2. What is feudalism?
After the death of Charlemagne,
organized government disappeared
Europe became ruled by independent
leaders
This political organization is known as the
Feudal System or Feudalism –
relationship between lords and vassals.
People entered into the feudal contract for
protection.
3. The Structure of Feudalism
King
And
Queen
Church Officials
And Nobles
Knights
Peasants
4. Social Groups
Nobles - Lords
– Granted land to a lesser noble while retaining
ownership
– This allowed the lesser noble the ability to maintain
their household
– The grant of the land was called a fief
– The person who received the land was called a
vassal
– Vassals could further divide the land and become a
lord
5. The system cont…
- A Count was a nobleman in charge
of an area of land called a county
- The lord’s messenger – “missi dominici” were men
sent out to local districts to ensure that the counts
were carrying out the kings’ wishes.
- The fiefs became hereditary
-Primogeniture is the system of inheritance from father
to eldest son
- Essentially, every landholder was a vassal to the King
- But, the King only controlled those living on his feudal
lands
6. Rights of Women
Women had limited
property rights
– Woman may have
fiefs in her dowry
– With marriage, her
husband gained
control of the dowry
7. Feudal Justice
Three kinds of feudal trials
– Trial by battle
Determined by the outcome of the duel
– Compurgation (oath taking)
Accused and accuser were supported by
people who swore their side was telling the
truth
– Trial by ordeal
Determined by how the accused survived a
particular ordeal (ex. Immersion in cold
water)
8. Medieval Manors
Manors were large farming estates that
included manor houses, cultivated lands,
woodlands, pastures, fields, and villages
No central authority or organized trade
How did they get what they needed?
9. Self-sufficiency
Manors were forced to be self sufficient
– They produced everything they needed
– Items like iron, salt, wood, wine, and other
manufactured goods were purchased
– Land of the manor was shared by a lord and
several peasant families
– About one-third of land was kept for the lord,
while the rest was farmed by the peasants
10. Manor Villages
Peasants gave the lord some of their
crops and helped farm his land
They also paid many taxes
Most manor villages were located along a
stream or a river
Two of the three fields were cultivated,
while the other was fallow to regain its
fertilitiy
12. The Life of a Peasant
Spent long hours in the fields
Most serfs could not leave the land
without the permission of the lord
– Could not hunt on the lord’s property or afford
to raise their own animals, so they rarely ate
meat
– Life expectancy was very short because of
diet, warfare, disease, and starvation
13. Nobles
The upper class of the Middle ages did not
live in luxury
Castles were bases for the lord to enforce
authority and protect the countryside
Castles built on hills
Moats were built around Castles on flat
land
– These protected it and drawbridges allowed
access to castle over the flooded moats
14. Nobles cont.
A “keep” was the main building of the
castle and was used as a storeroom,
workshop, and lord’s living quarters
Men acquired land through marriage
15. Chivalry
Chivalry: a code of conduct
Dictated knights’ behavior toward others
Chivalry comes from the French word
cheval, meaning horse, because knights
were mounted soldiers
Knights were expected to be courageous
in battle and fight fairly
Also, be loyal, treat his conquered foes
gallantly, and be courteous to women and
the less powerful
16. How do I become a Knight?
Knights had to belong to a noble class and
pass two stages of training
– Stage 1: age of seven when a boy would be a
knight’s page, or attendant
– Stage 2: knight’s assistant, or squire
He would take care of the knight’s horse,
armor, and weapons
