Feudalism Ch 8 sec2

What is Feudalism? It is BOTH a system of Government AND Economy rolled into one… here’s 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 (that’s the Economy part) -Nobles make all the rules, enforce the rules, but are also responsible for protection of his peasants (that’s the Government part)

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.

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:

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 lord’s 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 nobleman’s absense. Eleanor of Aquitaine

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 lord’s land. Serfs were indentured servants: could not leave the land without the lord’s permission. Not exactly slavery, most commoners were serfs. Peasants were less bound to the land were farmers and servants.

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!