yahrz), and Muslims
  invade lands
• A. Loot and burn villages
• B. Kill and terrorize
• C. Ruin trade, agriculture
• 4. People had no central power to turn to.

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Here come the Vikings

• Where are they from?

• What did they look like?

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This Helped Create the Feudal System

1. People turn to local lords with large estates for
   protection.
2. Local leaders sought alliance with fellow nobles.
3. Basis for alliance was exchange of military
   assistance for land.

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Roles in a Feudal System
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Roles in a Feudal System

• Lord (Giver of Fief)
• -Granted land to less rich nobles in exchange
  for
• military service and promise of loyalty.
• -Promised to protect vassals land.
• -The church also owned manors.
• Vassals (Receiver of Fief)
• -A noble who received the land, called fief.
• -Help lord in battle, pay his ransom if caught.
• -Provided approx.40 days military service to
  lord
• -Helped pay dowry on lords daughter.

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Roles in a Feudal System

• 3. Noble Men
• -Could be a vassal to a number of different
  lords.
• -Could grant some of his land or a fief to
  another noble to
• become a lord himself.
• -Many trained to be a knight or mounted
  warrior.
• Chivalry, code of conduct.
• Christian gentleman
• Learned to wear armor, ride a war
  horse
• and fight weapons
• Practiced and entertained
  in tournaments.
• Serfs (Peasants)
• -Lords wealth came from land. Needed
  people who worked his land.
• -When lords acquired new land, he also got
  serfs living on it.
• -Serfs did not have freedom to leave (or travel
  without permission)
• -Tended to Lords land (paid taxes) in exchange
  for protection.

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Feudal System
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Introduction to the Manor System
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Manor System

• Basic economic system of middle ages.
• Each lord owned at least one manor. Manors could
  be owned by nobles or the church.
• Rested on set of rights and obligation between
  lord and serfs.
• 15-30 families lived on a manor.
• Serfs life
• A. No selling children, not considered slaves.
• B. Lived and died on same manor, rarely
  travel.
• C. Simple diet, no meat from lords forest
• D. Believed God wanted them to be serfs.
• E. Live in cottages as long as doing the work.

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Manor System
Few cities to escape to Runaway serfs returned by
other lords Bandits, such as Robin Hood, would
hide in the forests of manors
A Kingdom
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• Groups will now complete some research on the
  manor system.