THE FEUDAL AND THE MANORIAL SYSTEMS FEUDALISM THE FEUDAL AND THE MANORIAL SYSTEMS

Warm Up Fall of Rome Which was the longest-lasting Germanic kingdom? Who was the first ruler to convert to Christianity? This means money for a man: This was used to determine guilt: What was the importance of the Battle of Tours? Who led the Franks to victory in that Battle? What family was Charles Martel from?

Feudal System Developed out of the need for protection from invaders People wanted land and protection, and there was no central gov’t (Rome had fallen) Nobles could no longer count on their king for protection, so they had to find a way to defend their own lands Built castles for defense Early castles built out of wood, later castles built out of stone Needed trained soldiers for their own private armies, the most important of which were knights

Knight = highly skilled and heavily armored soldiers who fight on horseback Being a knight was expensive – had to purchase weapons, armor, and horses Knights demanded payment for their services Wealth was based on owning land – main source of income since there was little trade Most knights were paid with land for their services Vassal = person who owes military service to a lord who has given him land Feudal system = the system of exchanging land for service

Feudalism GIVES LAND LORDS VASSALS OWES MILITARY SERVICE

Feudal Obligations Idea of Vassalage Vassalage came from Germanic society where warriors swore an oath of loyalty to their leaders The relationship between a lord and vassal was made official by a public act of homage, such as swearing an oath of fealty, or loyalty, to one’s lord This act of loyalty was at the heart of the feudal system Feudal contract – set of unwritten rules that determined the relationship between lord and vassal Both the lords and vassals had responsibilities

Nobility and Knights Knights became the dominate part of warfare Held great prestige and the institution of knighthood united the nobility Young knight, with no responsibilities, participated in tournaments in which knights showed off their skills, with the joust being the main event Chivalry = ideal of civilized behavior among knights and nobility Knights were expected to: Defend the Church and defenseless people (especially women) Treat captives as honored guests (ransoming other knights = money) Fight for glory and not material rewards

The Manorial System The feudal system was basically a political and social system The manorial system was the heart of medieval economics Built around large estates called manors These manors were usually owned by wealthy lords and knights These landowning nobles needed the leisure to pursue war and their feudal obligations – no time to farm Instead peasants worked the lands of these estates

Most of the peasants were serfs Manor lords gave the peasants protection and plots of land for themselves and their families In return, the peasants had to farm the lord’s land, along with other services Most of the peasants were serfs Serfs = peasants who are legally bound to the land, the manor on which they serve Most of a manor’s land was occupied by fields for crops and pastures

Give land, protection Lord Peasant Farm the land Farmers left part of a field empty for a year so that the soil would be rested and more fertile Developed the three-field system of crop rotation Each manor included a fortified manor house for the noble family and a village where the peasants and serfs lived The goal was for the manor to be self-sufficient and to provide economic support for the nobles Give land, protection Lord Peasant Farm the land